Cultural Depictions of Elephants - Religion, Mythology and Philosophy

Religion, Mythology and Philosophy

The Asian elephant appears in various religious traditions and mythologies. They are treated positively and are sometimes revered as deities, often symbolising strength and wisdom. Similarly, the African elephant is seen as the wise chief who impartially settles disputes among the forest creatures in African fables, and the Ashanti tradition holds that they are human chiefs from the past.

The earth is supported (and guarded) by mythical World Elephants at the compass points of the cardinal directions, according to the Hindu cosmology of ancient India. The classical Sanskrit literature also attributes earthquakes to the shaking of their bodies when they tire. Wisdom is represented by the elephant in the form of the deity Ganesh, one of the most popular gods in the Hindu religion's pantheon. Also sometimes known as Ganesha, this deity is very distinctive in having a human form with the head of an elephant. This was put on after the human head was either was cut off or burned, depending on the version of the story from various Hindu sources. Lord Ganesha's birthday (rebirth) is celebrated as the Hindu festival known as Ganesha Chaturthi.

Indra was said to ride on a flying white elephant named Airavata, who was made the King of all elephants by Lord Indra. A white elephant is rare and given special significance. It is often considered sacred and symbolises royalty in Thailand and Burma, where it is also considered a symbol of good luck.

Elephants remain an integral part of religion in South Asia and some are even used in various religious practices. Temple elephants are specially trained captive elephants that are used in various temple activities. Among the most famous of the temple elephants is Guruvayur Keshavan of Kerala, India. They are also used in festivals in Sri Lanka such as the Esala Perahera.

In the version of the Chinese zodiac used in Northern Thailand, the last year in the 12-year cycle – called "Year of the Pig" in China – is known instead as "Year of the Elephant", reflecting the importance of elephants in Thai culture.

In Islamic tradition, the year 570 is when the Prophet Muhammad was born and is known as the Year of the Elephant. In that year, Abraha, ruler of Yemen tried to conquer Mecca and demolish the Kaaba, reportedly in retaliation for the previous Meccan defilement of a cathedral Abraha had constructed in Sana'a. However, his plan was foiled when his white elephant named Mahmud refused to to cross the boundary of Mecca. The elephant, who led Abraha's forty thousand men, could not be persuaded with reason or even with violence, which was at the time regarded as a crucial omen by Abraha's soldiers and is still regarded as such by Muslims.

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the mutual killing of both Eleazar the Maccabee and a war elephant carrying an important Seleucid general in the apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees have been depicted by many medieval artists. The early illustrators knew little of the elephant and their portrayals are highly inaccurate.

The unfamiliarity with the exotic beast have also made elephants a subject of widely different interpretations thus giving rise to different mythological creatures. The story of the blind men and an elephant was written to show how reality may be viewed by different perspectives. The source of this parable is unknown, but it appears to have originated in India. It has been attributed to Buddhists, Hindus, Jainists, and Sufis, and was also used by Discordians. The scattered skulls of prehistoric pygmy elephants on Crete, and near Catana, Sicily may have formed the basis of belief in existence of cyclops, the one-eyed giants featured in Homer's Odyssey. The skulls feature a single large nasal cavity at the front which might be mistaken for a very large eye socket. The skulls are also twice the size of a normal human skull making them look like they belonged to giant humanoids. It is also suggested that the Behemoth described in the Book of Job may be the elephant due to its grazing habits and preference to rivers.