Of gorillas and fat cats

Stories about Garuda and Suparna brought forth the heroic qualities of animals

One prime minister exhorted us to unleash our animal spirits to rejuvenate the Indian economy and another has been recently likened to a gorilla by an opponent. The Congress party and its heir apparent have been compared to fat cats (sau chuhe khake billi haj ko chali) and many other four-legged creatures. The Make-in-India campaign has a lion as its mascot, and India has been intermittently compared to a caged tiger and a slothful elephant. What is it with animals and animal metaphors?

Animals, imaginary and real, possess a rich mythological heritage. They have been a fount of symbolism, metaphor and magic. And in cultures all over the world, they have been worshipped and demonised; and they have been featured prominently as gods, heroes, tricksters and demons in traditional stories.

The early people prayed to animal gods. Thus we have the cosmic serpent, lion-goddess and the lightning bird. Cows and elephant-headed gods were also part of the pantheon. According to scholars, human beings lived in fear of wild beasts, which led to their worship - they sought their protection and compassion. For example, the tiger in the Sunderbans - it is both feared and respected. Dokkhin Rai, the tiger king, looks after his people but also feeds on them. Fear also led to the creation of monstrous beasts such as Gorgons (snake-haired women) and Cerberus (the three-headed dog). The bull and the buffalo have been similarly worshipped and demonised by many.

Soon, however, mythologies emerged about the heroic qualities of animal gods. Suparna and Garuda brought nectar for the gods, according to the Vedas. Animal gods also began to be seen as metaphors for nature and natural phenomenon. Serpents became a symbol of immortality because they sloughed off their skin and took on a new form. The Egyptians saw the falcon as the sun god. The Benu bird is believed to have been the first deity at the sun temple in Heliopolis. Scholars point out that birds and winged horses are regarded as representative of the sun god because it was believed, perhaps, that they could fly up to the heavens where the sun lived.

An interesting development, as seen in Greek myth, is that of the winged horse Pegasus. He sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was beheaded by the hero Perseus. Bellerophon, another Greek hero, tried to ride him but was thrown off and Pegasus turned into a constellation. His flight through the skies is compared to the journey of the immortal soul. It is possible that Medusa represented a fearful aspect of the animal and was hence feared, while Pegasus, although mythical, was more heroic and hence became a god-like figure.

In India, Surya, the sun god, is personified as a horse and a goat, as is Agni. Surya is driven in a chariot drawn by seven horses. Agni is also referred to as a lion in some hymns of the Rig Veda, especially when he decides to hide himself in the waters, having fled the sacrificial altar. The avataras of Vishnu-Varaha, Matsya and others - combine the terrifying and divine aspects of animals as the people saw them.

Soon animals were seen as companions, trouble-makers, helpers and teachers in folklore. The Panchatantra and the Jataka Tales are such examples. An interesting motif is that of the animal (usually a bird or fish) becoming a repository of the soul of a human or demon king.

This principle is perhaps seen best at work in the myth of Caduceus, the magic wand of Hermes. It is a short rod with two snakes intertwined around it and wings on top. Hermes is the messenger of the gods and inventor of magical incantations. A similar magical object is the staff of Asclepius that is said to hold a cure for all ills. Asclepius was a physician and the story goes that physicians of the time advertised their services by offering to cure the disease caused by the guinea worm. There is another story that says that the snake on the staff is a symbol of homeopathic magic.

The world we live in today bears scant resemblance to the times that brought forth such comparisons and mythologies. Hence many of the references and even the proverbs that we use may appear incongruous. But that does not seem to stop us from invoking the animal, in spirit and simile, in our everyday speech.