protectors of Siddhārtha Gautama, the Buddha, various versions of the Legend of the White Snake. The snakes are painstakingly gathered and washed before the ceremony, which also involves members of the Antelope Clan. This ancient Chinese myth tells the story of a powerful female white snake demon who lives underwater but takes human form as Madame White, or Bai Suzhen. In other words, there were many different ways the ancients saw snakes. Fire came out of his eyes and all sorts of screams and whistles came out of his head. A man. In Norse mythology, few stories are as dramatic as that of Jormungand, the powerful sea serpent. In funerary vessels, we find representations of serpents along with representations of other types that are geometric in nature and mainly symbolize death. In one version of the creation story, he and another god, Tezcatlipoca, transformed themselves into snakes and ripped a giant sea monster named Cipactli in half; one part of her became the earth, the other the sky. Snakes were regularly regarded as guardians of the Underworld or messengers between the Upper and Lower worlds because they lived in cracks and holes in the ground. Snakes that St. Patrick drove out of Ireland. Snake Symbolism: What Serpents Mean in Our World Serpent Symbolism in The Bible. The four types of dragon-like creatures known to the Greeks were the Dracones, Cetea, Chimaera and Dracaenae. Many mythical creatures, such as dragons , combine snake-like qualities with features of humans or animals. They’re associated with healing and the ancient myth of Aesculapius, whose snake-familiars crawled across the bodies of sick people at night and licked them. Though outsiders (notably Theodore Roosevelt) have been able to witness some aspects of the Snake Dance, much of the lengthy ceremony takes place in underground chambers called kivas, allowing its most sacred aspects to remain mysterious. Question / Discusssion. In Greek mythology, ravens are associated with Apollo, the god of prophecy. The ouroboros, the ancient symbol of eternity that was famously depicted on King Tut’s tomb in the 14th century B.C., is a serpent devouring its own tail. Nagas, "the demon cobra" and naginis were human-headed snakes whose kings and queens who lived in jewel-encrusted underground or underwater paradises and who were perpetually at war with When Hercules cut off one, two others sprouted in its place. Two sea serpents sent by Poseidon kill Laoconda(Laocoön). The serpent and its relationship to the transmission of knowledge in the Old Testament have been commented on from many angles. This temple was destroyed by the Persians. Athena was also the goddess of spinning and weaving; and she herself could weave the A similar incident took place when the Greek ships were targeted even though Polydamas had warned Hector before. There is also the Agiofido(Saint snake), held by the faithful on August 15 in the church of Panagia in a village on Kefalonia. Echidna, the mother of the Chimera and other monsters, had the face of a beautiful woman and the body of a reptile. It's a cute and … The cunning snake convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the “tree of knowledge,” telling her that “when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When God learned of Adam and Eve’s transgression, he banished both of them from Eden and cursed the snake for its role, saying “You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.” Debate has long raged over whether the serpent in Genesis was a literal reptile, an allegory for sexual desire or temptation or even Satan himself. Snake sheds it's skin in a ritual representing rebirth and new beginnings. The fearsome Medusa had snakes on her head instead of hair and turned anyone who looked at her to stone. The goddess Athena features in the stories, myths and legends in Greek Mythology relating to the Odyssey, the Iliad, Bellerophon, Perseus and Medusa, Argus, Cadmus and the Dragon's Teeth. While Asclepius, the god of medicine, is always depicted with a snake around his staff. Fahai later kidnaps Xu, and traps Bai under his lakeside pagoda—but not before she gives birth to her son with Xu, who will eventually free his mother. The ouroboros is a symbol of eternity and continual renewal of life. Snake in the Garden of Eden. It had the body of a serpent and guarded the Oracle of Delphi. Ever since Eve’s transgression in the Garden of Eden, snakes in Christian tradition have been associated with lies, evil and temptation. Among the most prominent deities in Mesoamerican cultures, Quetzalcoatl, or “Feathered Serpent,” was a mix of bird and rattlesnake (coatl is the Nahuatl word for serpent). In religion, mythology, and literature, serpents and snakes often stand for fertility or a creative life force—partly because the creatures can be seen as symbols of the male sex organ. 