Magical control over animals

Madam, – Fintan O’Toole, in an otherwise gripping account of Herzog’s Chauvez-cave paintings (Weekend Review, April 2nd) seems…

Madam, – Fintan O’Toole, in an otherwise gripping account of Herzog’s Chauvez-cave paintings (Weekend Review, April 2nd) seems to think that the use of imagery to exert magical control over animals must be confined to edible species. Is it not equally likely that (assuming such was their purpose) they also had an interest in controlling the animals for whom they were the likely victims?

The technique should not be hard to grasp. Your own Martyn Turner employs it to stunning effect upon our own predatory species almost every day. – Yours, etc,

MALCOLM ROSS-MACDONALD,

Birr, Offaly.