The term “white elephant” refers to something expensive and difficult to get rid of, but also rare and valuable. Its roots lie in Southeast Asia, where owning a white elephant was considered lucky and conveyed prosperity. Monarchs would give them as gifts, but they could be more of a curse than a blessing. Examples of modern white elephants include large country homes that are expensive to maintain and difficult to sell.
A white elephant is something that is expensive to maintain and difficult to get rid of, although they are also typically rare and very valuable, complicating the situation for their owners. This term can refer to any number of things, from a palatial home to an extravagant necklace. The word has even inspired a form of gift-giving where people attempt to get rid of their white elephants by finding other people who might want them.
According to legend, the concept of the white elephant has its roots in Southeast Asia. Historically, Southeast Asians considered the animal lucky, because one was supposed to appear to the Buddha’s mother shortly before her birth to gift her with a sacred lotus flower. It represented purity and knowledge, and as these animals were very rare, one’s sight must have been lucky.
Some Asian monarchs actively sought out these elephants, because owning such an animal was supposed to convey prosperity and good fortune and suggest that the ruler was wise and just. Since albino elephants don’t exactly grow on trees, not all monarchs had access to one to bless the monarchy, while others had multiple elephants to choose from.
Presumably, monarchs would present the sacred white elephants as gifts to their courtiers. Elephants were exempt from work due to their sacred status and could not be sold, slaughtered or given away. To their owners, animals were extremely expensive possessions, and while they were valuable, they could be more of a curse than a blessing.
In some versions of the story, kings gave them to courtiers who had fallen out of favor, with the aim of bankrupting and humiliating the recipient of the gift. In other stories, the animal was intended as a gift of genuine goodwill, to privileged members of the court or their families. Either way, the legend of the white elephant had entered common parlance, and as European explorers entered the region, they were introduced to the concept.
One of the most classic examples of the modern version is a large country house. Such homes are typically extremely expensive to maintain, but very difficult to sell, because prospective buyers may be reluctant to take on the work and expenses. In cultures where owning such a home is a sign of social status, members of a family may go bankrupt to keep the house running, as is the case with some English families and their stately homes. One response to this problem in some regions is the opening of private homes to periodic tours, filming and other events, with the family using the income earned to maintain the house and land.
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