The symbolism of the Rhinoceros
Introduction
Members of the rhinoceros family are some of the largest remaining megafauna,
with all species able to reach or exceed one tonne in weight.
There are only 5 species left, although many more are now extinct,
including some believed to have been woolly.
Furthermore, the IUCN Red List identifies the Black, Javan,
and Sumatran rhinoceros as critically endangered.
Two species are native to Africa, and three to Southern Asia.
Both African species and the Sumatran rhinoceros have two horns,
while the Indian and Javan rhinoceros have a single horn.
Rhinos have been killed by trophy hunters in the past,
but the biggest threat to their existence is demand for their horns,
which are bought and sold on the black market.
East Asia, specifically Vietnam, is the largest market for rhino horns.
By weight, rhino horns cost as much as gold on the black market.
The Vietnamese, Chinese and Taiwanese believe the horns to have ‘therapeutic properties’.
Given that the horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein
that makes up hair and fingernails, this is obviously nonsense.
And once we start to investigate we find that the demand is caused by one
of the worst and most tragic misunderstandings of mystic symbolism there has ever been
a level of ignorance that may wipe out the entire species.
The Rhino as a ‘Titan’
To many cultures the rhinoceros was a symbol of an Intelligence
of great power within the pantheon of gods.
In the Ta Prohm temple in SiemReap near Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
it is shown as being the god responsible for one of the Elements
Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.
Agni Fire and Purgatory
The Khmer art in the reliefs of Angkor Wat temple, show Agni
- the god of Fire - with a rhinoceros pulling his chariot
- his vahana or ‘means of transport’.
The Ring of Fire level is associated with Purgatory, we have a separate video
on the symbolism of Flames, Fire and Purgatory that will give you more detail.
And in the so called “heaven and hell gallery” at Angkor Wat (12th century)
there is a Rhino “tormenting the damned”.
But by the 18th century, depictions of Agni in miniatures
show him riding a goat or bull [masculine creative power],
because by then rhinos had all but disappeared from most of India.
Rain
If we now go to Africa, Rhino symbolism played a very large part
in their overall symbol system.
The Sotho-Tswana societies, for example, regarded the Rhino as a major deity
and just like the Elephant, it was featured in “rainmaking rituals.”
There is more to this than meets the eye, however, as Rain is symbolic of spiritual input
[see our separate video] wisdom, healing, inspiration.
The Bantu-speaking communities across southern Africa associated both
the solitary black rhino and the more sociable white rhino with “leadership.”
Skin and atums
Rhinos have a thick (1.55 cm) protective skin
formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure.
This gives it symbolism that links with the Cosmic Egg,
the Loom and Aggregation and we have videos for all three.
The symbolism is complex and shows very advanced metaphysical thinking,
for societies once classified as ‘primitive.
The Golden Rhinoceros of Mapungubwe
The Golden Rhinoceros was recovered in 1934 from a royal grave
in northern South Africa close to the border of Zimbabwe.
It was made by a craftsman from the 13th century kingdom of Mapungubwe,
a very wealthy kingdom that had control of the gold trade.
Animal symbolism was very advanced.
Three of the 27 burial sites contained symbolic animal figurines in gold,
such as rhinoceroses , a crocodile an ox and a cat.
These figures were found alongside gold sceptres,
a bowl, bracelets, bangles, beads, nails, and discs.
The ‘rulers’ lived on a hill.
All these things have significant symbolic meaning.
Gold was transported to the coastal town of Kilwa Kisiwani in what is today Tanzania
several thousand miles away. And traded.
Arabs acted as the go-betweens, there is still a ruined mosque there.
All symbolism was eradicated from the Islamic religion
and it would seem that the traders took the symbolism of the twin horns literally
and took this literal interpretation to China.
Both twin horns and a single horn are symbolically the conduits of spiritual energy
healing, inspiration, wisdom.
So as China was also sinking into materialism and literal interpretation
- actual physical Rhino horn became associated with healing energy
- literally instead of figuratively.
And the mass killing of rhinos for their horns began and continues even today.
The Eight Treasures are popular in Chinese art and on Chinese numismatic charms
and the pair of rhinoceros horns (, xījio) is said to grant happiness.
But not for the rhinoceros.
A final requiem
The Javan rhinoceros was once the most widespread of Asian rhinoceroses,
ranging from the islands of Java and Sumatra, throughout Southeast Asia.
Aside from humans, they had no predators in their range,
but the horns have been a traded commodity for more than 2,000 years in China.
It is critically endangered, with only one known population in the wild,
and no individuals in captivity.
It is possibly the rarest large mammal on Earth,
with a population of as few as 58 to 61 in Ujung Kulon National Park
at the western tip of Java in Indonesia.
The Javan rhinoceros population in Vietnam's Cat Tien National Park
was declared to be locally extinct in 2011.