596). Archive photo from 2008 - Kefalonia, the snakes of Virgin Mary, on the day of August 15 in the village of Arginia. He carried a staff with a snake entwined around it. Around the globe, the serpent carries potent symbolism. Godong/Universal Images Group/Getty Images. Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. In the Old Testament Book of Genesis, a serpent memorably appears in the Garden of Eden, the earthly paradise God created for the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. There are also heroes who fight with snakes, such as Hercules, who killed two snakes in his cradle and later Lernaean Hydra. ρύκειον kērū́keion "herald's wand, or staff") is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology and consequently by Hermes Trismegistus in Greco-Egyptian mythology. He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat, in the same manner as a faun or satyr. Log in … Sepia Times/Universal Images Group/Getty Images. Powered by ©GreeceHighDefinition / Privacy Policy, Snakes in religion and ancient Greek mythology, ← How Elgin stole the marbles of the Parthenon, Did Donald Trump study Aristotle to improve his skills? In northern Europe and West Asia, snakes were associated with healing whilst in parts of South Asia, snakes are regarded as possessing aphrodisiac qualities. Symbol of death. . Understanding and reconciling with snakes and other animals, first by shamans and then by priests, gave them a sense of communication with the "beyond". Snake rings have different meanings in different cultures. A Roman copy after a Greek original of the 5th century BC. Historically, serpents and snakes represent fertility or a creative life force. Behemoth and Leviathan, by William Blake. In medieval Europ… Medusa, marble sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 1630; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome. According to another legend, Teiresias was blinded by Athena because he happened to see her naked while bathing. But also Zeus himself (as Zeus Filios, Zeus Meilichios, or as Agathos Daimon) is often depicted with a snake next to him. But in other cultures, as far-flung as ancient Greece and Egypt and indigenous North America, snakes symbolize fertility, rebirth, renewal and even immortality. A detailed view of Aztec art depicting the god Tez-Calipoca and Quetzalcoatl (right) devouring a human being. One snake around a rod/staff is known as the rod of Asclepius. They are said to be a symbol of bad luck, and were the god's messengers in the mortal world. Medusa and the Gorgons. The story is not one of a single monster being killed, but of an enemy culture and its religion being destroyed and replaced by the Greeks and the gods of Mount Olympus. After all, there is not only fear. Jormungand, the Viking sea serpent. In the temple of Athena in Athens, a snake held in a cage was believed to be the reincarnation of Erichthonius, an early king in ancient Greece. Some of the mythical creatures presented below have elements of snakes: The Chimera had the body of a goat, the head of a lion, and its tail ended in a snake. Sculpture by Pirro Ligorio 1555, Parco dei Mostri (Monster Park), Lazio, Italy. So, just what do all these Bibles have in... Snake Symbolism in Greek Mythology. According to the mythological narration, Apollo sent a white raven, or crow in some versions to spy on his lover, Coronis. Of the many naga mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures, one particularly famous one was Mucalinda, a naga king who spread his great cobra hood to shelter the Buddha from a storm that arrived while the prophet was deep in meditation. Sarah Pruitt is a writer and editor based in seacoast New Hampshire. As snakes shed their skin through sloughing, they are symbols of rebirth, transformation, immortality, and healing. What does the Head of Medusa Symbolize? It was also the symbol of Asclepius, as we see in all the statues of the god of medicine. From The Odyssey to Pandora and her box, the stories of Greek mythology remain a major part of Western culture. People wear snake rings to commemorate Asclepius. Heracles, wearing his characteristic lion-skin, club in right hand, leash in left, presenting a three-headed Cerberus, snakes coiling from his snouts, necks and front paws, to a frightened Eurystheus hiding in a giant pot. When the Greek forces were attacked by the Trojans, a hawk carrying a snake was witnessed by all. With an ability to leave the old skin behind, Snake … There’s debate over whether the passages in Job about Leviathan and another giant Biblical creature, Behemoth, describe mythological beasts—or actual animals that existed at the time but later may have gone extinct. The snake is a legendary totem symbolizing transformation of energy from lower vibrations to higher aspects of mind, body and spirit. In ancient Greek mythology, Asclepius was the son of Apollo, and the god of medicine and healing. According to some myths, Medusa, the most famous of the Gorgons, was originally a beautiful woman. Snakes were often symbolic of knowledge, especially mystical knowledge. Medusa tattoo designs and variations. In India, China, and Japan It’s interesting to observe the different cultural meanings of snakes all … The snake crawls, it is cold, it comes silently and suddenly. The Chariot Hall or Royal Funerary Chariot Hall at the Wat Xieng Thong in the UNESCO world heritage town of Luang Prabang in Central Laos contains King Sisavang Vong's gilded, carved wooden funeral carriage, decorated with large Naga snakes at the front. A woman. The Giants had the form of a man, but they were terrible in appearance, huge in stature, and irresistible in strength. share. There are snakes in Greece that are respected and protected in many areas like spitofido, Konaki and Lafiatis in some areas. Beyond religions and ideologies, there is a primal fear of beings that are quite different and incomprehensible to us. In Greek mythology, Python (Greek: Πύθων; gen. Πύθωνος) was the serpent, sometimes represented as a medieval -style dragon, living at the center of the earth, believed by the ancient Greeks to be at Delphi. For this reason the caduceus carried by Hermes featured two snakes winding around a winged staff. It was also the symbol of Asclepius, as we see in all the statues of the god of medicine. In others, they symbolize the evil forces of the world. The staff with the two serpents became a symbol of unity and the ending of discord (a story that contrasts with that of Tiresias). Any other references besides Medusa? The house serpent of the Acropolis lived in a temple of Poleada Athena, where are the tombs of the serpent Erechtheus and Erichthonius. Snake Symbolism. He struck them with his stick and killed the female. The serpent grew until his body encircled all of Midgard (or Earth), and he was able to grasp his own tail in his mouth. Most sources describe her as the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, though the author Hygin Typhoon, Echidna's companion, had a hundred dragon heads on his shoulders. An actress plays the role of the White Snake in Baisha Zhuan (The Legend of White Snake) in a Chinese opera, 2000. Something similar is sought, perhaps unconsciously, by those who ostentatiously handle snakes or other animals. Capitoline Museums in Rome, Italy. A physician examines a sick child while Asclepius is watching. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! In Greek and Roman mythology, the snake symbolizes a guardian spirit and was inscribed on many altars. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images. In Greek mythology, the snake is a symbol of wisdom. According to various myths, the seer Teiresias was associated with snakes, both positively and negatively. All Rights Reserved. The Aztec god of wind and rain, as well as learning, agriculture and science, Quetzalcoatl was said to have played a key role in the world’s creation. The snakes on her head represent the natural cycle of life. (Lyons Press, 2017), which chronicles some of history's most famous disappearances. This affected their health in a positive way. While walking at Mount Kyllini he observed two snakes mating. Charon of Hades, who transported the souls of the dead, is also depicted with a snake beside him. Which later became a symbol of medicine. Although the serpent has mostly positive meanings, it can sometimes represent something evil or harmful depending on the culture or … The heads of the Erinyes were wrapped in snakes, similar to the Medusa Gorgo, and their whole appearance was frightening and repulsive. It’s the best selling book of all time. Her tryst with the god Poseidon in one of Athena’s temples infuriated the virgin goddess, who turned Medusa into a Gorgon as punishment. In Buddhism, naga were often depicted as protectors of Siddhārtha Gautama, the Buddha, and the dharma (Buddhist teachings), but they were also seen as powerful, and potentially dangerous when angered. He then transformed into a woman and became a famous hetaira. Typhoon fought Zeus and was defeated. The word "Snake" comes from the Latin word "Serpentes", which means "crawling thing".The symbol of the serpent is one of the oldest and most commonly used in many ancient cultures to symbolize wisdom, death, resurrection, fertility, and procreation. 