Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Serpents as Rebirth and Healing


                

               Snakes are often feared or considered dangerous in the modern age, but in ancient civilizations they were considered to be the symbol of rebirth and fertility.  In Native American tribes, the meaning of snakes varied yet still; retained the overall meaning of rebirth or fertility.  In the Hopi tribe there has been a long standing tradition of a snake dance, seen on bottom left, that is commonly seen as a rain dance.  This is a ceremony that would be done in the spring and would be used to protect their fields and bring forth the rain.  Other civilizations and cultures view snakes with a healing quality.
                In ancient cultures they had specific deities that are associated with snakes and healing.  In ancient Sumerian culture, Ningishzida, son of Ninazu the healer, was depicted with a staff with a coiled serpent to represent his connection with his father.  In ancient Greece, one of the sons of Apollo, Asclepius, was the god of medicine and had a staff that was entwined by a single serpent.  This symbol is still seen in medical practices today, but more commonly is the Caduceus, the staff with two serpents, which represents Hermes and was said to allow a dying person an easy death.  Snakes are represented in many cultures and in many forms, especially in r.egards to regeneration and immortality.
                The ancient Egyptians often viewed snakes as symbols of eternity.  This was due to their ability to shed a layer of skin, seen as regenerating themselves.  This is why the underworld and the Earth are often depicted with snakes, as well as why snakes were so venerated within their culture.  Ancient Egyptians equated snakes and eternity to their souls and eternity and had many gods with snake-like qualities, as seen on bottom right.  While snakes are seen as bad and dangerous today, they have been important symbols throughout history.





Image result for Ancient Egyptian Snake

Sources:
"Snakes in Mythology." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 08 Feb. 2017.
"Ningishzida." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Apr. 2017.
"Asclepius." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Apr. 2017.         

2 comments:

Herpetology Class said...

Fascinating information! Can you speculate on the link between healing and the underworld?

Anonymous said...

When I saw the first image I knew it looked familiar, but it wasn’t until I began reading your post that for the first time I realized that the spiral shape was actually depicting serpents. It makes sense now why this symbol can be seen in medical practices.