Living with gods: exhibition tour

Curator Jill Cook and John Studzinski CBE tour the Living with gods exhibition touching on some of the intriguing stories behind these fascinating objects.
Living with gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond
2 November 2017 - 8 April 2018
To find out more and book tickets, visit: goo.gl/1mtQCC
Supported by the Genesis Foundation. With grateful thanks to John Studzinski CBE.
The exhibition accompanies a series on BBC Radio 4 with Neil MacGregor.

[@ashleyparson5305]

I’m not sure why, but I find the lion man gives me a very “comforting” feeling.

[@rhijulbec1]

I could listen to Jill Cook forever! What a beautiful voice~and the information she imparts is just wonderful. She brings those objects to life. I've enjoyed this series totally. Thank you. Jenn 💖 in Canada 🍁

[@shiddy.]

I agree, I love the stories she tells and how she tells them - Chris in Minnesota

[@iamthe12th]

The history of Humanity is so powerful. Thank you for this series.

[@koyalmakwana993]

something that particularly resonated was when Jill said "it's about how we believe" and this how is what makes us more similar than we think. i think this is particuarly heartwarming and hopeful almost about how everyone around the world is connected in some sort of way.

[@jamesleonard2870]

Whoh. What a awesome exhibition! And such a thoughtful and thought revoking conversation. 🌊🏄‍♂️🌵☀️

[@shiddy.]

makes me think about the last person to hold the lion man before he was put away in his corner of the cave - why didn't anyone ever come back? ... very sad, very profound

[@toomanydonuts]

Did you know? Focused intentioned awareness affects matter and outcome. This is known in the quantum world where we study matter. Matter and consciousness are reality. It's all we know and interact with. We know from quantum experiments that the outcome of matter (reality) is affected by the sole act of observation. Religion is man's pursuit of the understanding of consciousness. All beliefs, practices, rituals are "focused intentioned awareness." This is why people focus their intentions through prayer and rituals, to affect our reality and to improve our outcome.

[@bob_._.]

I'm not saying it wasn't a ritual object, but how was it determined that the lion was an icon rubbed smooth by worshipers and "fed" as part of a ritual, rather than a doll smoothed and fed by a child's loving hands? And as extension, why is it that all surviving archaeological artifacts other than tools are seen as religious/spiritual objects? How was it determined that prehistoric people had absolutely no secular elements to their lives?

[@HebaruSan]

This would make a great side joke in a time travel movie. Main character visits a museum and hears that this object was a religious totem, this object was a ceremonial altar, this object was a bowl for ritual offerings, etc. Then he gets in a time machine and travels to 40000 BC and sees those objects used as a child's toy, a dinner table, a latrine, etc. We have so little information about these objects, it seems that "ritual object" is the safe default for scholars to claim. If you wanted to argue something else you'd need to show evidence of it being held or used in a certain way, but somehow they've just decided that religious totems don't need to be evidenced to that same degree.

[@ottogobey3462]

i think their reasoning is that it is too well made to simply be a toy, they mention it in a past video

[@HebaruSan]

But again, that's just made up. Do we have contemporary attestations that toys were poorly made at that time? Not even close.

[@barosz123]

I hear it's a bit of a running joke around archaeologists: if we have no idea what it was, it's classified as a ritual item :D. Kind of makes sense for most of them, though. When you compare it to other items found from the same area/period, they just seem very special.

[@thegingerbreadman5149]

I think in comparing you find that one object differentiates in importance? They have very little to hold on to for a purpose explanation. But I can give you ONE example of mistaking purpose in that very same exhibition: see the red paper devil in the background? She says in another video that it has to do with death and the Day of the Death rituals in Mexico, but in reality it’s another different celebration in the Holy Week borrowed from Spain, although Mexicanised. If they have bended the explanation to accommodate an object they already had, from a culture that it’s still alive today, don’t expect a lot of accuracy. It’s just a bunch of interesting artefacts; some people need explanation for the unexplainable, and to fill the voids they make it up. I’d love to go!

[@flamencoprof]

Very meta as regards spiritual beliefs, and interesting from a Naturalist point of view.

[@carolnorton2551]

Perhaps the lion was carved standing up because with the shape of a tusk(a long curved cylinder) there was no way to make it on all fours and that big. the most economic use of material on hand. A "man" was not intended, but a rampant lion.

[@n.d8001]

Very touching presentation

[@DF35689]

Lion man was fed so that he is not hungry. Translates into: our ancestors wouldn't become pray when out hunting. If looking at the Soviet Union- it never had strong grip on Baltic pagan and national traditions. Even the strict rules couldn't prevent people from celebrating, therefore the soviet union had to make it look like it was their decision that these people were celebrating, to show everyone that they are in power not the people.

[@Mooneyes6984]

In Hinduism the Lion god is Lord Narasimha, who is half man and half lion (head). I think this idol is related to Lord Narasimha. Because old Aryans was lives in Caspian sea to India,

[@troyhayder6986]

Irish god right here... Genuine as feck... Anyone else?

[@Foxglove963]

At o:o5. "Image of an imaginary being" is...nonsense. It was incorrectly assembled from ivory pieces found in a cave, it looks like a lion but originally may have represented a bear.