0 comments. In Greek and Roman mythology, the snake symbolizes a guardian spirit and was inscribed on many altars. Hygeia, the daughter of Asclepius, is depicted from the 5th century BC with a snake climbing on her shoulder. St. Patrick depicted with a snake under his foot. The fact that snakes could shed their skins suggested that they could live forever. What does a snake symbolize? The son of Apollo and princess Coronis, Asclepius/Asklepios is the god of medicine and doctors in Greek mythology.The Rod of Asclepius, a rod with a serpent wrapped around it also known as the Staff of Asclepius (about which you can read here), is the main Asclepius symbol while bowls, pineapples, dogs and snakes are also considered symbols of Asclepius.Roosters and snakes are the sacred animals of Asclepius. But then it became a symbol of commerce. The Head of Medusa, painted by Peter Paul Rubens. Jormungand, one of three children of the shape-shifting god Loki and the giantess Angrboda, was thrown into the sea by Odin, father of the powerful thunder god Thor. Representations of snakes were used in vases in ancient times, as decoration, but also as a symbol of death. In Greek Mythology. In the temple of Athena in Athens, a snake held in a cage was believed to be the reincarnation of Erichthonius, an early king in ancient Greece. 100% Upvoted. At the start of Ragnarok, the final battle that would end in the earth’s destruction, Jormungand left the sea and rolled across the land wreaking havoc. 9 Powerful Snakes from History and Mythology. Cerberus was a dog with three heads and a serpent's tail. Snakes represented wisdom and eternal life to the ancient Greeks. So the attitudes towards snakes are many and varied. Cecrops (pronounced SEE-krahps) had a man's head and chest on a snake's body and was a hero to the Athenians. Snake ring crafts are found in Christianity and Hinduism, as well as in the cultures of Aztec, Norwegian and Chinese civilizations. Heracles as a boy strangling a snake (marble, Roman artwork, 2nd century AD). HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. In other conceptions, she has many heads: lion, goat and dragon. Leviathan from the Book of Job. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Hermes carrying a winged caduceus upright in his left hand. But it is not what creates fear of snakes. Athena later helped the hero Perseus slay Medusa, giving him a shiny bronze shield that he used to watch the Gorgon’s reflection rather than looking directly at her. She asked passers-by to solve a riddle. Later, the word “leviathan” would be applied more generally to mean a giant whale (most memorably the great white whale in Moby Dick) or other massive sea creature. What do snakes mean in Greek mythology? In Greek mythology, Medusa was a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. The religious reception ties into this, as does the Freudian interpretation that corresponds to the fear of the penis. And if you could life forever, then surely you would pick up wisdom along the way. Echidna. In other words, there were many different ways the ancients saw snakes. Hermes once used his staff to separate two snakes that were fighting with each other. What do snakes represent in Greek Mythology? (Photo: Hulton Archive / Getty Images). The god Hermes has as his symbol the caduceus, a thin staff of laurel or olive wood, around which are wound two serpents whose heads face each other. The first of these occur in both myth and legend--\"legend\" meaning the ancients believed such creatures inhabited the far corners of the earth in historical times. The answer to the question is that they induce a primal fear. If Medusa does represent an ancient goddess, there would be reason for so many Greek gods to be involved in her story. They have also been associated with water and earth because many kinds … Zeus aiming his thunderbolt at a winged and snake-footed Typhon. Either way, the Book of Job employed both Leviathan and Behemoth to demonstrate to Job God’s power of creation, and the futility of questioning Him. And a fateful apple. Men handling poisonous rattlesnakes, one even holding a snake between his teeth, for the snake dance of the Native American Hopi tribe. Egle (Lithuanian origin) meaning "A maiden who married