The snake or serpent is the most widespread and oldest mythological symbols in the world. The word serpent is derived from the Latin word Serpens referring to a snake or crawling item (Forum). Snakes are creatures that have often been linked to the oldest rituals performed by human beings. They represent a dual expression of both evil and good. In the current world that we live in, due to the poisonous nature of some snakes, the symbol is interpreted as being evil. However, people who draw such conclusions are unaware of the true meaning of the symbol. The symbol can be used to represent both good and evil. It has been used in a lot of cultures such as China, Ancient Rome, and Africa. The serpent is popularly known across the world as a representation of the medical symbol. In this paper a detailed analysis of the snake symbol will be carried out to gain a better understanding.
Good and Evil
The snake symbol is regarded as both good and evil. There are various explanations as to why it is viewed in that manner. Some christians view it as an evil symbol due to the creation story found in the Bible. According to the bible, on the sixth day of creation, God created Adam and put him in the garden of Eden (James. Geneis 2:7). After some time, he realized that Adam was lonely, He put him under deep sleep and took out one of his ribs to create Eve. He gave them instructions that they could do anything in the garden of Eden. The only thing that he restricted was eating fruits from the forbidden tree. They followed God’s instructions until one day when Satan tricked the Eve (James.).
Satan was among the arc angels in heaven, he had however led a coalition with other angels to overthrow God. After his failure, God cursed him and the other angels to go and live on earth. In the garden of Eden, Satan took the form of a snake when he approached Eve. He informed her that the reason why God had instructed them not to eat the fruits from the forbidden tree is that it would turn then to be like him. He managed to trick Eve into accepting the fruit which she later took to Adam who was reluctant at first but ate it. After eating it, they discovered that it was a tree of knowledge allowing them to distinguish between good and evil. When God later found out, he cursed the two out of the garden of Eden. He also cursed the snake making it the enemy of human beings. It is due to this reason that the snake is regarded as an evil symbol.
In some accounts, the snake symbol represents good. When a snake sheds its skin, it symbolizes new life and healing (Adebayo ,65). The shedding of the skin causes snakes to change into new beings. People use that feature to symbolize their ability to shed beliefs and habits that they have outgrown to allow them to move to a higher spiritual energy. There are some people who associate the shedding of the skin to out of body experiences and astral travel. A snake’s eyes are always open and protected by immobile scales that are transparent (Forum). Prior to its skin shed the snakes marking become more obscure with its eyes appearing blue or opaque (Forum). The snake appears as if it is in a trance looking through a person. Some people attribute this feature as one that teaches people how to investigate the hearts of others.
The shedding of the skin also represents rebirth (Adebayo ,70). For people that want to shed their own bad behaviors or habits, the snake acts as a guide through the path of transformation which is very spiritual (Helmke). The serpent can also be used to symbolize vitality on a material level, dreams and ambitions on an emotional level, power, and intellect on a mental level and in terms of wholeness and understanding it represents the spiritual level of wisdom. The snake symbolizes good in this instance.
There are different types of snakes. Some of them are poisonous while others are totally harmless. Some snakes are so poisonous that their venom can cause death within minutes. As a result, people are so afraid of them that it symbolizes evil to them. The belief is brought about by a lack of knowledge and exposure to the creatures. Snakes have several features which cause people to be afraid of them. They do not have legs and move through crawling on their bellies. Their bodies are made of scales and their eyes do not close. The media has also contributed to instilling the fear of snakes. In a lot of shows and films, such as Snakes On A Plane, snakes are always depicted in a negative manner (Hamann). Exposure to such contents makes people fearful of snakes, regarding them as evil creatures.
Serpent Symbol in China
Serpents are a core motif in Chinese mythology with several legends, myths, and folktales featuring snakes. Snakes in Chinese Mythology are represented as extraordinary and fantastic beings that portray supernatural abilities such as shape-shifting as well as unique body features like having a human head (Hamann). For instance, in the Legend of the White Snake, the Madam White snake portrayed a supernatural ability to transform itself from a snake to a human being and vice versa. The Chinese mythology highly recognizes the goodness of the snake especially with the creator of China, Nuwa, believed in have a snake body (Hamann). Nuwa is the goddess that created China by separating heaven and earth and created humanity which became the Chinese community.
