Elephants in Kerala Culture - Auspicious and Inauspicious Signs To Determine The Quality of An Elephant

Auspicious and Inauspicious Signs To Determine The Quality of An Elephant

In Kerala, as in other states, the presence or absence of certain physical characters determine the quality of an elephant, especially its temperament and disposition. Those buying elephants pay attention to these traits when determining whether an elephant is auspicious enough to be owned or purchased. These traits include:

• A dignified look with a raised head and low back.
• The fore and the hind feet should be placed straight and firm on the ground. The legs must be straight without deformity.
• The twin domes on the head (thalakunni), should be big, raised and evenly separated. They must not be close to each other
• The forehead bump (vayukumbham) must be broad and projecting forwards.
• The portion on the face, between the eyes and the tusk (cheela) must be compact. This portion must be long and broad. In cow (female) elephants this region is less pronounced.
• The eyes must appear clear, with the colour of honey and should be moist. The pupils must be dilated. Red eyes in elephants indicate an aggressive and angry temperament. This is also observed during musth. Eyes may turn red due to injuries. One must be wary of elephants that have a fixed gaze.
• The ears must be large. While being fanned, they must strike with a loud flapping sound, at the front. Small ears are not desirable in elephants.
• The tusks are decisive in judging an elephant 's appeal. They may be formed in several ways such as, converging in the front, diverging, or curved upwards, etc. The ideal is that, the tusks should grow downwards, rise up, and then be evenly separated. The colour must be that of butter or sandalwood.
• The trunk should be fleshy, broad, long and trailing on the ground. The tip of the trunk (thunikkai), must be long, triangular and strong. Injuries to the trunk, especially the thunikkai may disfigure the elephant.
• The temporal region, (kannakuzhi), must be swollen and fleshy. If this region appears depressed due to loss of fat or flesh, it can be assumed that the elephant is tired or weak.
• The back must slope downwards. The bones of the back must be pronounced and the area where the mahout sits (irikkasthanam), must be broad and fleshy ; otherwise it will not be a comfortable ride. This seat of the mahout, is above the forelegs and the scapular bone.
• The body must be long and the stomach must always be full and big.
• The tail must be long and end broadly into a fleshy region (vaal kudam). There should be ample hair on the tail. The tail must be long enough to touch the ankle, but not too long to trail on the ground, and should be devoid of twists or turns.
• Elephant usually have 18 nails; five each on the forelegs and four each on the hind legs. Rarely some have 20 nails, which is considered very auspicious. Indian mythology claims that Airavat, the elephant of Lord Indra, possessed 20 nails. Elephants that possess 16 nails are considered inauspicious for individuals to own, but institutions like temples could keep them. The nails must be clear and smooth without cracks and must appear pronounced like the shell of a tortoise. Elephants used for labour and physical activity may have broken nails.
• The skin must be jet black in colour ( like black teak or a group of rocks). In Malayalam elephants are called kariveeran, meaning the ‘black hero’. The skin must be resilient. Lack of resilience is an indication of dehydration.
• When multiple hairs arise from a single root, it is considered an indicator of long life, and is a good sign. These occur usually below the eye or between the eye and the trunk, or on the sides of their chin.
• If the insides of the mouth or the upper surface of the tongue is black, the elephant’s character is considered unpredictable.
• It is inauspicious to have black markings on the penis.
• The elephant makes a gurgling sound, from the throat, on seeing its favorite mahout or owner. Similarly it may excrete dung or urinate, to express its happiness. All these are considered as good signs. If the elephant remains motionless (without fanning its ears), when approached, then one must be wary of it.