Digital Repository

Asian Elephants Anthropomorphised: from Parables to Popular Culture

Show simple item record

dc.contributor.author Kumar, A.
dc.date.accessioned 2016-08-25T09:46:03Z
dc.date.available 2016-08-25T09:46:03Z
dc.date.issued 2016
dc.identifier.citation Kumar, A. 2016. Asian Elephants Anthropomorphised: from Parables to Popular Culture. In: International Conference on Asian Elephants in Culture & Nature, 20th – 21st August 2016, Anura Manatunga, K.A.T. Chamara, Thilina Wickramaarachchi and Harini Navoda de Zoysa (Eds.), (Abstract) p 123, Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. 180 pp. en_US
dc.identifier.isbn 978-955-4563-85-8
dc.identifier.uri http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/14134
dc.description.abstract Animals have been anthropomorphised in fables of almost all the cultures of the world since time immemorial. Children often have their first perceptions of the characteristics of animals through these anthropomorphisms - projections of human qualities upon animals - in the various narratives now available through multiple media. Elephants have evoked fascination among humans ever since they might have encountered each other for the first time. It is one of those few animal species that have well-developed mythic symbolism that is shared collectively by most of the Southeast Asian countries owing largely to the Buddhist and Hindu origin. In the famous parables of the Jatakas and the Panchtantra, elephants have been depicted as gentle giants, guardians, bearers of wisdom, dignity and luck while also as haughty and callous brutes. With numerous representations in multiple media of the popular culture, the elephant is one of most well recognised and loved animals among children and adults alike. These representations in the ancient and modern texts cast the elephants (and other animals) as personalities with characteristics and emotions that draw the fascination of human viewers and audiences. This paper analyses the characterisation of anthropomorphised elephants in selected ancient Indian parables from the Panchtantra, the Jatakas, and other mythological stories and in the contemporary popular culture including in animated films, advertisements, soft toys, video games, logos and mascots, tattoos and nursery rhymes among others, to explore the cultural meanings that are embodied in those characters. In this process it is shown how as a literary device and a cultural practice, anthropomorphism of the elephants speaks much more about us as humans than the animal. It will also probe the evolution that the anthropomorphic representation of Asian elephants has gone through. en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka en_US
dc.subject Anthropomorphism en_US
dc.subject Parables en_US
dc.subject Popular Culture en_US
dc.subject Representation en_US
dc.title Asian Elephants Anthropomorphised: from Parables to Popular Culture en_US
dc.type Article en_US


Files in this item

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record

Search Digital Repository


Browse

My Account