Why do medieval elephants look a little funky to our modern eye? Short answer: accuracy wasn't always the goal. Medieval artists often had other goals, like conveying moral messages or setting scenes in faraway places. #WorldElephantDay _ Elephants featured: . Slide 1: Elephant, from a bestiary, Thérouanne?, 1277 or after. Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum . Slide 2 (upper): Elephant, from Physiologus, Bavaria, about 1300-1350. Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France . Slide 2 (lower): Elephant, from a bestiary, England, about 1400-1425. Copenhagen, Kongelige Bibliothek . Slide 3: The Land of India, from Miroir Historial, Ghent, about 1475. Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum . Slide 4 (upper): Oliphant (Hunting Horn), southern Italy?, about 1200. New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art . Slide 4 (lower): The Land of India, from Miroir Historial, Ghent, about 1475. Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum . Last slide: Elephant, from a bestiary, England, about 1250-1260. Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum