Papers by Johan S . Ellefsen
Separata HSD 1(2): 1-5, 2024
This paper is an excerpt from the book "Solon's Atlantis: The sources of Plato's myth. An Ugariti... more This paper is an excerpt from the book "Solon's Atlantis: The sources of Plato's myth. An Ugaritic tale found in Egypt" (Boston, 2023), where I propose that the source of Plato's Atlantis originated in the Semitic myth of Seth-Baal war against the sea deity Yam introduced in Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty. A fragmentary copy of this myth has survived in the Astarte Papyrus, written in 1420 B.C. In this context, the precious metal orichalcum -mentioned by Plato- probably relates back to an episode in the Ugaritic Baal Cycle regarding the 'red gold' (dm ḫrṣ). The red gold had a mythical character associated with the demons of the West in the midst of the Ocean and became part of a magical formula. This term was translated from its original Semitic language into Egyptian with a choice of words that had a substantial connection in meaning and phonetic parallelism, and it later resurfaced in Plato's text as "orichalcum, which sparkled like fire." I propose that the Ugaritic words šmrḫt (read šumraḫata, 'polished') or šmrgt (read šumragata, 'flashing') was translated into Egyptian as mrḥ (read maraḥa, 'to anoint, rub' and brq (read baraq, 'glitter, shine') and resulted in Plato's description of the metal orichalcum with the corresponding Greek cognate word µαρµαρυγὰς (read marmarigas, 'sparkling').
Separata HSD 1(1): 1-12, 2024
This study identifies for the first time the presence of the lion in the composition of the Spott... more This study identifies for the first time the presence of the lion in the composition of the Spotted Horses from the Pech-Merle cave (Lot, France). Whereas it has been recognized that the artists depicted a horse encased in a larger rock contour that resembles a horse on the right side of the panel, little attentions was given to the natural calcite concretion on the left side of the wall, which resembles a feline. Here, the artist painted the lion's dorsal line and the presence of the feline in the Pech-Merle mirrors the lion next to the spotted horses of le Combel.
This paper proposes an interpretation of the difficult passage found in KTU 1.23 R 8-11, which ar... more This paper proposes an interpretation of the difficult passage found in KTU 1.23 R 8-11, which are the introductory lines from a text describing the birth of Shahar wa-Shalim in the texts of Ras Shamra. It is possible that one version of this Ugaritic passage was translated and preserved in Egypt, and around 600 B.C. a copy of this text may have been translated into Greek and subjected to some commentaries. This Greek translation suggests that the ancient commentaries made comparisons with a passage found in Homer, Iliad 5.76-92. This Greek translation is likely the precedent to the text that resurfaced eight hundred years later as one of the sources of Philo of Byblos' Phoenician History, where he described a ritual of circumcision of male warriors and the burnt-offerings to the gods Muth (=Mot) and Yedud (=Yadid) in times of war and pestilence, which has been associated with KTU 1.23 R 8-11.
Yachay 51, 115-133 (Cochabamba, Bolivia: Instituto Superior de Estudios Teológicos), 2010
The so-called Miniature Fresco was found in room five of the West House of Akrotiri, on the islan... more The so-called Miniature Fresco was found in room five of the West House of Akrotiri, on the island of Thera (now Santorini). It depicts a ship procession between two Minoan coastal cities. The subject matter of the Miniature Fresco was a common theme in Minoan Art of the same period and it can be associated with the images engraved in the Minoan seals of the talismanic style (EM III and MM). However, the rituals portrayed in the Miniature Fresco have not been fully understood. Even though we lack direct evidence from the Minoan archeological records of the rituals and festivals described in the Miniature Fresco, this essay will try to demonstrate that the ship procession depicted in the Miniature Fresco was dedicated to a solar god, probably the Minoan god Paiawon. This interpretation is consistent with similar representations of ship processions found in seals and murals from the Middle East and Egypt of the same period as the Miniature Fresco, and it is also consistent with the rituals and myths of similar ship processions of some Minoan colonies and preserved until Classical times in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo Piteous.------------------------ El llamado Fresco Miniatura encontrado en las excavaciones de la Casa Oeste en Akrotiri, de la isla de Thera (actual Santorini), representa una procesión de barcos entre dos ciudades costeras minoicas. La temática del Fresco Miniatura guarda una relación directa con imágenes los sellos minoicos de estilo talismánico y a su vez tiene influencias de procesiones en barcos encontradas en sellos del Medio Oriente y representaciones Egipcias. Si bien carecemos de evidencias directas del festival y ritos que se describen en el Fresco Miniatura, es el planteamiento del presente ensayo que la procesión naval estaba dedicada a un dios solar y el sustento mitográfico que daba sentido a la escena se difundió a las colonias minoicas y se conservó hasta tiempos clásicos, a través del Himno Homérico dedicado a Apolo Pitio.
