A Dream of Eland: An Unexplored Component of San Shamanism and Rock Art

Accounts of San (Bushman) shamanistic rock art have concentrated on the role of the trance dance in the generation of the paintings. This paper considers the role of dreaming to achieve ends similar to those served by the dance. Animal behaviour was depicted to suggest trance-dreaming, as it was to suggest other shamanistic experiences. Sleeping eland probably represent San shamans in trance-dreaming.