The more things change...

[porphyry]

This morning petrusplancius  elsewhere kindly posted this link to a large collection of works by Max Klinger, an artist about whom I was living in a dream world of misinformation and false surmise.

Before I could take advantage of his generosity, however, I happened this afternoon to read this in the article by Clottes and Lewis-Williams on the paleolithic in the new handbook on ancient religion from Cambrdige edited by John R. Hinnells (very mysteriously with no treatment of Iranian religion which one would have expected from Hinnells himself), concerning the well known practice of cave artists of that era either making palm prints in paint on the cave wall, or holding their hand against the wall and spitting paint over them to leave an outline:

When paint was sprayed...over the hand, the hand 'disappeared' into the rock. Similarly, when placed on the palm and fingers, the paint acted as a 'solvent', dissolving the hard rock and creating access to the [spirit] relam behind the surface.

 

This, evening, when I was able to go through the Klinger works, I saw this piece called Philosoph.

I think I have to explain by some innate charactersitic of human neurophysiology rather than diffusion. If only Ginzberg hadn't lost his nerve (or his mind!) and fallen back on magic mushrooms in Ecstacies!

Comments

[calizen.livejournal.com]

I know that your musing was on Ginzberg, but I must say that I had never heard the explanation of the paleolithic artists going with a great flow of the time and all of them putting hands on walls -- not to say "hey, I'm here," but more like "hey, I'm part of the rock and the other side and whatever is in the rock or other side. Something to ponder about. Thank you.

[petrusplancius.livejournal.com]

Jung would doubtless have explained this as an example of synchronism. (A 'non-causal explanatory principle', i.e a non-explanatory explanatory principle).

[malkhos.livejournal.com]

yes, I nearly titled the post synchronicity, before considering the source.

But the basic thrust of the article was that the authors considered the religious beliefs associated with ancient cave art to be similar to those of modern shamans in hunter-gatherer societies. many of the themes they discussed (as well as features of alter religion), such as talking animals as spirit guides (i'm thinking of the cartoon Madeline is watching right now with a quartet of talking animals performing a Broadway musical) recur quite commonly in modern society. Its a phenomenon that would, I think deeply repay further study. But I doubt it is because tiny bits of blood from the graves of dead shamans somehow worked their way into Klinger's body, or those of the writers of the cartoon as Jung proposed. Analytical psychology always impressed me as more nearly participating in shamanic thought than explaining it.

[karinmollberg.livejournal.com]

In case you ever want more Klinger pics, I own a rather "complete of" exhibition catalogue and, a propos synchronicity, had posted with some of Klinger´s works in January this year. Fascinating entry; thank you.