1. Hyenas depicted in human art through the ages

2. Cave painting from southern France (Chauvet-pont-d’arc) 35,000 years ago

3. Drawings from 12th Century Latin bestiaries portraying hyenas scavenging human corpses

4. The hyena: The hyena should not be eaten because it is dirty and has two natures, male and female. Both sexual organs are clearly shown. It dwells in the tombs of the dead and devours human bodies. Its spine is rigid and it must move its whole body in order to turn. (From the collection at the University of Aberdeen)

5. Histoire Naturelle - Le Lion et L'Hyaene Antonio Baratti - 18th Century

6. Natural history plate from Robert Merry's Museum (1841)

7. Hyena gargoyle

8. Hyenas depicted by Disney artists in The Lion King
Although Whoopie Goldberg
gave us a wonderful hyena voice,
the hyenas were made out to be
villains in this film.
Even some of their names are
insulting. For example, “Shenzi”
means “slovenly” in Swahili.

9. Mask from burkina faso made by
This very old mask was used to provide for the fertility,
health and prosperity of its owner and community.
It dances to drive evil forces away, and participates in
funerals and initiations ceremonies.

10. William R. Corliss (comp
William R. Corliss (comp.), Biological Anomalies: Mammals I, Glen Arm, MD: Sourcebook Project, 1995, p. 17.
Aardwolf mimics striped
Hyena (bottom)