Depictions of relationships between elephants and San people in the rock art of the Cederberg mountains, Western Cape

Abstract

The rock art of the San people in the Cederberg mountains in the Western Cape has the highest concentration of elephant paintings anywhere in the world and provides a unique insight into the historical relationship between San people and elephants. This relationship was one of symbiotic commensalism, whereby the San benefited from the relationship, which neither helped nor harmed the elephants. These paintings provide evidence of the reverence felt by the San towards elephants. The San regarded the elephants as beings to whom they were connected by n|om, a vibratory life force which comes directly from God the Creator and  animates all living beings. The San encountered elephants not only in their daily lives but also in their imaginary mythological world, suggesting that elephants were deeply embedded in their psyche. The artwork, storytelling and mythology of the San were thoroughly practical in effect and depicted a harmonious relationship between elephants and the San. To understand this relationship, this paper compares and analyses various behavioural contexts linking the San to elephants, as depicted in 17 Cederberg rock art sites. Most researchers believe that the paintings, still visible on the rocks of the Cederberg, were created in the last 7,000 years and the bulk of the paintings of elephants, eland and lines of dancing people are at least 1,500 years old.