The Crow Indians of Montana recognise the power possessed by a variety of animals, among them grizzly bears, eagles, and bison, but the power of the American elk to control human love and passion exceeds that of any other species. Through recent research, I have learnt that rock art sites associated with elk love-magic may be a relatively common component of the rock art record in Montana and Wyoming.

LOVE-MAGIC AND THE AMERICAN ELK

The American elk (Cervus elaphus), known in northern Europe as the red deer, is a large Artiodactyla that was originally distributed across most of North America. An average mature bull elk weighs 700 lb (315 kg), stands 5 ft (1.5 m) at the shoulder, and measures more than 8 ft (2.4 m) from nose to rump; cows are about threequarters the size of bulls (Figure 8.1). Each spring, as the testosterone levels in their blood rise in response to increasing amounts of daylight, bull elk begin to grow antlers from the pedicles on their skulls. By September, the antlers are hard and fully developed, weighing as much as 40 lb (18 kg) per pair. Rising testosterone levels in bull elk throughout September also stimulate mating behaviours. Bulls emit a loud whistling bugle sound to attract cows and then must fight other males seeking access to their harem. Charging at one another and locking their massive antlers, bull elk repeatedly engage in duels of strength. The reproductive pay-off for a successful mature bull elk is that he might control as many as 40 or 50 cows throughout the rutting season.

American Indians across North America identified the elk as an important power animal. This association was especially prevalent among Plains Indians, in whose mythology, songs, and art the elk occupied a significant position. Among the Lakota, for example, the elk has been described as: