View Full Version : The Serpent Myth?
What difference, if any, would it make to your personal belief system, if the interpretation of the word "Myth" took on a new meaning?....I for one had always considered it to mean, a fantasy, a non-truth, a fairy tail.........I changed my mind regards this after looking into the various works of several respected proffessionals......Imanuel Velikovsky being one, below is part of a paper by Robert T Mason Phd, D.D
http://www.scribd.com/doc/8624312/The-Divine-Serpent-in-Myth-and-Legend
. The Mythic Beginnings Since the very beginnings of time, on every continent of this earth where humanity has worshipped divinity the serpent has been recognized and accepted as a god. From Africa's steaming jungle to the icy wastes of northern Europe; from the fertile crescent to the deserted outback of Australia the serpent has been worshipped, feared and adored. Serpent mythology is arguably the most widespread mythology known to mankind.
We will be dealing with language that is found in myth and legend any discussion of a divine serpent, so we should take time to explain the use of the myth in religious and legendary arenas before we begin. When we examine the history of truth or knowledge in the history of mankind we are faced with the fact that the origin of myth lies in the Greek concept of µ????? [ muthos] , which as the definition of truth or knowledge predates the use of the Greek word Logos [???? ?], from which we derive our word logic.
Myth for the early human usually referred to those realities which were known by experience, be it archetypal , unconscious, or based upon the cultural and ritual beliefs of human civilization. An esteemed 'egg-head' mathematical scientist , Albert Einstein once said; " Knowledge is experience; anything else is just information". In this article the word "myth" will be defined as a story of forgotten or vague origin, basically religious since we are dealing with the concept of divinity, which seeks to explain or rationalize an important aspect of the world or a society. Furthermore, in the context of this article, all myths used are, or have been at some stage, actually believed to be true by the peoples of the societies that used or originated the myth.
This definition is thus clearly distinguished from the use of the word myth in everyday speech which basically refers to an unreal or imaginary story. Myth, as used herein, is also distinctly different from an allegory or parable which is a story deliberately made up to illustrate some moral point but which has never been assumed to be true. Originally myths were not expressed in verbal or written form because language was deemed inadequate to convey the truth expressed in the story.
The myths were enacted, chanted, painted, costumed, danced, sung and imagined, sometimes in hypnotic or hallucinatory states. In this manner the creative energies and relationships behind and beneath the natural world were brought into the conscious realm The myth was believed to not only to tell about but to create a chain from the metaphysical world to the physical one. Later in historical time myth becomes connected to and often identified with another Greek concept, that of legend, which stems from the Greek Legion or Logos [?????] which meant word or language.
Myth then became a written form. And Mythos/Logos is the activity of human consciousness which translates or transfers the underlying forms and powers from the unconscious to the conscious, from the dream world to the world of activity. In our 'modern' world we have so discounted the power and reality of the myth, denigrating them to the level of 'fairy tales' that we have lost contact with our ground. We don't know who we are, and so we don't know how to act.
you might like this. (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread288102/pg1)
Royal
05-19-2009, 01:26 PM
Cool reading material for tonight. Thanks Kiwi.
I am fascinated with the myth and legends because they were talked about worldwide.
you might like this. (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread288102/pg1)
cheers mate, havnt got through all 4 pages yet, ....I hope I dont get a visit from the thought police, dont know if my paper-work is in order to be viewing an ATS thread :) ......what I found interesting a few years back working up the Burrup Peninsula was a species of reptile known as "leg-less lizards,...........sure looked like a snake at first glance, there were quite a few varieties also, I'll have a squiz for some info, cant remember if they were exclusive to the or not
lots of legless lizards up north.
i think the best research regarding serpent mythology is that dealing with the main ones, sth america, africa, europe, asia and australia.
a great theory regarding the advent of serpent mytholgy, (the earth swallowing variety) is that they are based on whales.
Cool reading material for tonight. Thanks Kiwi.
I am fascinated with the myth and legends because they were talked about worldwide.
Sweet as Royal, lot of interestimg historical things get ignored and labeled " old data"....The more I think I know of my Planet the less I realise I actually do, I think it was a book called "Gateway To Atlantis" where I first came across the snake as a universal symbol,....that SCRIBD site is an awesome referance source,you are probably aware of it already but if not, check it out mate :)
lots of legless lizards up north.
i think the best research regarding serpent mythology is that dealing with the main ones, sth america, africa, europe, asia and australia.
a great theory regarding the advent of serpent mytholgy, (the earth swallowing variety) is that they are based on whales.
