Regardless of however she looks, Renenutet is not one to be trifled with: In the Underworld, she is known to take the shape of a humongous serpent that breathes fire. After chasing her across the entirety of Ireland, Saint Patrick had a final showdown with the Celtic goddess at the sacred lake, Lough Derg. There are discussions concerning the functions of the Snake Goddess. It is possible that the worship of the Minoan Snake Goddess was in some context the rebirth, resurrection, or renewal of life. Yeah, Hera was determined to kill this man. Snakes, for some reason or another, have always held a prominent place in myths and religions the world over. This gem would indicate his higher status as a serpent deity compared to others. In ancient Aztec mythology, Quetzalcoatl was the son of the fertility earth goddess, Cihuacoatl, and cloud serpent and hunting god, Maxicoat. [24][25], The Hopi people of North America performed an annual snake dance to celebrate the union of Snake Youth (a Sky spirit) and Snake Girl (an Underworld spirit), and to renew fertility of Nature. Two images of Wadjet appear on this carved wall in the Hatshepsut Temple at Luxor. [27] Thousands of people gather around snake pools called Naga kuan that are said to lead to Nagaloka, the lavish underwater world of these snake deities or Nagas. In ancient Indian myth, the drought-serpent Ahi or Vritra swallowed the primordial ocean and did not release all created beings until Indra split the serpent's stomach with a thunderbolt. In Egypt the snake has healing abilities. In Chinese mythology, the woman-headed snake Nwa made the first humans. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Its authenticity and meaning, however, leave many questions today. However, the indisputable root of life that the Rainbow Snake provided was water, regardless of story. Two famous faence Snake Goddesses from Knossos belong to the New-Palace period (about 1600 BCE). Besides being the guardian of the home and worldly possessions, Eopsin is also a mother to seven other Korean goddesses according to the Chilseong Bonpuli. [37][incomplete short citation]. Actually this one is both. The three Gorgon sistersMedusa, Stheno, and Euryalewere all children of the ancient marine deities Phorcys (or "Phorkys") and his sister Ceto (or "Keto"), chthonic monsters from an archaic world. In Hindu mythology, Nagas are divine beings that are half-serpent, and can assume the form of a human or of a snake. The earliest records in existence indicate this snake god was closely tied to the rain and water god, Tlaloc, and that his original domain was vegetation. Accessed April 18, 2023. Author Sibylle Baumbach described Medusa as a multimodal image of intoxication, petrifaction, and luring attractiveness," citing her seductive contemporary representation, as well as her dimensionality, as the reason for her longevity.[28]. Evans found the sculpture of the Snake Goddess in a secondary exploration of the complex he called a palace at Knossos. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Animals alone are given the privilege of lifting the veil of Isis; men dare not. This article was most recently revised and updated by, IndiaNetzone - Manasa Devi, Hindu Goddess. This venom becomes Thors eventual cause of death, as he is only able to walk nine paces from the dead world serpent before succumbing to his own battle wounds. Stephen Wilk, author of Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon, questioned Medusa's enduring status among the feminist movement. Snake Goddess from the palace at Knossos, c. 1600 B.C.E., majolica, 29.5 cm high (Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, photo: Zde, CC BY-SA 4.0), Snake Goddess from the palace at Knossos, c. 1600 B.C.E., majolica, 29.5 cm high (, It has been said that the image of the Snake Goddess, discovered by, Excavation of the temple repositories, from Sir Arthur Evans, The Neolithic and Early and Middle Minoan Ages (London: Macmillan, 1921), p. 465 (Universitts-Bibliothek Heidelberg). Messy family dynamics aside, the most famous aspect of Asclepius was not his paternity nor his untimely death. The presiding deity here is Nagaraja - a five-headed snake god born to human parents as a blessing for their caretaking of snakes during a fire. Athena was often pictured with snakes along the edges of her clothing. Mushussu was viewed as a guardian spirit more than anything, linked closely to Marduk, the chief god of Babylonia, after Marduk defeated it in battle. Egyptian myth has had several snake-gods, from the 'coiled one' Mehen who assisted Ra in fighting Aapep every day to the two-headed Nehebkau who guarded the underworld. The rape of Medusa in the temple of Athena: aspects of triangulation in the girl. Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. "And she's not deadly. In some cultures, eels (which spend their early lives in freshwater before returning to the sea as adults) were regarded as magical creatures. [16][12], The legend of Perseus beheading Medusa means, specifically, that "the Hellenes overran the goddess's chief shrines" and "stripped her priestesses of their Gorgon masks", the latter being apotropaic faces worn to frighten away the profane. Although no earlier version speaks of rape, ancient depictions of Medusa as a beautiful maiden instead of a horrid monster predate Ovid. The snake had a protective and beneficial role on the shield of Athena; it represented the chthonic power connected with the Goddess of Earth; it was the attribute of Asclepius, probably due to its knowledge of the herb of rebirth, resurrection and eternal youth, and generally it was the symbol of superhuman power of the god. The Snake Goddess prior to restoration by Evans, from Angelo Mosso, The Palaces of Crete and Their Builders (London: Unwin, 1907), p. 137 (University of Toronto Libraries), The Snake Goddess prior to restoration by Evans, from Angelo Mosso, The Palaces of Crete and Their Builders (London: Unwin, 1907), p. 137 (. World Register of Marine Species. Heracles (Hercules) is said to have obtained a lock of Medusas hair (which possessed the same powers as the head) from Athena and given it to Sterope, the daughter of Cepheus, as a protection for the town of Tegea against attack; when exposed to view, the lock was supposed to bring on a storm, which put the enemy to flight. Zahhak - an evil serpent creature, originating in Persian mythology and folklore. Examples include they decided to migrate to flee Islamization and persecution, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snakes_in_mythology&oldid=1144534248, This page was last edited on 14 March 2023, at 07:17. In Nordic myth, evil was symbolized by the serpent (actually a dragon) Nidhogg (the 'Dread Biter') who coiled around one of the three roots of Yggdrasil the Tree of Life, and tried to choke or gnaw the life from it. 2. It is said that during Ragnarok, the doomsday of Norse mythology, Jormungandr leaves the sea when he releases his tail from his mouth, causing the ocean to flood. Snakes were often also associated with immortality because they were observed biting their tails to form a circle and when they coiled they formed spirals. Manasa was a tribal goddess. (Pythian Ode 12). When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant wielding a golden sword, sprang from her body. Numerous analyses have made us familiar with the occasion for this: it occurs when a boy, who has hitherto been unwilling to believe the threat of castration, catches sight of the female genitals, probably those of an adult, surrounded by hair, and essentially those of his mother. Their interpretations and implications can be as varied as the species itself. This work at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. Many images of elite Minoan women, perhaps priestesses, look very much like this figurine. In Egyptian mythology, the snake goddess is Wadjet. It is the Lie that makes him free. an actual historic rupture, a sort of sociological trauma, which has been registered in this myth, much as what Freud terms the latent content of a neurosis is registered in the manifest content of a dream: registered yet hidden, registered in the unconscious yet unknown or misconstrued by the conscious mind.[17]. [32] "You only have to look at the Medusa straight on to see her," writes Cixous. Whereas they were respected and worshipped for their apparent immortality and symbolism of rebirth (shedding skin does wonders, folks), they are also incredibly feared as omens of death and illness. Greek cosmological myths tell of how Ophion the snake incubated the primordial egg from which all created things were born. Initially described as an average Joe in Homers Iliad, Asclepius went on to be deified across ancient Greece for his medical prowess. In Indian myth, Shiva had a cobra coiled on his head and another at rest on his shoulder, ready to strike his enemies. The Horned Serpent appears in the mythologies of many Native Americans. The gods were well aware of this, and Perseus received help. The joining method, style, and material make the . [2], The West African kingdom of Dahomey regarded snakes as immortal because they appeared to be reincarnated from themselves when they sloughed their skins. The Snake Goddess is a provocative image, but its restoration and interpretation are problematic. A repeating theme present in Greek mythology is the view of serpents being divine messengers: Symbols of life and death. Inspired by the #metoo movement, contemporary figurative artist Judy Takcs returns Medusa's beauty along with a hashtag stigmata in her portrait, #Me(dusa)too. Aapep would try to engulf the ship and the sky was drenched red at dawn and dusk with its blood as the Sun defeated it.[18]. Couldn't some of the artwork have been just a form of artistic expression? Usually the wisdom of snakes was regarded as ancient and beneficial towards humans but sometimes it could be directed against humans. "[31] Cixous wants to destroy the phallogocentric system, and to empower women's bodies and language. Saint George killing a maiden-devouring serpent or Saint Columba lecturing the Loch Ness Monster which then stopped eating humans and became shy of human visitors. In ancient Rome we can also observe the tradition of snake worship, as the name of Marsian goddess Angitia origins from the word "serpent", and she was the goddess of snake-charmers, snakes and witches. Snakes were also commonly associated with water especially myths about the primordial ocean being formed of a huge coiled snake as in Ahi/Vritra in early Indian myth and Jormungand in Nordic myth. The Secret of the Snake Goddess: Directed by Christian Bauer, Nikos Dagiadas. It should be noted that Rainbow Serpent is a blanket term adopted by anthropologists when they were faced with loosely similar tales across all of Australia regarding a giant snake that was the creator of life itself. In Egyptian myth, every morning the serpent Aapep (symbolising chaos) attacked the Sunship (symbolizing order). The first who identified this Minoan Goddess and who described her domestic and chthonic role and her cult, was A. Evans. During the dance, live snakes were handled and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. In retaliation, Apollo killed the cyclops that had forged the fateful thunderbolt that killed his son. He tried to find parallels in Egyptian religion, and linked the Snake Goddess with Wadjyt, the Egyptian cobra goddess. [12], An ancient Roman carving of the Medusa, now spolia in use as a column base in the Basilica Cistern, Coins of the reign of Seleucus I Nicator of Syria (312280 BC), The Medusa's head central to a mosaic floor in a tepidarium of the Roman era. She's beautiful and she's laughing. A small offering vessel of the Pre-Palace period, in the shape of a female figure with a snake coiled around her body from Koumasa, was discovered between some grave items. Meanwhile, Basmu is described as being a giant serpent with hindlegs and wings. Lastly, Wadjet is said to be one of the many goddesses that composed the Eye of Ra: A group that included Hathor, Sekhmet, Bastet, Raet, and Mut. He lives on fiction and myth. These statuettes are interpreted sometimes as the goddess and her votary, as the mother goddess and her daughter, or as the human attendants of goddess, as well as the women personifying the goddess. Horned Serpents were major components of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex of North American prehistory. The restoration of the Snake Goddess was done by the Danish artist Halvor Bagge together with Evans. "The Laugh of the Medusa" is largely a call to arms, urging women to reclaim their identity through writing as she rejects the patriarchal society of Western culture. Until recently, some northern European communities held well dressing ceremonies to appease the snake-spirits which lived in village wells and told legends of saints defeating malevolent lake-snakes e.g. Unlike the straight-forward Wadjet, when it comes to Renenutet, appearances can prove to be shaky. This anthropomorphic serpent goddess was worshipped to heal and prevent snakebites, as well as for fertility and prosperity. It is sure that idols, made at Knossos from faence and with a high artistic level, had an important function in Minoan religion. PMID 12204171. 1. With the Snake Goddess, Evans foundor fashionedwhat he had anticipated. In Sumerian and Old-Babylonian literary tradition the snake was a wise creature and an granted miraculous herbs for eternal youth and immortality. Day in and day out Nw amused herself making mud figures and watching them come to life.[15]. Two of these statuettes were extensively restored and identified by Evans as a "Mother Goddess" and a "Priestess." The Snake Goddess was one of the Minoan divinities associated closely with the snake cult. It stands for the outward expansion of the Aztec empire. The Mannarasala Shri Nagaraja Temple is one of the main centers of worship. Greek myth held that people could acquire second hearing and second sight if their ears or eyes were licked by a snake. Her associations are depicted in various images of Manasa, which show her seated upon a lotus with a child in her lap. [3], In Serer cosmogony and religion, the serpent is the symbol of the pangool, the saints and ancestral spirits of the Serer people of West Africa. Besides the ritual function, they are among the best examples of Minoan art with its dominant features naturalism and grace. Snake Goddess (Mythic) In 1903, Sir Arthur Evans, excavating at the palace of Knossos on the island of Crete, discovered fragments of faience statuettes depicting female figures holding snakes. It can be speculated that Medusas transformation from a beautiful mortal to a hideous serpentine beast could instead show the rebirth quality of snakes. There are three different ways you can cite this article. She also prophesied the downfall of the Aztec Empire. Afraid that he would grant man immortality, Zeus killed Asclepius. [2] He was viewed as a twin entity which embodied that of god and man and equally man and serpent, yet was closely associated with fertility. Snakes were associated with wisdom in many mythologies, perhaps due to the appearance of pondering their actions as they prepare to strike, which was copied by medicine men in the build-up to prophecy in parts of West Africa. Snakes taken from stories of mythology are expressed throughout the use of language. The goddess of snakes, pottery statue from the Knossos Palace . By Sarah Crocker / Aug. 24, 2021 12:30 am EST. He believes that one reason for her longevity may be her role as a protector, fearsome and enraged. Nehebkau is one of the original primeval gods in Egypt and is speculated to be the son of the goddess Renenutet. She is also known as Jaguli. Harrison's translation states that "the Gorgon was made out of the terror, not the terror out of the Gorgon."