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