Whales?.....interesting :shock:
Aclys concinna Javelin Lizard WA Y2140
Aprasia aurita Eared Worm-lizard NSW(?),Vic K2141
Aprasia haroldi Shark Bay Worm-lizard WA M2142
Aprasia inaurita Mallee Worm-lizard NSW,SA,Vic,WA Z2143
Aprasia parapulchella Granite Worm-lizard NSW Q2144
Aprasia pseudopulchella Flinder Range Worm-lizard SA S2145
Aprasia pulchella Pretty Worm-lizard WA U2146
Aprasia repens Sedgelands Worm-lizard WA W2147
Aprasia rostrata Exmouth Worm-lizard WA A2148
Aprasia smithi Zuytdorp Worm-lizard WA C2149
Aprasia striolata Striated Worm Lizard NSW,NT,SA,Vic,WA M2150
Delma australis Marble-faced Worm lizard NSW, NT, SA, Vic, WT ?
Delma borea Rusty-topped Delma NT,Qld,SA(?),WA W2155
Delma butleri *Unbanded Delma NSW,NT,Qld(?),SA,Vic, G2167
Delma elegans Pilbara Delma WA A2156
Delma fraseri Frasers Delma SA,WA C2157
Delma grayii Side-barred Delma WA E2158
Delma haroldi Neck-barred Delma NT,WA Y2168
Delma impar Many-lined Delma NSW,SA,Vic G2159
Delma inornata Patternless Delma NSW,Qld,SA,Vic Q2160
Delma labialis Single-striped Delma Qld A2032
Delma mitella Atherton Delma Qld M2038
Delma molleri Gulf Delma SA S2161
Delma nasuta Sharp-snouted Delma NSW(?),NT,Qld,SA,WA U2162
Delma pax Peace Delma NT,WA W2163
Delma plebeia Leaden Delma NSW,Qld A2164
Delma tincta Excitable Delma NSW,NT,Qld,SA,WA C2165
Delma torquata Adorned Delma Qld E2166
Lialis burtonis *Burton's Legless Lizard NSW,NT,Qld,SA,Vic,WA U2170
Ophidiocephalus taeniatu Bronzeback NT,SA(?) W2171
Paradelma orientalis Brigalow Scaly-foot Qld A2172
Pletholax gracilis Slender (Slider) Legless Lizard WA C2173
Pygopus lepidopodus Common Scaly Foot NSW,Qld,SA,Vic,WA E2174
Pygopus nigriceps *Black-headed Scaly Foot NSW,NT,Qld,SA,Vic,WA G2175
DISTRIBUTION KEY
Click on the abbreviation to see a map of the area
CI = Christmas Island
CKI = Cocos (Keeling) Island
LHI = Lord Howe Island
NI = Norfolk Island
NSW = New South Wales
NT = Northern Territory
Qld = Queensland
SA = South Australia
Tas = Tasmania
Vic = Victoria
WA = Western Australia
heres a few, the bottom one from Brazil
[attachment=2:2ezfdqwc]1060891~The-Head-Eye-Snout-and-Mouth-of-a-Rare-Burtons-Legless-Lizard-Australia-Posters.jpg[/attachment:2ezfdqwc]
[attachment=1:2ezfdqwc]Anguidae.jpg[/attachment:2ezfdqwc]
[attachment=0:2ezfdqwc]legless-lizard-cerrado-brazil.jpg[/attachment:2ezfdqwc]
This thread is just crying out for a totally useless,nothing to do with snakes stupid answer,trouble is,I just cant think of one at the moment.
Alessandra
05-27-2009, 04:39 PM
thats funny, because you just posted one.
thats funny, because you just posted one.
:lol:
FancyFree
05-28-2009, 01:06 AM
Giant squids were once thought to be a myth.
:)
Giant squids were once thought to be a myth.
:)
true Jess...... I got a couple of good squid pics,.......I find :)
[attachment=1:1lg5g6ah]080327-giant-squid-vmed-noon_widec.jpg[/attachment:1lg5g6ah]
[attachment=1:1lg5g6ah]080327-giant-squid-vmed-noon_widec.jpg[/attachment:1lg5g6ah]
The Serpent in the ancient world.
There seem to be so many tales, legends and myths in ancient cultures involving snakes. Why is this. It's not as if the snake was a bountiful source of food unlike bison, cattle or other major food sources. Nor is it a particularly attractive or proud animal like the eagle, lion or wolf. It is an animal that is generally feared or loathed by some, but to many cultures it is revered. It is not always associated with evil or bad things, there are many cultures that hold the snake in high regard. What is it about the Serpent that sets it apart and generates so many differing opinions throughout history.
Here are some links to a few varying views on snakes from different cultures.
Serpent Mound (http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/science/stories/2007/06/19/sci_lepper19.ART_ART_06-19-07_B5_3O70TOH.html)
[offsite:bf6qac8x]Lankford observes that the Great Serpent was "a major figure in the religious and cosmological understanding" of the Native American tribes of both the Woodlands and Plains.