This paper proposes that a rock structure found in the Cactus Gallery inside the Chauvet cave (Ar... more This paper proposes that a rock structure found in the Cactus Gallery inside the Chauvet cave (Ardèche, France) was built below a section of the ceiling that vaguely resembles a mammoth and a lion. These natural shapes in the ceiling of the cave were connected with the rock structure by the drippage of water. It is possible that the shape in the ceiling of the Cactus Gallery was linked to the nearby painting of the lion and mammoth. This paper also proposes that the amorphous shape in the ceiling of the Cactus Gallery of Chauvet might have inspired the peculiar depiction of the mammoth and the lion in the nearby cave of Baume Latrone (Gard, France).
Rock Art Papers Vol. 20, San Diego Rock Art Symposium (held in November 6, 2021), 2022
Right below the ancient entrance to the Chauvet cave is the natural bridge of Pont d’Arc pierced ... more Right below the ancient entrance to the Chauvet cave is the natural bridge of Pont d’Arc pierced by the Ardèche river. It is possible that the artists of the Chauvet cave may have attributed some significance to this unusual topography. Comparing the shapes of the Pont d’Arc with the main panels of the Chauvet cave, there is a possible correlation between the position and shapes of certain animals painted in the Lion Panel in the End Chamber of the cave and the rock formations of Pont d’Arc. The animals painted in the Lion Panel correspond to certain rock reliefs found in Pont d’Arc that resemble the head of a rhinoceros, the ‘ball-feet’ of the mammoths, and the head of a bison. Similarly, the positions of certain rhinoceros emerging from recesses in the cave’s wall have a correlation with cavities found in the vicinity of the Pont d’Arc. The proximity of the Chauvet painting and Pont d’Arc, and the number of these correlations suggest the association of the painting and the rock formation is not by chance. It is likely that the landscape around the Pont d’Arc formation may have been the basis to organize the composition of the Lion Panel.
Books by Johan S . Ellefsen
November, 2023
Dans le livre « Le Paysage Sacré », l'auteur Johan S. Ellefsen aborde un sujet controversé, la si... more Dans le livre « Le Paysage Sacré », l'auteur Johan S. Ellefsen aborde un sujet controversé, la signification de l'art préhistorique. L'auteur examine l'une des principales compositions de la grotte Chauvet et comment les formes rocheuses encore visibles sur la face du Pont d'Arc – qui se trouve juste à l'extérieur de la grotte – ont pu inspirer les animaux peints il y a 36 000 ans. Ce livre remet en question les idées préconçues sur l'art paléolithique, selon lesquelles les artistes de l'ère glaciaire ne peignaient pas de paysages et que les représentations d'animaux sur les murs ne pouvaient pas être conçues comme des récits mythiques.
Once thought it did not exist, the Egyptian papyrus of the Atlantis story is discovered. The stor... more Once thought it did not exist, the Egyptian papyrus of the Atlantis story is discovered. The story of Atlantis brought by Solon from Egypt was indeed a translation. Plato left us a long trail of scattered evidence that allows us to trace the sources of the Atlantis story to its birthplace. This book shows that Plato had access to a collection of Egyptian texts brought by Solon. In them, there was a story about the rivalry between the Egyptian gods and the god of the Sea. In this story, Plato saw the Athenian myth of the contest between Athena and Poseidon for the patronage over Athens. Plato thought that the goddess Athena inspired the primitive Athenian laws. Hence, the ancient Athenian constitution he described in his dialogue of the Republic could not have been borrowed from Egypt. In order to assert that the Athenian constitution had priority over the Egyptian, he proposed a new historical schema claiming that an ancient Egyptian story was the same as the Athenian foundational myth. The trail of evidence will lead the reader to a three-thousand-year-old Egyptian papyrus recounting a story brought from Syria during the reign of Amenhotep II, as well as some obscure Greek traditions preserved in the midst of the Arcadian mountains. This book shows the provenance of the Atlantis story. Plato did not fabricate it.
