Were Cavemen Painting For Their Gods?

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 2-23-2005

[blam]

"Both of us independently discovered that we had both felt at ease and happy inside the profusely decorated "bison sanctuary" at the end of the main corridor. But we both felt distinctly ill at ease in a different, undecorated part of the cave, and were glad to leave."

Boy O Boy. They must not have had their crystals with them.

[blam]

GGG Ping.

[blam]

Venus of Willendorf

c. 24,000-22,000 BCE
Oolitic limestone
43/8 inches (11.1 cm) high
(Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna)

[cayuga]

blam,

Please put me on the GGG ping list.

[Publius]

An oa!

(w/apologies to William Golding.)

[blam]

"Please put me on the GGG ping list."

SunkenCiv manages the GGG Ping list. It will be done.

[baclava]

Those damn Greys again!

[Servant of the 9]

So What's New?

So9

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Cave men painting for the gods? Not necessarily. Sir James Fraser, the great anthropologist postured that primitive beliefs center around two overriding principles: like begets like and contagion. With the former, if you jump up and down while planting your seeds, the plants are liable to grow very tall; if you draw a picture of an animal you are accustomed to hunting and place a spear in a critical area of the pictured animal, you'll have an equal measure of success in the actual hunt.

[humblegunner]

Many theories have been put forward – "art for art's sake", totemism, hunting magic and so on.

Same reason I have deer paintings.
I like 'em, I hunt 'em, I eat 'em.

Animals are great!

[jocon307]

I'm sorry, I think that is "The Goddes of Bayonne".

[Ruddles]

For sure. Trust academics to miss the visceral appeal of what's good and good for you.

[muawiyah]

Wasn't that lil'gal in "Saturday Night Fever"?

[almcbean]

"24,000-22,000 BCE" - must stand for Before Consuming Everything.

[RightWhale]

if you draw a picture of an animal you are accustomed to hunting and place a spear in a critical area of the pictured animal

Hm. Thought I was the only one to do that.

[muawiyah]

Voila, a pinata!

[muawiyah]

These guys were worshipping Santa Claus.

[nicollo]

Worshipping the gods, or thanking them?
(or spanking 'em...)

[RightWhale]

Don't let PETA find out the true origin of the pinata.

[ladyrustic]

Where is that fat lady's face?