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and Egypt. The figure may be female or male, it may be a column or a symbol, the animals may be realistic or fantastical, and the human figure may have animal elements such as horns, an animal upper body, an animal lower body, legs, or cloven feet. Although what the motif represented to the cultures
600:
Although such figures are not all, or even usually, deities, the term may be a generic name for a number of deities from a variety of cultures with close relationships to the animal kingdom or in part animal form (in cultures where that is not the norm). These figures control animals, usually wild
96:
The human figure may be standing, as found from the fourth millennium BC, or as kneeling on one knee found from the third millennium BC. They are usually shown looking frontally, but in
Assyrian pieces typically they are shown from the side. Sometimes the animals are clearly alive, whether fairly
296:
372:
100:
Other associated representations show a figure controlling or "taming" a single animal, usually to the right of the figure. But the many representations of heroes or kings killing an animal are distinguished from these.
337:
558:
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The motif is so widespread and visually effective that many depictions probably were conceived as decoration with only a vague meaning attached to them. The Master of
Animals is the "favorite motif of
436:
467:
391:
406:
530:
448:
1167:
Garfinkel, Alan P., Donald R. Austin, David Earle, and Harold
Williams, 2009, "Myth, Ritual and Rock Art: Coso Decorated Animal-Humans and the Animal Master".
322:
262:
the motif is extremely common, and often highly stylized. In terms of its composition this motif compares with another very common motif in the art of the
178:, which began c. 3450 BC. Here a figure in Mesopotamian dress, often interpreted to be a god, grapples with two lions. It has been connected to the famous
231:
and related Early
Medieval styles, where the animals generally remain aggressive. Other notable examples of the motif in Germanic art include one of the
601:
ones, and are responsible for their continued reproduction and availability for hunters. They sometimes also have female equivalents, the so-called
1324:
424:
78:
that created the works probably varies greatly, unless shown with specific divine attributes, when male the figure is typically described as a
1172:
280:
637:, and a variety of stag, bull, ram, and goat deities. Horned deities are not universal however, and in some cultures bear deities, such as
353:
1236:
483:
1289:
1231:
1177:
The
Journal of the Australian Rock Art Research Association (AURA) and of the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations
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849:
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in the other. This famous and puzzling object probably dates to 200 BC, or possibly as late as 300 AD, and although found in
109:
97:
passive and tamed, or still struggling, rampant, or attacking. In other pieces they may represent dead hunter's prey.
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649:. Such figures are also often referred to as 'Lord of the forest' or 'Lord of the mountain'.
588:
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783:
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of about 620 AD has two plaques with a human between two wolves, and the motif is common in
1314:
1299:
224:
8:
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at the Animal Master’s Portal. Pacific Coast
Archaeological Society Quarterly 46(4):37-60
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Iran, ca. 2500 BC, Bronze Age I a cloven-footed human flanked by scorpions and lionesses
328:
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167:
66:
24:
581:
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267:
247:
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in
Mesopotamia. The motif appears on a terracotta stamp seal from Tell Telloh, ancient
70:
258:(c. 4000 to 3100 BC), but was "outmoded in Mesopotamia by the seventh century BC". In
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The Master of
Animals: A study in the symbolism of ultimacy in primitive religion
1150:
564:
397:
259:
228:
28:
16:
Motif in ancient art showing a human between and grasping two confronted animals
1249:
Yamada, Hitoshi (2013). "The "Master of
Animals" Concept of the Ainu", Cosmos:
455:
442:
Indus valley civilization seal, with human flanked by two lions (2500–1500 BC).
382:
378:
179:
171:
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190:-like posture, with a horned headress (or horns), and surrounded by animals.
1283:
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626:
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307:
271:
134:
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1157:, Pelican History of Art, 4th ed 1970, Penguin (now Yale History of Art),
250:
the motif appears very early, usually with a "naked hero", for example at
240:
47:) Pithos with relief, 625-600 BC, National Archaeological Museum of Athens
715:
From the Banks of the
Euphrates: Studies in Honor of Alice Louise Slotsky
669:
593:
360:
302:
Terracotta stamp seal with Master of Animals motif, Tell Telloh, ancient
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138:
86:
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Soapstone stamp with, depicting an ibex-headed character taming snakes.
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122:
114:
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from Kanton Wallis, Switzerland, which depicts the biblical figure of
665:
661:
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622:
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93:", but the figures in these cases should be understood as the king.
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meaning the "Lord of animals", and these figures may derive from an
1222:
1209:
748:
Ancient Near Eastern Cylinder Seals from the Marcopolic Collection
685:
630:
625:
precursor who was probably a hunter's deity. Many relate to the
567:
horse bit cheekpiece with "Master of Animals" motif, about 700 BC
416:
202:
39:
415:
seal impression with the Persian king subduing two Mesopotamian
1258:
Sounds and Symbolism from the Netherworld: Acoustic Archaeology
1226:, Hesperia, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1947), pp. 89–114
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638:
609:
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236:
206:
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546:
303:
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1102:
Consider Leviathan: Narratives of Nature and the Self in Job
929:
Gaimster, Marit. 1998. Vendel period bracteates on Gotland.
166:
The motif also was given the topmost location of the famous
23:
Egyptianizing gold pendant showing the Lord of the Animals,
509:
287:
251:
198:
187:
79:
938:
Gaimster, Marit. 1998. Vendel period bracteates on Gotland
672:
has been interpreted as an assertion of the deity of the
170:
in the Louvre, an ivory and flint knife dating from the
121:
The earliest known depiction of such a motif appears on
69:
in ancient art showing a human between and grasping two
1184:
Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in World Art
363:
652:
The Greek god shown as "Master of Animals" is usually
212:
A form of the motif appears on a belt buckle of the
1246:, New Haven: Yale University Press, pp. 75–108
947:
Frankfort, 30-31 (Uruk), 75, 78-79, 347 (2nd quote)
1134:Assyria to Iberia at the Dawn of the Classical Age
1014:The Indus Civilization: A Contemporary Perspective
1031:
73:. The motif is very widespread in the art of the
1281:
1251:The Journal of the Traditional Cosmology Society
987:Critical Approaches to Ancient Near Eastern Art
870:Critical Approaches to Ancient Near Eastern Art
750:, p. 46, 1984, University of California Press,
1217:, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Apr., 1938), pp. 263–265
1155:The Art and Architecture of the Ancient Orient
1041:An Introduction to the Study of Indian History
274:, interpreted as representing an earth deity.
774:, pp. 7-8, 1981, Metropolitan Museum of Art,
400:finial in the form of the 'Master of Animals'
186:(2500-1500 BC), showing a figure seated in a
1244:The Hebrew God: Portrait of an Ancient Deity
984:Brown, Brian A.; Feldman, Marian H. (2013).
983:
867:Brown, Brian A.; Feldman, Marian H. (2013).
866:
1256:Garfinkel, Alan P. and Steve Waller, 2012,
1237:Journal of the American Academy of Religion
193:This in turn is related to a figure on the
608:Many Mesopotamian examples may represent
430:Iranian Master of Animals with two snakes
641:, might take the role, or even the more
587:
576:
150:
108:
38:
18:
1037:
1010:
893:
821:
592:Single bull-man wrestling with a lion,
1325:Ancient Near East art and architecture
1282:
331:ivory handle (front), after c. 3450 BC
842:
113:"Master of the Animals" stamp seals,
1136:, 2014, Metropolitan Museum of Art,
1038:Kosambi, Damodar Dharmanand (1975).
225:purse-lid from the Sutton Hoo burial
1004:
633:, another common type, typified by
13:
1201:
990:. Walter de Gruyter. p. 304.
967:"Site officiel du musée du Louvre"
873:. Walter de Gruyter. p. 304.
850:"Site officiel du musée du Louvre"
717:, pp. 174-177, 2008, Eisenbrauns,
347:, 4th millennium BC. Louvre Museum
14:
1351:
1264:
1044:. Popular Prakashan. p. 64.
1290:4th-millennium BC establishments
1215:Journal of the Warburg Institute
1017:. Rowman Altamira. p. 146.
770:"Horse Cheekpiece" by "OWM", in
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423:
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1220:Chittenden, Jacqueline (1947).
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772:Notable Acquisitions, 1980-1981
266:and Mediterranean, that of two
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788:
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740:
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698:
475:Minoan snake goddess figurines
1:
1126:
520:(fifth or sixth-century AD) (
311:
290:(4200-3800 BC), Louvre Museum
142:
1011:Possehl, Gregory L. (2002).
539:period (305–30 BC) Egyptian
7:
1173:Section "The Animal Master"
805:"Stamp-seal British Museum"
679:
584:grasping a lion and a snake
550:Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
359:Protective Master from the
205:, it may have been made in
10:
1356:
1239:, 1965, XXXIII(4): 293-302
1229:Slotten, Ralph L. (1965).
897:Mesopotamia Before History
825:Mesopotamia Before History
612:, a central figure in the
270:flanking and grazing on a
900:. Routledge. p. 96.
828:. Routledge. p. 96.
