What does the goat mean in marc chagall paintings?

Question by amitai: in marc chagall paintings, what does the goat mean?
The Russian – Jewish artist, marc chagall, has a lot of symbolism in his paintings, but what does the goat mean?

Answers and Views:

Answer by angela l
In general, Chagall’s inclusion of farm animals into his paintings allude to his memories of childhood. In particular, visits to an uncle on a farm where he knew every animal by name. Many of Chagall’s paintings include farmyard references such as to his childhood in Vitebsk, alongside images of Paris.
The goat is a Jewish symbol for the day of atonement – a feast when the sins of the people were once symbolically expiated ( Leviticus X!V) by tying a red ribbon (rep. the sins)around the neck of a goat and casting him out into the wilderness to die. (After the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, a rooster or hen was used for this purpose instead). See painting on this subject by William Holman Hunt.
It is most probable, that Chagall used this image with both these ideas in mind.

Read all the answers in the comments.

What do you think?