Great White Hunter

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Great White Hunter is a phrase coined in the late nineteenth century as a reference to white men who explored the remote lands of those times, typically in pursuit of big-game hunting in Africa and Asia.

Their exploits were romanticized in adventure novels that became the so-called "Lost World/Lost Race" genre. Perhaps the first fictional Victorian adventure hero to appear was Allan Quatermain, a great white hunter who appeared in books by H. Rider Haggard. A string of authors produced many stories in this genre since, of which the Indiana Jones series is just one of the most recent. Some famous real-life great white hunters were Denys Finch Hatton (chronicled in "Out of Africa") and Ernest Hemingway.

Because these men typically displayed great determination, bravery, cleverness and physical skills, their demeanor often had the stamp of educated and privileged backgrounds, and (if these qualities failed to impress), not the least of their resources, firearms, their presence induced local indigenous individuals to attend them in their pursuits. The phrase - though often used in parody or jest - came to symbolize the discourse of colonial power and dominance of western colonial powers over other parts of the world before the dismemberment of these powers after World War II.

The phrase Great White Hunter is commonly despised by professional hunters who work in Africa. A similar expression, White Hunter, although less commonly used today, is given to professional guides (regardless of race or national origin) who lead clients on hunting expeditions in Africa.