Where did this notion of trophies originate? When did it become fashionable to display an animal’s head on a wall – or even an entire body? Why does a man pride himself on the size of the fish that he caught, and did he catch it to feed his family – or merely to feed his ego?
We humans are a strange lot. I have seen yards decorated with the skulls and antlers of animals. Even some American Indian tribes were known to wave the scalps of their victims, like a flag, on a pole. Every country has a flag which they proudly fly to show their patriotism. Here in America, we are expected to place our hand over our heart and sing, or say a pledge to prove that we love our country. Does this not resemble the worship of idols?
Most animals leave scent to mark their territories and send messages to intruders. Human beings erect fences and walls for the same purpose. In the erecting of these perimeters, both parties are agreeing to honor the boundary. The irony is that we need our enemies in order to enter into this agreement. Without the other, we would have no need to draw a line. Many species have hierarchies in their social systems, but human beings are one of the few that declare war on entire groups, rather than an individual.
War heroes bring back trophies, as well. They are honored with small medals thanking them for their service. Their sacrifice itself is often seen as a kind of trophy. A missing arm or leg can become a soldier’s Medal of Honor. Our propensity to violence is hard to fathom, for those who practice peace and non-violence. While it is difficult to witness the ever-present violence in our world, I realize that is because I can see it’s opposite. You must have the yin with the yang, the black with the white, the day with the night. Once we see the darkness; however, we can choose the light.