Ancient China is associated with a number of snakelike deities such as the popular river deities. Ancient China delineated their river gods in the form of snakelike beings to whom they worshiped. Worship of the Four Directional deities was common in the ancient China of the Han Dynasty that included the east, west, south and north directions (Hamann). In Chinese culture, mythologized snakes play an important role in determining the calendar system, literature, and Chinese poetry.
Serpent Symbol in Ancient Rome
The Glycon deity was an ancient snake god that widely influenced cult worship within the Roman Empire with studies tracing its origin back to the Macedonians community (GELLER). The Macedonians are popularly known for their rich mythology related to the serpent and they believed that snakes had fertility powers. It was especially during the 20 BC that Glycon was vastly known in Roman from Horace’s poetry and books like the Epistles (Forum). In roman myths, the serpent represented a guarding spirit and was found in a lot of altars. Snake worship was also carried out in ancient Rome (Forum).
Serpent Symbol in Africa
With regard to Africa, beliefs centered around the snake are associated with serpent worship, reincarnation, immunity, fecundity, and medicinal impacts (Helmke ,40). Serpent worship in Africa is traced back to the Budu clan in South Uganda who believed in a python snake that was supposed to give success in fishing due to its power over the rivers. The python dwelled in a temple with a female guardian and the worshippers fed the snake with sacred milk. They believed that the royal dead entered the python and were able to communicate to the living through the temple priest. In other communities, pythons were believed to be gods of fertility and barren women would offer sacrifices and worship.
The Rod Of Asclepius
In Greek mythology, the rod of Asclepius derives its name from the Greek God Asclepius; this is a deity concerned with medical arts and healing (Adebayo ,73). The rod is an ancient Greek symbol that is often associated with medicine. It is made up of a coiled serpent around a rod. During the healing ritual, in honor of Asclepius, a specific type of a non-venomous snake referred to as the Aesculapian snake was used (Adebayo ,73). The snakes would crawl freely in the dormitories where injured and sick people slept. In ancient Greece, the serpent was considered as a symbol of rejuvenation based on the way the snake sheds and renews its skin. In other accounts, the serpent symbolizes unity. It was used to express the dual nature of a physician’s work. A physician is someone who deals with sickness and health, life and death (GELLER).
There are two theories which explain the origin of the staff in the medical world. One is referred to as the worm theory dating back to the Ebers papyrus a medical document used in ancient Egypt (GELLER). In ancient times, parasitic worms such as the guinea worm were very common. The worms would crawl under the skin of a person. To remove them it would require cutting a slit in front of the worm’s path. The worm would crawl out and as it did, physicians would place a stick wear it would wound itself until it had been completely removed. During this period, physicians would advertise their services by placing a sign at their doors that showed a worm on the stick. The other hypothesis is generated from the Bible when Moses carried a bronze staff that had a serpent around it. Individuals that had been bitten by the snakes would look at the staff and be healed. The symbol is now the logo of the world health organization and the American medical association.
The rod of Asclepius is however confused with the caduceus a symbol of commerce linked to Hermes the Greek god (Adebayo ,66). The caduceus is made up of two snakes coiled around a rod. The rod is also composed of two wings symbolizing diligence and prudence. The two are often mistaken since they are made up of snakes and a rod. The difference between the two is that the caduceus has two snakes with wings on a rod while the rod of Asclepius is composed of one snake and rod.
Conclusion
The serpent has had a wide influence since the beginning of time. It has been used to symbolize both good and bad. The belief that the snake is evil has been perpetrated by various reasonings. In the Bible, the snake caused Adam and Eve to be banned out from the garden of Eden by God; this has caused a lot of Christians to believe that it represents evil. The other cause stems from the fear of snakes Ophidiophobia; this is brought about by a lack of education or ignorance. the snake have also been used to symbolize good. the shedding of the snake’s skin is used to symbolize new life and healing. Snakes are however not evil creatures, people only need to be educated about them.
A lot of cultures have been using the snake symbol. It has been used widely in Africa, ancient Rome, and China. In all these cultures, a lot of importance is seen to have been placed on snakes and its symbol. The snake symbol is also famously known since it is used in the medical world. the rod of Asclepius was used in the past to symbolize healing. There are two explanations as to how the rod entered the medical world. Egyptian physicians placed the symbol outside their homes to inform people that the treated worm diseases. The rod was also used in the Bible when Moses raised the bronze staff to treat people that had been bitten by snakes. The rod of Asclepius is however confused with the caduceus that is a symbol of commerce linked to Hermes the Greek god.
Works Cited
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