The black Aurochs

If you do not understand what I am doing, don’t despair, I don’t understand it myself any longer. 😂😂 But I felt very aurochs-like at that moment. The story which unfolded in my imagination was, that the mysterious and dangerous aurochs (me) thought itself imprisoned by the wooden barrier but after many times running against it, it realises that it can escape through the main entrance of the meadow. As the aurochs is dangerous, I somehow visualized it having claws, this is the reason for my whirling arms. Strangely I made horse like sounds – I have no explanation for this.




Later I learned that aurochs are extinct for many centuries and I suspect the signs do not mean real aurochs but the black Heck cattle which are normally browsing the vast meadows. Perhaps also better I did not encounter these, although the Heck cattle is not the same as the aurochs, they look huge and have impressing horns.
As this funny weird video is my entry for @juliakponsford art explosion contest with the topic mythical creatures, I am obliged to tell you that the aurochs is not only extinct but also the famous protagonist in several myth around the world. Mostly the aurochs was presented as one of the noblest and dangerous game animals; big as a house and viscious. As I live in Germany the story of Siegfried of the Nibelungenlied springs to mind, where he brought a famous trophy home after hunting in the forest of the Vosges:
Darnach schlug er schiere
Einen Wisent und einen Elch,
Starker Ure viere
Und einen grimmen Schelch.
(he killed a wisent, one elk and four aurochs)
The aurochs had gained such a huge importance as game animal that its counterfeit adorns many crests and its horns (edged in gold) are trophies symbolizing worldly power. So big was its fame, that for centuries many countries tried to backbreed/re-breed (real ‘backbreeding’ is impossible) the aurochs. The Heck cattle was one of these attempts.




I feel it necessary to excuse this – ahem – subpar entry. My life doesn’t feel very light right now (my father is super ill and one of my oldest friends died 3 weeks ago). Originally, I wanted to finish this painting for the art explosion contest, which will show a Nessie like creature when its finished. But I am blocked right now, I cannot paint without getting super sad, so I decided to quit it. And then this video emerged yesterday evening and I thought ‘why not make something funny and light’. I hope you can laugh about me making strange noises and movements- which at this moment – I thought looked exactly like an aurochs.