460:Indus Valley civilization
184:Indus Valley civilization
1104:, 2014, Fortress Press,
691:
1295:Mythological archetypes
1275:Encyclopædia Britannica
1186:, 2006, A&C Black,
603:Mistress of the Animals
62:Mistress of the Animals
1242:Bernhard Lang (2002).
894:Charvát, Petr (2003).
822:Charvát, Petr (2003).
676:as Master of Animals.
621:. They all may have a
597:
585:
366:, dated circa 2600 BCE
163:
118:
117:, Iran, 5000-4000 BCE.
104:
48:
36:
1271:Master of the Animals
1223:The Master of Animals
1210:The Master of Animals
1207:Hinks, Roger (1938).
645:deities who lead the
591:
580:
522:Cincinnati Art Museum
154:
112:
43:Mistress of animals (
42:
22:
1132:Aruz, Joan, et al.,
746:Teissier, Beatrice,
668:. Chapter 39 of the
656:as a hunting deity.
614:Ancient Mesopotamian
454:Impression from the
220:between two lions.
1082:Arruz, 303-304, 308
596:, 3rd millennium BC
491:Gundestrup Cauldron
329:Gebel el-Arak Knife
286:Master of animals,
235:, and helmets from
195:Gundestrup cauldron
176:Egyptian prehistory
168:Gebel el-Arak Knife
156:Gebel el-Arak Knife
1182:Werness, Hope B.,
971:cartelfr.louvre.fr
956:Frankfort, 343-347
854:cartelfr.louvre.fr
809:The British Museum
713:Ross, Micah (ed),
598:
586:
506:Confronted animals
268:confronted animals
248:art of Mesopotamia
164:
119:
82:by interpreters.
71:confronted animals
49:
37:
1194:, 9780826419132,
1169:Rock Art Research
1144:, 9780300208085,
1112:, 9781451489514,
782:, 9780870992841,
758:, 9780520049277,
725:, 9781575061443,
618:Epic of Gilgamesh
264:ancient Near East
214:Early Middle Ages
75:Ancient Near East
53:Master of Animals
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1151:Frankfort, Henri
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1100:Doak, Brian R.,
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233:Torslunda plates
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27:, 1700–1500 BC.
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477:, about 1600 BC
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57:Lord of Animals
29:Aegina Treasure
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158:(c. 3450 BC).
146: 4000 BC
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1305:Hunting gods
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1196:google books
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1091:Werness, 270
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727:Google books
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674:Hebrew Bible
651:
627:horned deity
616:
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514:Tree of Life
308:Ubaid period
272:Tree of Life
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135:Ubaid period
127:Ubaid period
120:
99:
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52:
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1315:Iconography
1300:Nature gods
1118:Job:39, NIV
670:Book of Job
594:Mesopotamia
473:One of the
256:Uruk period
172:Naqada II d
139:Mesopotamia
123:stamp seals
87:Achaemenian
1284:Categories
1192:0826419135
1163:0140561072
1142:0300208081
1127:References
1110:145148951X
794:Arruz, 308
780:0870992848
756:0520049276
723:1575061449
413:Achaemenid
174:period of
115:Tepe Giyan
1064:Garfinkel
666:archetype
662:Pashupati
647:Wild Hunt
635:Cernunnos
623:Stone Age
537:Ptolemaic
512:flank a
306:, End of
241:Valsgärde
182:from the
160:Naqada II
89:official
1310:Dionysus
1179:(IFRAO)]
680:See also
516:, from
379:Chlorite
345:Lorestan
686:Asherah
629:of the
508:, here
417:lamassu
254:in the
246:In the
203:Denmark
162:, Egypt
125:of the
1190:
1161:
1140:
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904:
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832:
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654:Apollo
639:Arktos
610:Enkidu
542:cippus
510:ibexes
288:Susa I
237:Vendel
218:Daniel
207:Thrace
25:Minoan
692:Notes
658:Shiva
547:Horus
304:Girsu
131:Girsu
91:seals
67:motif
65:is a
59:, or
1188:ISBN
1159:ISBN
1138:ISBN
1106:ISBN
1046:ISBN
1019:ISBN
992:ISBN
902:ISBN
875:ISBN
830:ISBN
776:ISBN
752:ISBN
719:ISBN
631:hunt
252:Uruk
239:and
223:The
199:torc
188:yoga
80:hero
51:The
1273:at
605:.
545:of
137:of
105:Art
31:. (
1286::
1235:,
1213:,
1175:,
1153:,
1116:;
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852:.
807:.
458:,
381:,
364:Ur
312:c.
310:,
243:.
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148:.
143:c.
141:,
55:,
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552:)
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