In my study I have figure of a monkey holding a bottle of wine: See Figure 1. Money and Wine.
Figure 1. Monkey and Wine
The wine bottle bears the image of Ned Kelly and serves as a reminder of the many myths that have been created about him. The semiotics of New Kelly can be found everywhere in Australia: as a letter box, rebel flag, figurine, garden gnome, movies, books and art works. The monkey that holds the myth is a myth, Hanuman.
When I first met Nippin Anand I was intrigued by his use of animals in his narrative. For example, on the cover of his book Are We Learning from Accidents? is a mouse and lion in conversation. The lion is in an expression of quandary and the mouse is posing a question. See Figure 2. Cover of Book.
I learned very quickly through meeting Nippin, that he held a fascinating semiotic of Hindu myth, metaphor and Poetics. Hindu mythology is rich in philosophy, theology and meaning about life and being. It holds very little in common with Western rationalist notions of knowing.
In Hindu mythology, Hanuman is a god in the form of a monkey. In Hindu mythology, every deity and story, conveys an ethic, a way of being. Once one understands Hindu cosmology, it all makes sense, not in a Cartesian way but within its own meaning (logic and sensemaking). The symbol/myth of the Hanuman dates back to 1500 BCE. Hanuman is an avatar of Shiva.
On the back cover of Nippin’s book (https://www.booktopia.com.au/are-we-learning-from-accidents–nippin-anand/book/9781738560301.html ) you will see four images of Hanuman, each with a different expression. Hanuman bears the attributes of self-control, wisdom, strength and innovation. There is so much to learn from a semiotic of myth.
When you understand the world semiotically and poetically, you absorb a very different understanding of culture. Lotman (Universe of the Mind, A Semiotic Theory of Culture) helps explain how this happens.
When you step outside of a Cartesian and propositional understanding of culture, to an experiential and phenomenology of culture, the world comes alive. Culture becomes much more than ‘what we do around here’ and its semiotics, Poetics, metaphors and myths take on great significance. You quickly learn that the rationalist, empiricist and scientist ideologies that rule over Western thought are narrow, rigid and myopic.
However, in the West we hold just as many myths as in Hindu culture, but these are not named as myth. In Western thinking the language of ‘myth’ is confused with fairy tale and its power and meaning is lost. Indeed, by placing all-knowing in the brain and demonising myth and non-rationalist ways of knowing, we deny the richness of what other cultures know. Eg. Indigenous cultures. (https://safetyrisk.net/a-different-world-of-risk/) Therefore, if anything is not brain-centric it is of lesser significance and relegated to childishness.
In the world that has been created through Scientism, we have emptied our understanding and imaginations of the power of knowing through myth, metaphor semiotics and Poetics.
When it comes to the world of risk and safety we see the same brain-centrism and scientism that dominates Western thought. For example, you will find nothing about myth, semiotics, religion, Poetics or non-rationalist knowing in any safety text on culture, even when that text is written by a self-proclaimed ‘mythologist’. Yet, read any anthropological text on culture and it is about all these things.
- I have written dozens of blogs on the nature of myth and safety (https://safetyrisk.net/?s=Myth) and on the many myths of safety.
- I did a podcast on myth with Nippin and Matt at a Hindu temple here: https://safetyrisk.net/understanding-mythology-myth-mythosphere-and-science-a-podcast/
- I wrote about how we create myths and rituals in safety here: https://safetyrisk.net/understanding-mythology-myth-mythosphere-and-science-a-podcast/
Myths are not fairy tales but semiotically constructed truths that people believe.
Most Australians believe the myth of Simpson and the Donkey (https://safetyrisk.net/myth-making-and-why-it-matters-to-safety/) but it’s not true. Yet, statues of the myth are everywhere. This is similar to many of the persons immortalised as heroes in statues, but these myths are not scientifically true. They become symbolically true.
So, my Hanuman holding Ned Kelly is a constant reminder on the nature of myth and, what we can learn from myth, metaphor, semiotics and Poetics. Maybe Hanuman and Ned have something to tell us?
If one is prepared to suspend the Cartesian mind of scientism and embrace Lotman’s understanding of the Semiotic Mind, perhaps one might learn much more about culture.
If culture is much more than ‘what we do around here’ then, maybe Safety might learn something about its own myths, rituals and semiotics and begin to become effective in influencing culture.
Dr Rob Long
Latest posts by Dr Rob Long (see all)
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Rob Long says
Thanks Aneta. All of this is vital to understand culture but Safety has no interest.
Aneta Darlington says
A great read- thank you.