ELEPHANTS AND THEIR GODS
Dec. 20th, 2023 09:27 am In his “Natural Histories,” Pliny the Elder wrote that Elephants had respect for the stars and reverence for the sun and moon. He tells of an Elephant ritual held at the New Moon. They would gather at a river and purify themselves. Pliny noted that the Elephants also threw grasses to the heavens for prayers.
Because of their long association with humans, Elephants are more forthcoming about their Gods. They have Gods only for Bull Elephants and Gods only for Cow Elephants. Elephants, in the wild, do separate by sexes with bull elephants usually living in bachelor herds.
Bull Elephants did want humans to know about their Berserker God, who whispers in the ears of docile elephants. Sensing the weakness of the human, elephant will go berserk and kill them. Others will rampage across the countryside running amok destroying human structures.
The Elephants see Ganesha, the Hindu God, as a Human-Elephant bridge. For them, Ganesha is their Emissary to Humans. As to what He is, the Elephants cannot describe it for human senses. Living beyond human perceptions, Sacred Beings of Elephants are in several categories. Mammoths live in their world not as Ancestors, but as something else.
In the natural world, Elephants do migrate according to the stars. Like the ancient Babylonians, Elephants do use astrology in their affairs. They have Gods of the Sun, Moon, Morning Star, and Evening Star, with rituals for each.
The Elephants have a Goddess who relieves pain and keeps secrets. (Angerona of the Romans is a similar Goddess.) Animal Communicators (Note 1) believe that Elephants carry the pain for others, and hold the space for healing. They use magic in their lives, which they are reluctant to discuss with others.
To recall their Ancestors and history, the Goddess of Memory guides the Elephants. She holds the understanding of the past for the future. Meanwhile, the God of Death carries their Dead to their Underworld. (which is forest and savannahs with streams and rivers). During their Festival of the Dead, the Elephants trumpet in greeting their returning Ancestors.
Notes:
Note 1. Madelaine Walker and Dawn Brunke, who both have websites and have written books. I learned from Dawn Brunke how to refine my communication skills.