The Parable of the Antelope Charm

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, where do you stand on the discussion in the local government to allow rifle hunting for deer and bear?”

Josh spoke thus:

A Neanderthal walked into the cave of a neighboring Homo Sapiens.

“What are you doing?” the Neanderthal asked the Homo Sapiens.

“I’m making antelope,” the Homo Sapiens replied.

“On the wall?” the Neanderthal asked, “How do you make antelope on a wall?”

“I make a representation of the antelope on the wall,” the Homo Sapiens said, “And that will charm the spirit of the antelope.  This will give my tribe a successful hunt.”

“You know what makes a good hunt?” the Neanderthal said, “Good hunting.”

“In your thinking, maybe,” the Homo Sapiens said, “But I’ve moved on from your primitive ways.  We all have.”

“You all?” the Neanderthal asked, “You’ve told others you’re doing this?”

“Not yet,” the Homo Sapiens said, “I want to see how it works first.”

The Neanderthal looked closely at the antelope on the wall.

“How did you do that?” the Neanderthal asked.

“I mixed up some water and some charcoal and a few secret ingredients,” the Homo Sapiens said.

“And how did you apply it?” the Neanderthal asked.

“I spit it on the wall,” the Homo Sapiens said.

“And you call me primitive...” the Neanderthal said.

“You don’t appreciate art,” the Homo Sapiens said.

“Art?” the Neanderthal said, “This isn’t art.  Spitting isn’t art.”

“Spitting can be art as much as your stamping on the ground can be art,” the Homo Sapiens said, pouting.

“It’s called dancing,” the Neanderthal said, “That stomping is dancing.  In the meantime, you just told me that what you made is a charm.  You just said you’re charming the spirit of the antelope.”

“That’s right,” the Homo Sapiens said, “Is that beyond your scope of thought?”

“It’s not beyond my scope of thought,” the Neanderthal said, “It’s beyond the scope of art.  What you’ve got there is a tool.  And a primitive tool at that.”

“It’s not primitive!” the Homo Sapiens said.

“Let’s just say your technique is naive then,” the Neanderthal said, “Which I admit gives it a sort of rudimentary charm.  There’s that word again, “charm”!  And that’s my point.  An art object stands on its own.  An art object is its own purpose.  The purpose of your rendition of an antelope isn’t to be a rendition of an antelope--a good thing too!  The purpose of your rendition of an antelope is to ensure a good hunt.  It’s a tool.”

“We’ll see who’s all superior after the hunt tomorrow,” the Homo Sapiens said.

“Fine, I’ll be all superior until the the hunt tomorrow,” the Neanderthal said, “Then I’ll be all superior after the hunt too.”

“And you won’t tell the others?” the Homo Sapiens asked, “In case it doesn’t work.”

The Neanderthal replied, “If it doesn’t work, your secret goes with me to the grave.”

“What’s a grave?” the Homo Sapiens asked.