Western History

¶ … Silvio A. Bedini's book "The Pope's Elephant," Hanno, the elephant in question manifests the corrupt, cultural and oftentimes ridiculous papacy of the early 1500s under the reign of Pope Leo X (1513-1531). Through the travails of Hanno, Bedini provides a remarkable insight into the traditions and pageantry of the Vatican in the early 16th century. Bedini also manages to show the human face of God's appointed representative on earth as well as the cruelty that existed in that period.

As Hanno becomes the vehicle to convey the massive accumulation and application of wealth, privilege and power thoroughly enjoyed by Pope Leo and his supporters to the reader, the pachyderm also began to symbolize this excess, becoming part of the concluding chapter of what they termed the Golden Age. Before tackling this issue, a summary of "The Pope's Elephant" needs to be proffered.

Bedini provides a captivating and insightful study into the bizarre activities of Rome and the Papacy in the early 16th century and their business with other countries, such as Portugal, the country responsible for Hanno's introduction into Rome. Presented to Leo at 1514, Hanno the elephant embodied Portuguese supremacy and control in the Far East. Bedini describes the passage from Lisbon to Porto Ecole, during which Hanno was tied between the two masts of the ship.

Then on the dusty roads to Rome, Hanno is forced to walk at great length on his tender feet as well as be subjected to the crowds of spectators wanting to catch a glimpse of the great beast. When they finally arrive in Rome, with great pomp and ceremony, Hanno is officially presented to Pope Leo. Upon settling in Rome, the Vatican and the people of Rome feel an affinity with the beast, with artists trying to immortalise Hanno through their paintings, verses and music.

This fascination for the pachyderm, which lasted beyond his death two years after arriving in Rome, also extended to festivals where Hanno led parades and became the centrepiece of all that was artistic and celebratory. The death of Pope Leo and the inevitable religious and cultural changes that occurred after his demise as a result of his corruption, greed and frivolity, heralds the end of the book.

Ornate plates depict just how the elephant came to signify the strength of the Church, the demi-god status of Pope Leo, and the beast's own ability to captivate the Roman people of the Renaissance. In order to observe how Hanno came to symbolize the wealth and greed of the Papacy as well as of the Papacy's supporters, one must know of the historical significance underlying the plot of the story.

Through his tale, Bedini knew that Hanno, in conjunction with a myriad of other exquisite presents offered to Pope Leo, conveyed King Manuel of Portugal's political and financial ulterior motives. A sequence of armed conflicts with the Moors in North Africa and global expeditions to explore new lands and acquire more colonies guaranteed Portugal fresh means of generating income in the future. However, the Portuguese king was in dire need of funds quickly to mobilize armies and manufacture ships.

Manuel, with his gift of Hanno and other novelties hoped to beguile Pope Leo into not insisting they pay the usual tithes and other Church taxes (which was the custom in those days). In addition to that motive, Manuel hoped that his gifts to the Vatican would strengthen Portuguese ownership of the Spice Islands, knowing that Spain was vying for the islands as well.

Bedini expertly interlaces an enthralling account of Portugal's ambitious political and economic investments in the early 1500s with reports of the dazzling cultural ambience of Rome under Pope Leo X. Amid this cultural ambience in Rome, Hanno is transformed into a glorified circus-performer (conditioned to genuflect, dance, cry and trumpet at will). The elephant fronted processions and partook in carnivals, amongst old ruins and Renaissance pageantry. Hanno even had his portrait painted by Raphael, finally dying of constipation in 1516.

On a positive note, Hanno likeness echoes through Renaissance-European art we can appreciate today. (Rowland, 1999, http://www.britannica.com/magazine/print-content_id=237957) However, Leo X ignored the hidden intentions of King Manuel and persisted in throwing his money away on celebrations, festivals and concerts in Rome rather than funding Portuguese troops. Inevitably, the money gradually trickled away. Also, by 1517, Martin Luther was posing more of a threat to Pope Leo's Papacy than the Moors. Martin Luther spoke against the apparent excess and privilege enjoyed by the Papacy.

When Pope Leo and King Manuel died in 1521, their deaths heralded the end of the "Golden Age." Manuel's Golden Age was one of discovery and colonialism and Leo's was one of Renaissance-inspired culture, a giddy backdrop in which Catholic fervour and contemporary technology merged with scientific inquisitiveness and sophisticated culture to create a bizarre and exceptional concoction.

(Rowland, 1999, http://www.britannica.com/magazine/print-content_id=237957) While Hanno manifests the link between these two leaders, the pachyderm also embodies the greed and intended collusion on the part of the Portuguese king as well as the greed, power and authority of Pope Leo X. In the book, Hanno symbolizes anything and everything of the period. Just to name a few, Hanno is the symbol of the East finally opening up to the West in all its exotic strangeness.

Hanno is also an icon of the golden age and everything of marvel. The symbolism of Hanno is even manifested.