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Where war elephants were once used (i.redd.it)

submitted 1 day ago by ooli3@sopuli.xyz to c/map_enthusiasts@sopuli.xyz

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[–] glimse@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Is that actually true or just an urban legend? Full elephants would make the sculpture HUGE, it'd take up so much space

[–] inlandempire@jlai.lu 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's real https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontaine_des_%C3%89l%C3%A9phants

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Sorry, I meant the claim that the sculptor not knowing how to make the back half. I definitely believe you on the name! That wiki page isn't available in English but I translated it and only found this:

The legend[Which?] says that this square is made up of four elephants without backs since its sculptor did not know how to do the back says the "ass" of the elephants. This is what would have given the name of the 4 without asses.

I read about the construction elsewhere and only having the fronts seemed deliberate

[–] inlandempire@jlai.lu 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Oh right, yeah that one is probably gossip haha

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 hour ago

It'd be pretty easy to guess, honestly. Just saying "a lot like a cow, with legs like in the front" would cover it for sculptural purposes - the flattish tail being an excusable detail.

Medieval artists did a lot of this, although sometimes the results were less than perfect:

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

I love a good urban legend