This frontispiece, or a decorative image that faces the title page of the book, displays a dragon breathing flames, a snake with horns and a human face, and an elephant, all drawn in an organic, calligraphic manner. These three animals figure in various ancient Hindu creation myths, which passed into Europe through sources such as 1st century CE Roman historian Pliny the Elder’s Natural History. If Columbus knew these stories, he probably associated them with the China of Marco Polo, rather than India.
One Hindu myth associated with the Temple of Kalahasti tells of an elephant and a cobra that competed for the god Shiva’s attention. The elephant poured water over the sacred lingam, or phallic-shaped symbol of the god, and left flowers and leaves as offerings. The cobra instead left gemstones , which he grew in his hood. The cobra became so angry at his competitor that he crawled up the elephant’s trunk, causing the elephant so much pain that he smashed his head open against a rock, killing them both. Seeing the animals’ devotion to him, Shiva took them up to heaven with him.
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