Bestial Wisdom and Human Tragedy: The Genesis of the Animal Epic

Abstract

ABSTRACTA radical redefinition or blurring of the boundaries between the human and animal realms, between “us” and “them,” can sometimes open dramatic new aesthetic and cultural possibilities. This paper discusses the earliest example of this, an ancient Akkadian fragment known, a bit deceptively, as “The Fable of the Fox.” Set against the background of a terrible drought which may well have destroyed the Akkadian Empire, it records the exchanges of a fox or jackal, a wolf, a lion and a dog. The last of these animals, especially, seems to bear a tragic destiny, of a sort that traditional literature tends to identify exclusively with the “human condition.” The essay goes on to trace how the story may have been the origin of a tradition which includes such important literary works as the Hindu Panchatantra, the Arab Kalila wa Dimna and even Shakespeare's “Othello.” Finally, it concludes with suggestions as to how recognition of tragedy not simply as part of “the human condition” but also as a bond with anim...