[@matthewstokes1608]

Thank Christ for the Light

[@christianfrommuslim]

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." Bible, I John 4:7,8 Not all religions are the same. Not all gods are the same. No humans perfectly follow the God of the Bible.

[@fathah786]

Please add in videos the text of conversation

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

I'm not sure that I want anything in this video to all of a sudden comes to life! That's kinda scary especially if they increase to life size. That would be horrific!

[@leatherandtactel]

Because they are all demons.

[@STOG01]

Neat

[@mr.perfect8746]

Religion. If only people didn't use it for hate it would be grand.

[@leatherandtactel]

It´s not the people, it´s the elite, the ones that created religion.

[@christianfrommuslim]

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." Bible, I John 4:7,8 Not all religions are the same. Not all gods are the same. No humans perfectly follow the God of the Bible.

[@Uncle_Matt_]

5:04 looks like Barry

[@Dirtbag-Hyena]

I dont see religion in the lion man,it could be A toy,just some art,or A simple nick-nack. Although idol & toy seem the 2 most likely because of the handling.

[@cyborgzulu2011]

I feel like that might of been a toy

[@NoddyTron]

The reason they think it's not a toy is because it would have taken 100s of man hours to carve the material (it's made out of ivory) in such a way with the tools they had at their disposal. There's another video where an artist makes a reconstruction. They estimate that creating it would have been a full time job for somebody; staying back at the camp while the rest of the tribe went hunting and gathering etc. Far too much effort to make a simple toy.

[@LabRat10101]

Feeding a toy, more like something a child would do. Maby its a toy.

[@ken4975]

Exactly, seems such an obvious thing to think that you would expect it to be mentioned or debunked.

[@DanielSann]

40k years ago adult weren t like us, their mind was still ingenuous. The belived that sun was a god like fire etc... a craftsmanship like that should have been only in wizards or leaders hands.

[@rexmundi3108]

I bet you are a strong supporter of Wall Street. That would be ironic.

[@TMPreRaff]

"Maby"?

[@disrxt]

I live without gods. I have no need of superstition, the false sense of security it provides or arrogant and dangerous claim to surety it precipitates in believers. I live in the real world unconvinced by any theist argument. I am a skeptic, and therefore atheist.

[@flamencoprof]

A.C. Grayling: - “...no atheist should call himself or herself one. The term already sells a pass to theists, because it invites debate on their ground. A more appropriate term is naturalist".

[@thegingerbreadman5149]

Funny thing is a quarter portion of all my family are without gods, but celebrate Christmas nevertheless. I also observe the Day of the Death for the remembrance. And sometimes, in the death of the night, when an eerie sound wakes me up, I believe in ghouls and apparitions till the first rays of the morning. I’m going to call myself naturalist from now on, by the way.

[@ChrisPeck-niganma]

I haven’t been to London in more than 40 years. It never occurred to me when I was there to even go to the British Museum. Now I’d love to see it.

[@yoalli3809]

I think thats just a toy...

[@poisontoad8007]

"We haven't changed much in 40,000 years" True. When it comes to religion some people are just as gullible and stupid as we've ever been.

[@rexmundi3108]

Interesting that an exhibit showcasing the history of spirituality would be hosted by someone who has none. I'd be careful about walking around there at night, woman. How condescending.

[@raizin4908]

Even someone who isn't spiritual can be interested by and respect the profound symbolism and narratives found in many religions.

[@FBuilding]

Dare I be the annoying annoyer who complains about the voice editing in this video ? Easy on the hard cuts, friends. Nice video though, obviously.

[@saint6563]

Biblical 'Scholars' estimate the Universe to be 10,000 years old. hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha

[@christianfrommuslim]

Not all Christians think that way. Yes, there is a division between "Old Earth" and "Young Earth" Christians. Many, many scientific Christians, like Hugh Ross PhD of "Reasons to Believe" who became a believer through understanding the cosmology of the universe. More people, like you, have heard of the Young Earth Christians. But, the Bible is NOT definite on earth age. It is an interpretation.

[@Ramsez]

Maybe the lion was a toy.

[@NeonsStyleHD]

Oh look, 6:51 Donald Trump getting his bribe from Putin lol

[@fontunetheteller410]

NeonsStyle leave it to leftists to make EVERYTHING political...

[@Sid0419]

Hinduism also has 1 god in different forms. Beads are also in Hinduism. Hinduism started all religions.

[@Aleph-Noll]

there's plenty of religions that developed without the influence or even knowledge of hinduism. cultures in africa, australia, or even the american continents, your whole statement is ridiculous

[@oddish2253]

@Sid Bakshi So Hinduism is the root cause of Islam. Thanks Hindus.

[@christianfrommuslim]

Even if that were true, praise God for the other religions - those that don't use caste and reincarnation to subjugate people eternally, and keep women in positions of less value: suttee, child widows, temple prostitutes, and so on...

[@sneeringimperialist6667]

40,000 year old action figure? Gods don't usually get played with that much. Generations of kids playing with a toy makes more sense. Like Thundercats...

[@chrispbacon3042]

Unfortunately it is usually the religious playing with children these days.