The rituals behind the art

After reading Palaeolithic art and religion, my initial impression was that animal figures were the primary element of the palaeolithic peoples' religion. Indeed, looking at the cave art, one would think that bison, horses, and wild cats dominated their every thought and that their culture revolved around these animals. In many ways, this is absolutely true. These animals provided food and clothing and played an important role in everyday life. However, it soon became clear that these animals were only a part of the greater element of religion in the society, because everything led back to the creation of the art, or rather, why the art was drawn in the first place. I think this is the primary element in any religion...because even if different religions are expressed differently (through art, customs, etc), they basically all have the same element of personal and communal involvement through rituals and practices.

Perhaps that doesn't make that much sense, but I think the primary element of their religion lies in their rituals and the processes that led to the art, the engravings on bone, or the creation of decorative jewelry. It's not about what they painted or created, but the energy and beliefs that went into the cave art or the bone necklace. I think this has to do with the whole 'magical' or 'mystical' flavor so often seen in their drawings. Although a lot of the drawings are accurate and representative of animals, there is no background or setting for them. They float, are rotated in unorthodox positions, or are incomplete unless light is thrown on them at a certain angle. This all seems to speak of the importance of human interaction, whether the drawings are made in a space so small only one person can fit or in a large cave chamber that was painted communally.

I really liked the passage about paint on pg. 39. It states that, "Paint was almost certainly much more than purely the technical substance that westerners consider it to be. It probably had its own power..." It goes on to say that there was most likely a ritual to painting animals or making handprints on cave walls, beginning with gathering ingredients for paint, mixing it, taking the paint to the cave, etc. This suggests that the act of painting and the work put into it was just as important (if not more so) than the artwork that came out of it. Again, it's all about the rituals and the power behind them, not just the resulting art.