Mahout Washing His Elephant

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, 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'' (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.

A shop display advertising "Mahout" cigarettes features prominently in the background of the "rain dance" sequence of the 1952 Gene Kelly film ''Singin' in the Rain''. The word "mahout" also features in the lyrics of the song "Drop the Pilot", by Joan Armatrading.

George Orwell'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.' 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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Elephants
Articles containing video clips
Forestry in India
Elephants in Indian culture
Animal care occupations
Elephant trainers
Livestock