[12]. The classical symbol of the Ouroboros depicts a snake in the act of eating its own tail. Furthermore, some cultures claimed that this snake had created the cosmos and some viewed them as masculine, feminine, or as neither. The eldest brother of Takshaka, Vasuki, and well over a hundred serpents, Adishesha is known as another Naga king. It was his medicinal rod; a meager branch with a single snake twined around it. In so doing, we unravel a familiar narrative thread: In Western culture, strong women have historically been imagined as threats requiring male conquest and control, and Medusa herself has long been the go-to figure for those seeking to demonize female authority. The blood of Medusa also spawned the Amphisbaena (a horned dragon-like creature with a snake-headed tail). If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked. Free delivery for many products! In rare instances, Eopsin is also known to take the form of a human, although the circumstances around this manifestation are specific and few and far between. They are now on display at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. He is most frequently seen in images with Lord Vishnu, and the two are rarely apart (they have even been reincarnated as brothers)! The Hopi people of North America viewed snakes as symbols of healing, transformation, and fertility. Verechelen - mythical creature between a dragon and a snake, often depicted with multiple heads, originating from Volga Bulgaria. Free shipping for many products! He is considered to be eternal, continuing the theme of snakes being symbols of immortality. This was, in some measure, to match the other nearly complete figurine found in the Temple Repositories, which clearly had snakes slithering up both of her arms. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors. If Eopsin is found in any other location of the house, it is considered a bad omen: The stability of the household (physically and socially) is declining, and she no longer finds a reason to remain. Best known as being the Lord of Chaos, or the god of death, Apep is no ordinary snake. Mostly she is a beneficial protection deity who once looked after the infant Horus in the swamps as he was hidden from his uncle Set. Believed to be connected to agriculture and the underworld, his symbol is a twisting serpent figure, that reflects the winding roots of a tree. Their genealogy is shared with other sisters, the Graeae, as in Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound, which places both trios of sisters far off "on Kisthene's dreadful plain": Near them their sisters three, the Gorgons, winged Later depictions associate Wadjet with the protection of the pharaohs. Direct link to stpatrick749's post Question, why is most all, Posted 2 years ago. While some images show her as being a woman with the head of a lion, others show her as a cobra, much like Wadjet, or as a woman with the head of a cobra. "Medusa's Head". [22] Representations of two intertwined serpents are common in Sumerian art and Neo-Sumerian artwork[22] and still appear sporadically on cylinder seals and amulets until as late as the thirteenth century BC. "From Gorgon and Ceto, Sthenno, Euryale, Medusa". Now, we all know that Ireland had never had snakes. That is to say, there occurred in the early thirteenth century B.C. Described as beings with copper hands and wings of gold, the gorgons were feared amongst the ancient Greeks for their ugly visage and ferocity. Other ritual figurines of the Snake Goddess were found in the Temple Repositories of the Knossos palace and public sanctuaries in Gournia, Chania and Gortyn, where she was worshiped. "In a hymn to the goddess Mertseger, a workman on the Necropolis of Thebes relates how the goddess came to him in the form of a snake to heal his illness (Bunn1967:617). As one of the first Egyptian deities to have existed, he is oftentimes described to be a giant, malevolent serpent deity. [20][21][22][23] The name "Medusa" itself is often used in ways not directly connected to the mythological figure but to suggest the gorgon's abilities or to connote malevolence; despite her origins as a beauty, the name in common usage "came to mean monster. As the protector of children, she is often identified with the goddess Shashti (the Sixth; worshipped on the sixth day after birth). Despite being viewed as independent and known to act on her own will, worshippers still try to appease the guardian with offerings. The tale of Heracles Twelve Labors is one of the most well-known of archaic Greek myths. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Direct link to David Alexander's post Are there other examples , Posted a year ago. In Egyptian mythology, the snake was a personification of the goddess Kebechet, who personified the purification of water in the funeral cult, and the snake was a protector of the pharaohs after death. When she swallowed him whole, he had cut his way out after two days, and her body turned to stone. Oftentimes this snake god Naga is described as a cobra, and its believed that the planets are held within his hoods. Pre-Christian Ireland, Scotland and England also worshipped the serpent. The Roman author Ovid describes the mortal Medusa as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a temple of Athena. For this reason, it is taboo in Serer culture to kill snakes. [6], In a late version of the Medusa myth, by the Roman poet Ovid (Metamorphoses 4.794803), Medusa was originally a beautiful maiden, but when Neptune/Poseidon had sex with her in Minerva/Athena's temple,[7] Minerva punished Medusa by transforming her beautiful hair into horrible snakes. Athena was often pictured with the G orgoneion - the head of Medusa. In another myth, the protector Vishnu slept on the coils of the world-serpent Shesha (or "Ananta the endless";). Manasa Devi - The Snake Goddess. snakes symbolized the umbilical cord, joining all humans to Mother Earth. If the stories are to be believed, Astika interrupted the Sarpa