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| "The Sorcerer" |
The
Sorcerer (see
graphic) was reproduced by Henri Breuil, who studied cave art and was well
versed in archaeology, anthropology, and ethnology. Since Breuil’s rendition
other scholars have questioned whether the antlers are truly part of the painting
or just appear so because of the rock the painting is situated on. Alternatively,
it may be that the paleolithic painter deliberately included cracks in the rock
as part of the image.
The
painting has been surmised to depict shamanic ritual and as evidence of a Horned
God in paleolithic times.
If the Sorcerer
was meant to depict a shaman when painted, then it would be unusual for it to
have been so, as most paintings in the cave, and other caves in the area, do
not depict humans at all, although human form does seem to exist in a few places,
for instance in the form of a man-bison.
Thus, the
painting is interpreted through the eyes of the beholder. When you look at the
painting, what do you see? A shaman? The various animals? A blend of all the
animals?
Perhaps
the most striking facet that you see is the eyes.
The eyes
are looking directly at you. They look out of the wall of the cave, straight at
the viewer. The eyes are not looking at other animals or objects on the cave
walls. They are looking clearly at us (the viewer). The painter is interacting
with us.
Why?
What was
the painter of The Sorcerer looking at through those eyes? Was the
painter so immersed in the painting that they were painting as if they were The
Sorcerer? Were they painting as if it was their own eyes looking out at us
(now viewing the painting 15,000 years later)?
If so,
then what were they looking at? What did they see?
We don’t
know how long these caves had been hidden from human view since the time the
art was painted.
Yet, eerily,
and perhaps unnervingly, those eyes seem to peer across the centuries and
regard the viewer with disdain. It is as if the paleolithic painter 15,000
years ago was peering at us, and asking, what have you done?
Since the
painting of The Sorcerer global human population has exploded from an
estimated 1 – 10 million people to 8.3 billion this year (2026). That is an
increase of 8,000 to 80,000 percent!
Since the
painting of The Sorcerer, woolly mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, giant
sloths, and cave bears have all gone extinct. Plant biomass has been halved,
and wild mammals have been reduced by 85%. 15,000 years ago the Earth’s ecosystems
were characterised by high density and a wide diversity. This density and
diversity no longer exist, except in parts of Africa.
Is The
Sorcerer scrutinising us with an accusatory look?
You be the
judge. In this case, culpability may be in the eyes of the beholder.
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