En el libro “El paisaje sagrado”, el autor Johan S. Ellefsen aborda un tema controvertido, el sig... more En el libro “El paisaje sagrado”, el autor Johan S. Ellefsen aborda un tema controvertido, el significado del arte prehistórico. El autor examina una de las principales composiciones de la cueva de Chauvet y cómo las formas rocosas aún visibles en la cara del Pont d’Arc –que se encuentra justo fuera de la cueva– pueden haber inspirado los animales pintados hace 36.000 años. Este libro desafía las nociones preconcebidas sobre el arte paleolítico, que comúnmente sostenían que los artistas de la Edad de Hielo no pintaban paisajes y que las representaciones de animales en las paredes no podían concebirse como narraciones míticas. El libro también expone cómo las peculiares condiciones climáticas de la region de Ardèche influenciaron el simbolismo de los signos asociados a las pinturas de la cueva.
El autor propone que la composición conocida como el Panel de los Leones de la cueva de Chauvet, pintada hace unos 36.000 años, es la pintura de un paisaje más antigua que se conoce y es la clave para entender el significado del arte paleolítico. El libro arroja luz sobre cómo los artistas de la Edad de Hielo crearon una pintura de un paisaje como una imagen compuesta, que agregaba figuras de animales para imitar los contornos del Pont d’Arc, de forma análoga a las pinturas de ‘teriantropos’, que eran figuras compuestas que combinaban partes de animales y humanos en una sola figura. Con ilustraciones y fotografías, el libro guía al lector en el análisis de las formaciones rocosas de Pont d’Arc y su sorprendente parecido con la cabeza de un rinoceronte, las patas en ‘forma de bola’ de los mamuts o la cabeza de un bisonte pintado en la cueva. Este contexto le da al lector una idea de las pinturas de la cueva de Chauvet y lo guía a identificar el valor simbólico de los animales representados, así como, los elementos narrativos subyacentes vinculados al paisaje. El autor examina cómo podría haber sido un mito de 36.000 años de antigüedad y propone que el Panel de los Leones posiblemente se concibió como una narración que describe el mito de creación del paisaje. Esta investigación arroja luz sobre cómo los artistas paleolíticos representaban las nociones de seguridad, conflicto y sacralidad, y cuáles son las enseñanzas de estas historias que les permitieron sobrevivir durante milenios. El autor también explora los precursores del Panel de los Leones y sus sucesores, mostrando que la disposición de las pinturas tenía una estructura preconcebida y una narrativa subyacente que permitía su transmisión. El libro explica las peculiares condiciones climáticas de la región de Ardèche y cómo los ocupantes de la cueva de Chauvet notaron estas peculiaridades. En las subsecciones “El manantial dentro de la cueva de Chauvet” y “Un mamut que gotea en el techo”, el autor sienta las bases para comprender el simbolismo de los manantiales y la lluvia en el arte de la cueva de Chauvet.
In the book “The Sacred Landscape,” the author Johan S. Ellefsen tackles a controversial topic, t... more In the book “The Sacred Landscape,” the author Johan S. Ellefsen tackles a controversial topic, the meaning of Prehistoric art. The author examines one of the main compositions in the Chauvet cave and how the rock shapes still visible in the face of Pont d’Arc –found right outside the cave– may have inspired the animals painted 36,000 years ago. This book challenges the preconceived notions about Paleolithic art, which commonly held that Ice Age artists did not paint landscapes, and the representations of animals on the walls could not be conceived as mythical narratives. The book adds a new dimension to previous research, examining the peculiar weather conditions of the Ardeche region and how it became part of the underlying symbolism of some of the signs associated with the cave paintings.
The author proposes that the composition known as the Lion Panel of the Chauvet cave, painted around 36,000 years ago, is the oldest known landscape painting and it is the key to understand the meaning of Paleolithic art. The book sheds light on how the Ice Age artists created a landscape painting as a composite image, which aggregated figures of animals to imitate the contours of Pont d’Arc –analogous to the paintings of ‘therianthropes,’ which were composite figures that combined parts of animals and humans in a single figure.
