中西方思想-蛇在西方文化中的象征意义

Snakes’ Image in Western Mythology

Abstract: All the myths in human’s history give us the inspiration, meditation, and yearning no matter in China or foreign countries. And many celebrities have seen them as literary sources. Truly, any national literature has its own source which can be traced back to their ancient myth with no exception.Myth, as rich and excellent cultural heritage, has its unique role and characteristics. But it varies in different stories, and you have to wonder that in different mythology we can see the shadow of snakes. Moreover, the more bizarre fact is that the images they represent have a certain similarity.

Key words: Myth; snake; literature; bible

Snakes’ Image in Western Mythology

In Bible, the snake was regarded as the instigator luring the human ancestors——Adam and Eve——to eat the forbidden fruit of Eden. The story is that one day, the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” However, Eve was cheated by the snake and she picked an apple from the tree of evil to Adam. Finally, both of them have eaten the apples which were prohibited by God, and they felt shameful after looking each others body. Because of this, both Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden, and they were punished with the responsibility to take birth. What’s worse, they had to suffer the pain of pregnancy.

On the other hand, the snake which was twined around the wisdom tree represents not only "sex”, but also the origin of life, and it was advocating for reproduction. In addition, snakes should shed every year, which is seen as the process of restoration and renewal. In ancient times, especially those Hospitals arranged with the medical spa regarded snakes as the sacred. It is said that once ancient Roman had suffered plague epidemic, and people there invited to Yaxibisi, who was the

personification of a snake. As a result, the plague disappeared immediately with help of him. In ancient Egypt, the snake was known as the protection of God. It could also be seen on the Pharaoh's crown, the West Thebes Valley of the Kings tomb.

Therefore snakes are quoted in many mythologies as follows.

Firstly, in Egyptian myth, since God had two eyes, he turned one of them into a cobra as the sun's eye using it to protect people and himself from enemy’s attacks. Hence, the image of Cobra has become the incarnation of God who protects human beings and it has been passed down from generation to generation.

However, it has been seen in most mythologies that snakes are the symbol of evil and mystery. What Snake brings to humans is a worldwide catastrophe, but the snake usually haunt out of the crypt and hide in shadow. So, the ancestors put it as negative thing.

Secondly, such as beauties with the body of snake in the western stories, those snake women are a symbol of evil and they are representative of a mysterious force, which often impress people with bad feelings.

For example, in Greek mythology, the beauty, who is named Gorgon Medusa and whose hair is wrapped around a bunch of snakes, has a pair of magic eyes which can turn people into a hard stone. And the term of "Gorgon tribute" is a general name of three sisters who are very