Does mirage-derived mythology give access to San rock art?

Many San lived in an environment where optical mirage phenomena were part o f their experience. Mirage elements are reflected in their rock art in the form of elongated figures, 'flying' antelopes, double antelopes, upside-dow n creatures, huge flying creatures (rain animals), creatures on 'sky-ropes, ' land creatures with fins, undulating or zig-zag features and floating (mi rage) water. Since mirages were interpreted as encounters with another worl d, San mythology may have been inspired by these phenomena. This would perm it a tentative new interpretation of San rock art and confirm that the San were realistic observers of nature. Superior mirages, which are typically o bserved in the 'still' (lull) before rainstorms and which occasionally show stretches of the horizon projected into the sky, may have been interpreted as giant 'sky water snakes' or 'rain animals,' upon which they tried to ex ert spiritual power. This was done by painting, i.e. creating a twin image, by involving 'sky ropes' or by simulating the inverted world seen in mirag es, i.e. hands in back position, legs crossed. The concept of 'underwater,' where souls and the sorcerers went to become 'stretched,' may have been de rived from the mirage illusion of water. The way in which the transcendenta l world of the San may have worked within this concept is demonstrated by a nalysing some of the key symbols of the rock art.