A mahout is an elephant rider, trainer, or keeper. Mahouts were used since antiquity for both civilian and military use. Traditionally, mahouts came from ethnic groups with generations of elephant keeping experience, with a mahout retaining his elephant throughout its working life or service years. Mahouts would often ride on a howdah placed on the back of their elephant.

Etymology

The word ''mahout'' derives from the Hindi words ''mahaut'' (महौत) and ''mahavat'' (महावत), and originally from the Sanskrit '' mahamatra'' (महामात्र). Another term is ''cornac'' or ''kornak'', which entered many European languages via Portuguese. This word derives ultimately from the Sanskrit term ''karināyaka'', a compound of ''karin'' (elephant) and ''nayaka'' (leader). In

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

, a person who takes care of elephants is called a ''mavati''; this word is also derived from Sanskrit. In Tamil, the word used is ''pahan'', which means "elephant keeper", and in Sinhala ("stable master"). In Malayalam the word used is ''paappaan''. In Burma, the profession is called ''u-si''; in Thailand ''kwan-chang'' (ควาญช้าง); and in Vietnam ''quản tượng''.

Equipment

The most common tools used by mahouts are chains and the ''

aṅkuśa The elephant goad, bullhook, or ankus (from Sanskrit ' or ''ankusha'') is a tool employed by mahout in the handling and training of elephants. It consists of a hook (usually bronze or steel) which is attached to a handle, ending in a tapered ...

'' (goad, also ''ankus'' or ''anlius'') – a sharp metal hook used as guide in the training and handling of the elephant. In India, especially Kerala, mahouts use three types of device to control elephants. The ''thotti'' (hook), which is 3.5 feet in length and about 1 inch thick; the ''valiya kol'' (long pole), which is 10.5 feet in length and about 1 inch in thickness; and the ''cheru kol'' (short pole).

Society

Elephants, and therefore also mahouts, have long been integral to politics and the economy throughout Southern and South-eastern Asia. The animals are given away per request of government ministers and sometimes as gifts. In addition to more traditional occupations, today mahouts are employed in many countries by forestry services and the logging industry, as well as in tourism.

Culture

The Singapore Zoo featured a show called "elephants at work and play" until 2018, where the elephants' caretakers were referred to as "mahouts", and demonstrated how elephants are used as beasts of burden in south-east Asia. The verbal commands given to the elephants by the mahouts are all in Sinhala, one of the two official languages of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. A shop display advertising "Mahout" cigarettes features prominently in the background of the "rain dance" sequence of the 1952

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

film ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd Charis ...

''. The word "mahout" also features in the lyrics of the song " Drop the Pilot", by Joan Armatrading.

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

's essay " Shooting an Elephant" discusses the relationship of an elephant to its mahout: "It was not, of course, a wild elephant, but a tame one which had gone '

must Must (from the Latin ''vinum mustum'', "young wine") is freshly crushed fruit juice (usually grape juice) that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. The solid portion of the must is called pomace and typically makes up 7–23% of t ...

.' It had been chained up, as tame elephants always are when their attack of 'must' is due, but on the previous night it had broken its chain and escaped. Its mahout, the only person who could manage it when it was in that state, had set out in pursuit, but had taken the wrong direction and was now twelve hours' journey away..."

References

External links

National Geographic
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Elephant glossary
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