Title: Historicising the Cultural Semiotics of Wolf and Sheep
Abstract:Wolves and sheep go together—at least in the public mind. In terms of ecological range, they are among the most widespread mammals of wild and domesticated species respectively. While the wolf is in s...Wolves and sheep go together—at least in the public mind. In terms of ecological range, they are among the most widespread mammals of wild and domesticated species respectively. While the wolf is in several countries the most controversial large carnivore, it is also, and not coincidentally, the most symbolically laden western carnivore. The wolf is a symbol of large carnivores, governmental interference in local issues, freedom and authenticity, evil, hunger, sexuality, etc. Sheep, on the other hand, represent among other things innocence and vulnerability and, of course, food, wool and thus economic value. The juxtaposition of the symbolism of wolves and sheep go all the way back to the Bible, if not even further. In the Bible, this archetypical opposition is only resolved in the vision of a new Earth and new Heavens when, in this new paradise, ‘[t]he wolf and the lamb will feed together'.2 Familiarity with the cultural imagery of wolves and sheep is arguably a pre-condition for fully understanding the fierce human emotions that are invoked in social and political conflict over wolf management and conservation. Although there are local variations and even though imagery and symbolism can change over time, the background noise, as it were, of the historical cultural semiotic of wolves and sheep is significant practically wherever there are, or were, wolves. In this article I will discuss the symbolism of wolves and sheep from a historical point of view to make sense of developments in animal imagery. My discussion will show the perceptions of humans about animals and how the representations of wolves and sheep are often used to construct human identities. The cultural imagery of wolves and sheep is just as telling about who we are as humans and how we think about ourselves, as it is about actual wolves and sheep.Read More
Publication Year: 2016
Publication Date: 2016-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 2
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