SPORTS: Past and Present
The universal nature of subsistent hunting in human evolution creates a common identity and mode
of action for diverse cultures. Although hunting and gathering was the primary subsistent strategy
for approximately 3,000,000 years of hominid evolution, it was essentially replaced by the advent of
agriculture about 10,000 years ago. According to the Symbolic Hunt Theory of sport, in which all
sports are ultimately derived from practices related to subsistent hunting, all humans share a
common bond of being descendents of good hunters, thus establishing a propensity for sport. The
topics of the history of international sporting events and sport serving as a means of resolving
territorial disputes are also discussed. As a substitute for war, the contest is enacted symbolically.
My comment: This would suggest that sports derive in part from inter-tribal warfare. Since our
conference is concerned with the present, let me add two topical notes. The idolatry of soccer
players reached a new height with the opening at the French national theater, the Odéon, of a play
with as hero Brazilian soccer player Pelé. That an official French institution would so honor a foreign
soccer player supports the thesis of those who maintain that sports promote international
understanding.
Bull-fighting has a long history, and despite its cruelty, it refuses to die. In Spain each year 11,000
(!) fighting bulls are killed. Their carcasses are often shown being dragged out of the arena, but few
people realize that their meat is highly appreciated, possibly be people who think it will give them
the strength of the bull. I cannot say, never having eaten the stuff. It is very much in the news now
because of mad cow disease. Some beasts, suspected of having been in contact with infected cows,
are to be slaughtered, as are those over a certain age. Owners of tores and restaurants which
specialize in the meat of these once-fighting bulls have seen a red flag. TV showed their anger as
the stuffed head of a bull glowered on the wall behind the counter.
In France, horse meat is featured in establishments with a horse´s head. As a youth I ate it once; it
did not improve my running time. American horse-lovers reject such use of the noble beast, as they
do dog fights and the eating of dogs. It all began with hunting. Oh yes. The British parliamentary
has just banned fox-hunting. Did people ever eat foxes?
Ronald Hilton - 1/23/01
The conference session on sports will feature Professor Douglas M. Carroll , author of An
Interdisciplinary Study of Sport As a Symbolic Hunt: A Theory of the Origin and Nature of Sport
Based on Paleolithic Hunting (Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2000). A description of the book
may be seen on the mellenpress.com or Amazon.com websites. This is his thesis:
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