The term 'animalhearted' (or 'animal-hearted') refers to someone who involuntarily identifies with, or who has a strong connection with, a non-human animal. This includes both earthen and mythical creatures. The term was coined on The Daemon Forum, with its definition was clarified by a member named Teddy on October 26, 2009. [1]
Saying, "I identify with wolves" is not the same as/doesn't have the same meaning as saying "I identify as a wolf".
Identifying with an animal isn't the same as identifying as that creature (see the therianthropy page for individuals who identify as animals). But, even though being animal-hearted and being a therian aren't the same thing, a therian can still identify with an animal that isn't their theriotype and be part of the animalhearted community. Some alterhumans even experience a fluid identity between being a therian and an animalhearted. This identity is referred to as cambitherianthropy.
Therianthropy can also tie into animalheartedness in deep ways, and some therians may find that they have a connection to the broader genus or family of their theriotype due to their identity. Someone who's animalhearted may have their connection formed in the same way as someone's non-human identity (imprinting, trauma, etc., but typically explanations that are closest to psychological therianthropy).
The term is part of the otherhearted umbrella, this umbrella also includes identities like fictionhearted, and the identity as a whole is explored more in the wider alterhuman community. The term 'kith' or 'hearttype' can be used by someone who identifies as animalhearted to describe and refer to the animal(s) they identify with. But the animal they identify with is called a heart/kithtype.
As an example, a person who feels a strong connection to a deer could say, "I am deerhearted", ''I am deerkith'' or ''I have a deer hearttype''.
A thread on AHWW from January 15, 1997 in which someone who claimed to "ABSOLUTELY ADORE WEREWOLVES AND WOLVES" asked if they were "wolfhearted". [2] The term animalheart was discussed more thoroughly and came into common use between 2009 and 2010. [3]
Further Reading
"Common Themes in the Early Animal-hearted Scene" Tumblr, January 26th 2018 - https://web.archive.org/web/20181219174603/http://atlas-of-mossland.tumblr.com/post/170158667209/common-themes-in-the-early-animal-hearted-scene
"[Something]-hearted vs Therian" Werelist, March 14, 2010 - http://www.werelist.net/archive/index.php/t-27515.html
References
- ↑ "An Interesting Find" Tumblr, January 19th 2018 - https://web.archive.org/web/20181219174405/http://atlas-of-mossland.tumblr.com/post/169890816504/an-interesting-find
- ↑ "AM I WOLF HEARTED?" AHWW, January 15th 1997 - https://groups.google.com/g/alt.horror.werewolves/c/4QHBcdK28Vw/m/SN0jQJMNs9oJ
- ↑ "The Hisotry of the Term Animal-Hearted" Tumblr, House of Chimeras, August 17th 2014 - http://liongoatsnake.tumblr.com/post/94999217300/the-hisotry-of-the-term-animal-hearted - (Archived page - https://web.archive.org/web/20180121005409/http://liongoatsnake.tumblr.com/post/94999217300/the-hisotry-of-the-term-animal-hearted )