Aardvark - Orycteropus afer

Which attributes of the aardvark, or where it lives, are similar to those of an initiate?

THERIANTHROPY is the merging of animal and human attributes. We see this in rock art where human figures are given antelope hooves, for example. With the

Lydenburg Heads, the animal motif is strong but the animals are not clearly identifiable. Perhaps this is because these animals are part of the mythological

world and they represent a behaviour or change that the individual must experience during the rite of passage. Head #7, which is thought to depict an anteater (aardvark), for example, is an animal that exists on the surface and

underground. It moves between two different spaces just like an initiate moves between the child and adult world.

LOOKING A HEADREVISITING THE LYDENBURG HEADS

ANIMAL POWER WORKSHEET

The aardvark is an animal between – it lives between aboveground and underground, and between day and night. During the day, the aardvark rests deep underground in burrows. At night it goes aboveground to feed. The powerful claws used to dig its vast network of burrows, are used aboveground to break apart termite mounds, to feed on tens of thousands of termites each night.

Lydenburg Head #7

ANIMAL POWER WORKSHEET - PAGE 1 OF 2

An initiate, is a young person (boy of girl)

that participates in a ceremony, which publicly

shows that they have ended an old stage of life, and are

beginning a new stage of life.

Can you think of any other animals that

are active between certain times (dawn,

and dusk are between day and night), or

live in between very different spaces

(amphibious animals live between both

water and land)?

Animal-like snout

Spiderman

LOOKING A HEADREVISITING THE LYDENBURG HEADS ANIMAL POWER WORKSHEET - PAGE 2 OF 2

Human societies throughout the world have stories of mythical beings who share features with animals, or

ordinary people who adopt characteristics of animals to appear stronger in some way.

To adopt an animal characteristic could mean to wear something (a mask, clothing or jewellery) or mimic

mannerisms (sounds such as roaring or howling, and movements such as postures or dance) that remind us of

animals. Often people wear body parts of a powerful animal as a symbol of power, for example, many southern

African traditional societies reserve the wearing of lion claws and leopard skins only for royalty or chiefs. However, to possess an animal feature within a human form is called therianthropy. Therianthropy is a state of being between an

animal and a human.

Think of the stories you have been told growing up. Can you think of beings,

characters or people who adopted animal characteristics, or possessed animal

features?

With thanks to:freesvg.org/papapishu-aardvark

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ther-movie-clipart-214435.html

Symbols are images, marks or shapes that have meaning, or represent something. Identify one symbol on each of the superheroes. What does each of the symbols mean?

Superheroes are characters from modern stories, originally told in comic books. Many of the charac-ters, both heroes and villians, either adopt animal characteristics by wearing clothes or using objects similar to those of an animal. Others are true theri-anthropes, and possess animal features in their bodies. Examples of animals imitated in these comic book narratives include the wasp, wolverine, ant, mantis, spider, octopus, panther (leopard), falcon, cat, and the bat. Can you think of others?

Are the superhero characters above

therianthropes, or have they merely adopted animal

attributes and symbols? List a few reasons for your

answers.

Black Panther