With illustrations and photographs the book engages the reader in finding the rock formations of Pont d’Arc and their astonishing resemblance to the head of a rhinoceros, the ‘ball-feet’ of the mammoths, and the head of a bison painted in the cave. This context gives the reader an insight into the paintings of the Chauvet cave and guides the reader to identify the symbolic value of the animals depicted, as well as the underlying narrative elements tied to the landscape. The author examines how a 36,000-year-old myth could have looked like and proposes that the Lion Panel was possibly conceived as a narrative describing the creation myth of the landscape. This research sheds light on how the Paleolithic artists represented the notions of safety, conflict and sacredness, and what are the teachings of these stories that allowed them to survive for millennia.
The author also explores the precursors of the Lion Panel and its successors, showing that the arrangement of paintings had a preconceived structure and an underlying narrative that allowed its transmission. The book explains the peculiar weather conditions of the Ardèche region and how the occupants of the Chauvet cave noticed these peculiarities. In the subsections “The spring inside the Chauvet cave” and “A dripping mammoth on the ceiling” the author lays the foundation to understand the symbolism of springs and rain in the art of the Chauvet cave.
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Papers by Johan S . Ellefsen
Books by Johan S . Ellefsen
El autor propone que la composición conocida como el Panel de los Leones de la cueva de Chauvet, pintada hace unos 36.000 años, es la pintura de un paisaje más antigua que se conoce y es la clave para entender el significado del arte paleolítico. El libro arroja luz sobre cómo los artistas de la Edad de Hielo crearon una pintura de un paisaje como una imagen compuesta, que agregaba figuras de animales para imitar los contornos del Pont d’Arc, de forma análoga a las pinturas de ‘teriantropos’, que eran figuras compuestas que combinaban partes de animales y humanos en una sola figura. Con ilustraciones y fotografías, el libro guía al lector en el análisis de las formaciones rocosas de Pont d’Arc y su sorprendente parecido con la cabeza de un rinoceronte, las patas en ‘forma de bola’ de los mamuts o la cabeza de un bisonte pintado en la cueva. Este contexto le da al lector una idea de las pinturas de la cueva de Chauvet y lo guía a identificar el valor simbólico de los animales representados, así como, los elementos narrativos subyacentes vinculados al paisaje. El autor examina cómo podría haber sido un mito de 36.000 años de antigüedad y propone que el Panel de los Leones posiblemente se concibió como una narración que describe el mito de creación del paisaje. Esta investigación arroja luz sobre cómo los artistas paleolíticos representaban las nociones de seguridad, conflicto y sacralidad, y cuáles son las enseñanzas de estas historias que les permitieron sobrevivir durante milenios. El autor también explora los precursores del Panel de los Leones y sus sucesores, mostrando que la disposición de las pinturas tenía una estructura preconcebida y una narrativa subyacente que permitía su transmisión. El libro explica las peculiares condiciones climáticas de la región de Ardèche y cómo los ocupantes de la cueva de Chauvet notaron estas peculiaridades. En las subsecciones “El manantial dentro de la cueva de Chauvet” y “Un mamut que gotea en el techo”, el autor sienta las bases para comprender el simbolismo de los manantiales y la lluvia en el arte de la cueva de Chauvet.
The author proposes that the composition known as the Lion Panel of the Chauvet cave, painted around 36,000 years ago, is the oldest known landscape painting and it is the key to understand the meaning of Paleolithic art. The book sheds light on how the Ice Age artists created a landscape painting as a composite image, which aggregated figures of animals to imitate the contours of Pont d’Arc –analogous to the paintings of ‘therianthropes,’ which were composite figures that combined parts of animals and humans in a single figure.
With illustrations and photographs the book engages the reader in finding the rock formations of Pont d’Arc and their astonishing resemblance to the head of a rhinoceros, the ‘ball-feet’ of the mammoths, and the head of a bison painted in the cave. This context gives the reader an insight into the paintings of the Chauvet cave and guides the reader to identify the symbolic value of the animals depicted, as well as the underlying narrative elements tied to the landscape. The author examines how a 36,000-year-old myth could have looked like and proposes that the Lion Panel was possibly conceived as a narrative describing the creation myth of the landscape. This research sheds light on how the Paleolithic artists represented the notions of safety, conflict and sacredness, and what are the teachings of these stories that allowed them to survive for millennia.