a grass or a water snake". FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. save hide report. He guarded the entrance of Hades and would not let the souls go out or the living pass. Caeretan hydria (c. 530 BC) from Caere (Louvre E701). Historically, serpents and snakes represent fertility or a creative life force. As the story goes, St. Patrick, a fifth-century Christian missionary, was fasting for 40 days atop a hill when he was attacked by snakes. Though Ireland—like New Zealand, Hawaii, Greenland, Iceland and Antarctica—is in fact devoid of snakes, that has less to do with St. Patrick than with the fact that since the post-glacial age it’s been surrounded by water, and before that its climate was too cold for any snakes to survive. WATCH: Full episodes of Swamp People: Serpent Invasion online and tune in Thursdays at 10/9c for all-new episodes. Depending on which historian you ask, he may have even been based on … A snake was likewise kept at the shrine of Apollo where it was tended to by a naked virgin. As snakes shed their skin through sloughing, they are symbols of rebirth, transformation, immortality, and healing. There are various versions of the Legend of the White Snake, which has evolved over the centuries from a horror story, in which Fahai heroically battles the evil snake demon, to a romance, focusing on the thwarted but genuine love between Xu and Bai. The Hindhu god Brahma was said to have banished the naga to their underground kingdom when they became too populous on Earth. . Two snakes around a rod/staff represents caduceus. Those who gazed upon her face would turn to stone. Though the earliest depictions of Quetzalcoatl show him clearly as a snake with a plume of feathers, later cultures represented him in human form. In Greek mythology, Medusa and other gorgons (female creatures) had sharp fangs and live snakes for hair. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images. →, Summer hours for archaeological sites, museums pushed back due to pandemic, Map of the Greek colonies around the world in 500 BC, Greek drone footage captures eerie Turkish shipwreck in exotic waters, Nimborio: the most exotic... sheepfold of Greece, The reason why Greece is the only country in the world that celebrates the beginning of a war and not its end, The creepy story behind the abandoned mansion of Kontos in Pelion, Lagia, the village of Mesa Mani with its impressive tower houses, Τhe laws of Solon and homosexuality in ancient Greece. Snakes in mythology are often representative of life, fertility, and a strong connection to the Earth. A snake was likewise kept at the shrine of Apollo where it was tended to by a naked virgin. The Gorgons of Greek myth were snake-women (a common hybrid) whose gaze would turn flesh into stone, the most famous of them being Medusa. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes; unlike the Gorgons, she was sometimes represented as very beautiful. Snakes in ancient Greece Representations of snakes were used in vases in ancient times, as decoration, but also as a symbol of death. The ouroboros is a symbol of eternity and continual renewal of life. It’s been suggested that Behemoth could have been a hippopotamus, an elephant or even a dinosaur, while Leviathan may have been an ancient species of crocodile. It is an instinctive fear. After cutting off Medusa’s fearsome head (from which her two children with Poseidon, Chrysaor and Pegasus, emerged) Perseus mounted it on his shield, and used it to paralyze his enemies in battle. What does athena snake represent Who was Athena? In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Pan (/pæn/; Ancient Greek: Πάν, Pan) is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds, rustic music and impromptus, and companion of the nymphs. Birth of Erichthonius: Athena receives the baby Erichthonius from the hands of the earth mother Gaia, Attic red-figure stamnos, 470–460 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen. She has been a frequent contributor to History.com since 2005, and is the author of Breaking History: Vanished! Snakes shed their skins, the old skin revealing a beautiful new skin, so they were a symbol of rebirth. In the eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, a mythological semi-divine race known as the naga (Sanskrit for “serpent”) took half-human, half-cobra form—although they could shift shapes to fully take on one or the other. Medusa head by Gianlorenzo Bernini in Musei capitolini. Climbing on her head represent the natural cycle of life, fertility, but were! 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