Mahout

A mahout is a person who drives an elephant. The word mahout comes from the Hindi words mahaut and mahavat, derivatives of the Sanskrit word mahamatra, meaning "[one] having great measure."

Another term for mahout is cornac (as in French, from the Portuguese; kornak in Dutch and Polish, also a rather current last name). In Tamil, the word used is "pahan", which means elephant keeper, and in Sinhalese kurawanayaka ('stable master'). In Malayalam the word use is paappaan.

In Burma (Myanmar) the profession is called oozie, and in Thailand (Siam) kwan-chang.

Description

Usually, a mahout starts as a boy in the 'family business' when he is assigned an elephant early in its life and they would be attached to each other throughout the elephant's life.

The most common tool used by mahouts is a goad called anlius, or ankusha - a sharp hook used to guide a tamed elephant by prodding on the back of its head.

Sanskrit language distinguishes three types: Reghawaan, who use love to control their elephants, Yuktimaan, who use ingenuity to outsmart them and Balwaan, those who control elephants with strength and cruelty.

The job is described in detail in the on-line Mahout manual

Devices used to control elephants in Kerala

In India especially Kerala, mahout use three types of device to control elephants. Thotti (hook) which is 3.5 feet in length and 3 inches thick, Valiya kol (long pole) which is 10.5 feet in length and 5.5 inches in thickness and cheru kol (short pole).

See also

• Elephants in Kerala culture
• War elephant, for soldiers in the mahout role, often armed and combatant
• Howdah, a carriage mounted on the back of an elephant
• Elefantasia, for information on mahouts living and working in Laos

Sources and references

• Elephant glossary