The author also explores the precursors of the Lion Panel and its successors, showing that the arrangement of paintings had a preconceived structure and an underlying narrative that allowed its transmission. The book explains the peculiar weather conditions of the Ardèche region and how the occupants of the Chauvet cave noticed these peculiarities. In the subsections “The spring inside the Chauvet cave” and “A dripping mammoth on the ceiling” the author lays the foundation to understand the symbolism of springs and rain in the art of the Chauvet cave.
El autor propone que la composición conocida como el Panel de los Leones de la cueva de Chauvet, pintada hace unos 36.000 años, es la pintura de un paisaje más antigua que se conoce y es la clave para entender el significado del arte paleolítico. El libro arroja luz sobre cómo los artistas de la Edad de Hielo crearon una pintura de un paisaje como una imagen compuesta, que agregaba figuras de animales para imitar los contornos del Pont d’Arc, de forma análoga a las pinturas de ‘teriantropos’, que eran figuras compuestas que combinaban partes de animales y humanos en una sola figura. Con ilustraciones y fotografías, el libro guía al lector en el análisis de las formaciones rocosas de Pont d’Arc y su sorprendente parecido con la cabeza de un rinoceronte, las patas en ‘forma de bola’ de los mamuts o la cabeza de un bisonte pintado en la cueva. Este contexto le da al lector una idea de las pinturas de la cueva de Chauvet y lo guía a identificar el valor simbólico de los animales representados, así como, los elementos narrativos subyacentes vinculados al paisaje. El autor examina cómo podría haber sido un mito de 36.000 años de antigüedad y propone que el Panel de los Leones posiblemente se concibió como una narración que describe el mito de creación del paisaje. Esta investigación arroja luz sobre cómo los artistas paleolíticos representaban las nociones de seguridad, conflicto y sacralidad, y cuáles son las enseñanzas de estas historias que les permitieron sobrevivir durante milenios. El autor también explora los precursores del Panel de los Leones y sus sucesores, mostrando que la disposición de las pinturas tenía una estructura preconcebida y una narrativa subyacente que permitía su transmisión. El libro explica las peculiares condiciones climáticas de la región de Ardèche y cómo los ocupantes de la cueva de Chauvet notaron estas peculiaridades. En las subsecciones “El manantial dentro de la cueva de Chauvet” y “Un mamut que gotea en el techo”, el autor sienta las bases para comprender el simbolismo de los manantiales y la lluvia en el arte de la cueva de Chauvet.
The author proposes that the composition known as the Lion Panel of the Chauvet cave, painted around 36,000 years ago, is the oldest known landscape painting and it is the key to understand the meaning of Paleolithic art. The book sheds light on how the Ice Age artists created a landscape painting as a composite image, which aggregated figures of animals to imitate the contours of Pont d’Arc –analogous to the paintings of ‘therianthropes,’ which were composite figures that combined parts of animals and humans in a single figure.
With illustrations and photographs the book engages the reader in finding the rock formations of Pont d’Arc and their astonishing resemblance to the head of a rhinoceros, the ‘ball-feet’ of the mammoths, and the head of a bison painted in the cave. This context gives the reader an insight into the paintings of the Chauvet cave and guides the reader to identify the symbolic value of the animals depicted, as well as the underlying narrative elements tied to the landscape. The author examines how a 36,000-year-old myth could have looked like and proposes that the Lion Panel was possibly conceived as a narrative describing the creation myth of the landscape. This research sheds light on how the Paleolithic artists represented the notions of safety, conflict and sacredness, and what are the teachings of these stories that allowed them to survive for millennia.
The author also explores the precursors of the Lion Panel and its successors, showing that the arrangement of paintings had a preconceived structure and an underlying narrative that allowed its transmission. The book explains the peculiar weather conditions of the Ardèche region and how the occupants of the Chauvet cave noticed these peculiarities. In the subsections “The spring inside the Chauvet cave” and “A dripping mammoth on the ceiling” the author lays the foundation to understand the symbolism of springs and rain in the art of the Chauvet cave.