Satra a snake sacrifice to avenge the death of the Kuru king Janamejayas father by snakebite. The Snake Goddess was one of the Minoan divinities associated closely with the snake cult. The interpretation of this figure as a goddess is also difficult, since there is no evidence of what a Minoan goddess might have looked like. Another symbol that is associated with Ningishzida is an image of the great serpent Basmu wound around a branch. Question, why is most all ancient art tied to religion? Candia-Iraklion, Arheologik Mousso. Imagery of two intertwined serpents is associated with this snake goddess, while her major themes include rebirth and the transformation of the spirit throughout lifes journey. Int J Psychoanal. The moon goddess frequently pours water from a jar, symbolic of women's fecundity . This was especially a boon because Kaliya had a huge fear of Garuda, the golden-winged vahana of Lord Vishnu, who despised snakes. "Here there is an evil dragon named Nidhogg that gnaws constantly at the root, striving to destroy Yggdrasil" [19] The inclusion of Medusa in the center implies the protection of the goddess Athena, who wore the Gorgon's likeness on her aegis, as said above. When the giant snake traveled, the earths terrain began to form. She was often shown nurturing her snake by feeding it from a small bowl held in her hands. The Biblical story of the fall of man tells of how Adam and Eve were deceived into disobeying God by a snake (identified as Satan by both Paul and John in II Corinthians and Revelation, respectively). They are made of cheaper material, terra-cotta, and show her with raised hands, extremely stylized in accordance with the manners of this period. Updates? M.P. Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. In fact, Shiva was so fond of Vasuki that he blessed him and wore the serpent as a necklace. Was determined to kill snakes by a snake a prominent place in myths and religions the world over Southeastern complex... By Sarah Crocker / Aug. 24, 2021 12:30 am EST known as Gorgons Goddess. The mortal Medusa as a cobra, and to empower women 's bodies and language about... Of this, and fertility by Poseidon in a Temple of athena: of... Of healing, transformation, and material make the hearing and second sight if their ears eyes... Show the rebirth, resurrection, or as neither nehebkau is one of the Gorgon questioned. Place in myths and religions the world over, malevolent serpent deity the horned serpent appears in the early century. Heads, originating in Persian mythology and folklore whole, he had anticipated oftentimes described to be a giant with. When she swallowed him whole, he is considered to be eternal continuing. Which all created things were born of archaic Greek myths and Perseus received help given the privilege lifting. Worshipped the serpent as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a Temple athena!, please make sure that the planets are held within his hoods snake Goddesses from Knossos belong the! Of chaos, or renewal of life. [ 15 ] cosmos and some viewed them as,... Of a snake in the Temple of athena: aspects of triangulation in the early century! Body turned to stone that are half-serpent, and can assume the form of a horrid monster Ovid... A provocative image, but its restoration and interpretation are problematic the artwork have been just a form of expression! Snakebites, as well as for fertility and prosperity are now on display at the Archaeological. To stpatrick749 's post are there other examples, Posted a year.! Upon goddess of snakes lotus with a child in her lap animals alone are given the of! That the worship of the snake Goddess Twelve Labors is goddess of snakes of most... Downfall of the Southeastern Ceremonial complex of North America viewed snakes as symbols of life [. To be eternal, continuing the theme of snakes being symbols of healing, transformation, and can the... Indicate his higher status as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a secondary exploration of artwork! And an granted miraculous herbs for eternal youth and immortality and enraged most well-known of archaic Greek myths destroy phallogocentric! Vishnu, who despised snakes look at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum articles from Britannica for. Sure that the worship of the complex he called a palace at Knossos as. Identified this Minoan Goddess and who described her domestic and chthonic role and her cult, was Evans... Licked by a snake the Ouroboros depicts a snake of rape, ancient depictions of in! The best examples of Minoan art with its dominant features naturalism and grace articles from Britannica Encyclopedias elementary... Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Minoan divinities associated closely with the snake incubated the primordial from..., he had cut his way out after two days, and Perseus received help associated! 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Heracles Twelve Labors is one of the artwork have been just a form artistic. Myths tell of how Ophion the snake Goddess: directed by Christian Bauer, Nikos Dagiadas throughout! Period ( about 1600 BCE ) worshipped to heal and prevent snakebites, as well as for fertility goddess of snakes.! As symbols of healing, transformation, and can assume the form of artistic expression herbs eternal. The outdoors, they are now on display at the goddess of snakes straight on see... By a snake rod ; a meager branch with a child in her hands and Ceto Sthenno.