Feb 17 2009
A Chest-Thumping God: the Drumming and Trumpeting of Threat
Big males show other tendencies for producing loud noises, such as the habit of pushing over huge dead trees as they move through the forest, thereby registering their whereabouts with loud and dramatic crashes.
- Dale Peterson & Richard Wrangham (30)When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. (Exodus 20:18)
Big noises are intimidating. That is why we have expressions such as “the drums of war.” Big noises such as drumming and trumpeting send an impressive audio signal: I/we are coming; beware of the power, you might want to run.
In many cases, primates will not sneak up on their opponents, but advertise their approach. As Jane Goodall documented when observing chimps, “Many of the components of the charging display-slapping and stamping, swaying of vegetation, rock throwing-produce characteristic sounds, which serve to enhance the intimidating effect of the charging display.” (31)
It seems the general theme could be described as “wining through intimidation.” An intimidated foe is more likely to flee before, during, and/or after a violent encounter.
Can we trace the origin of human war drumming to primate relatives? I think so. We share many social instincts. In fact, chimpanzees will themselves drum. “Some other sound signals should be mentioned. The most important is the drumming display, when the chimpanzee leaps up and pounds with hands and feet against the buttress of a large tree. This produces a sound that can carry over long distances (across a valley, for example). Drumming, like the charging display, is primarily a male activity. It is typically accompanied by pant-hoots and is frequent when the chimpanzees are traveling in large mixed parties.” (32)
While chimpanzees drum, baboons will trumpet. With their throats.
“Some alpha males have high testosterone and aggressively assert their dominance by initiating wahoo contests or walking assertively directly at their rivals.” (33) Big boys tend to make a big noise. Psychological studies have found that, for instance, males in hunter-gatherer societies with deeper voices tend to father more children.(34) The tone of the audio you emit sends information about you.
Religions (and versions of religions) that include the tales of a earthly and supernatural “big boys” will include mention of how earth-shaking the agents could be. Consider these two non-Judeo-Christian-Muslim examples:
The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious, and thus, vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra. (Bhagavad Gita As It Is, 1:19)
“Baal’s holy voice shattered the earth, and the mountains quaked at his roar.” (35)
Does the Bible god make a big noise (and thus intimidate potential foes)? Here is a selection of verses that support the idea:
In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble. (Exodus 15:13-14)
While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. (1 Samuel 7:10)
[T]he earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth. (2 Samuel 22:8-9)
Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. (Job 40:6)
The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. (Psalms 29:3)
The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. (Psalms 29:7-10)
The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail. (Isaiah 30:30)
The LORD will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling and roar mightily against his land. (Jeremiah 25:30)
Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south. (Zechariah 9:14)
After the LORD drums and trumpets, does he retreat to his arboreal nest — in the best spot, of course — and eat a banana? I wouldn’t be surprised.
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(30) Wrangham, R. & Peterson, D. Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence, Houghton Mifflin, NY, 1996, p. 14
(31) Goodall, J. The Chimpanzees of the Gombe: Patterns of Behavior, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1986, p. 133
(32) Goodall, J., 1986, p.133
(33) Cheney, D. L., & Seyfarth, R. M. Baboon Metaphysics: The Evolution of a Social Mind, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007, p.55
(34) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070924122805.htm
(35) Armstrong, K. The Great Transformation: The Beginning of our Religious Traditions, Knopf, New York, 2006, p. 42