It was a source of enormous spiritual power that people could invoke to aid them in hunting and in curing illnesses. Although it was primarily a creature of the Beneath World, it sometimes could appear in various guises in our world and in the overarching Above World.[/offsite:bf6qac8x]
The Rainbow Serpent (http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/rainbow.php)
[offsite:bf6qac8x]"The belief in the Rainbow Snake, a personification of fertility, increase (richness in propoagation of plants and animals) and rain, is common throughout Australia. It is a creator of human beings, having life-giving powers that send conception spirits to all the waterholes. It is responsible for regenerating rains, and also for storms and floods when it acts as an agent of punishment against those who transgress the law or upset it in any way. It swallows people in great floods and regurgitates their bones, which turn into stone, thus documenting such events. Rainbow snakes can also enter a man and endow him with magical powers, or leave 'little rainbows', their progeny, within his body which will make him ail and die. As the regenerative and reproductive power in nature and human beings, it is the main character in the region's major rituals." (from page 47, "Journey in Time", Reed 1993).[/offsite:bf6qac8x]
Parallels with the australian aboriginal Rainbow Serpent.
Quetzalcoatl (http://weber.ucsd.edu/~anthclub/quetzalcoatl/que.htm#myth)
[offsite:bf6qac8x]Quetzalcoatl is the god of human sustenance, penitent, self-sacrifice, re-birth and butterflies. He is patron of the city Cholula and of the trecena to 1 Ocelotl. In his iconography, his body is painted black in accordance with the priesthood he established. However, Quetzalcoatl originated as a water god. The first myth he appears in, he is called "Precious Serpent" and was "the spirit of the waters which flowed along the winding bends of rivers" (Fernandez, 68, 1984). Sometime afterwards, the idea of a snake representing both the Terrestrial and Celestial comes about; and later developments allow for Quetzalcoatl to emerge. This is first evidenced at Teotihuacan circa 3rd century AD; however, there always remains the possibility that Monument 19 at La Venta refers to him.[/offsite:bf6qac8x]
Naga's (http://www.khandro.net/mysterious_naga.htm)
[offsite:bf6qac8x]Nagas [kLu] are a class of beings (often snake-like in form) that dwell in a variety of locations ranging from waterways and underground locations and also in unseen realms. These beings have their own perceptions and vary in their enlightened level as do humans and other beings. Nagas are susceptible to suffering created by mankind's carelessness and basic ignorance of proper conduct in nature and disrespectful actions in relation to our environment. Therefore Nagas often retaliate towards humans when they behave in such ignorant manners. The expression of the Nagas' discontent and agitation can be felt as skin diseases, various calamities and so forth.
Additionally, Nagas can bestow various types of wealth, assure fertility of crops and the environment as well as decline these blessings. For this reason the practice of Lu Sang has been developed or arises as a natural method to increase prosperity, and assist the Nagas by preserving the positive qualities of their natural environment." ~ Tsewang Ngodrup Rinpoche[/offsite:bf6qac8x]
Cobra's in Egyptian Mythology (http://www.egyptianmyths.net/cobra.htm)
[offsite:bf6qac8x]As the sacred creature of the Delta city of Buto, the reptile was known by the same name. She soon became an emblem of all of Lower Egypt. The uraeus was often depicted with the vulture Nekhebet who served the same function for Upper Egypt. Together they symbolized the unification of the two lands. The creatures also appear together in the pharaoh's nebty or "Two Ladies" name.[/offsite:bf6qac8x]
And in Greek mythology we get the medical symbol of 2 snakes wrapped around a staff. Asclepius, saw one snake bring another snake back to life with the use of certain herbs and so discovered medicine.
African Mythology (http://www.apollon.uio.no/vis/art/2006_4/Artikler/python_english)
[offsite:bf6qac8x]“In the cave, we find only the San people’s three most important animals: the python, the elephant, and the giraffe. That is unusual. This would appear to be a very special place. They did not burn the spearheads by chance. They brought them from hundreds of kilometers away and intentionally burned them. So many pieces of the puzzle fit together here. It has to represent a ritual.” concludes Sheila Coulson.[/offsite:bf6qac8x]
Whereas in Western christian beliefs the snake is reviled as something evil, why is the snake not held in the same regard as other cultures. These other cultures that hold the Serpent in some esteem are mostly areas that contain a large diversity and population of snakes, did they understand the snakes place in nature's heirarchy better than judeo/christian's who may have had a more limited contact with snakes and consequently a fear attached to these relatively unknown to them creatures.
This image is a heraldic coat of arms from Milan. Biscione (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscione). Around the 11th century in Europe.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o223/mojo4sale/biscione.jpg
This image is of Quetzacoatl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzacoatl), from sometime between 900ad and 1200ad.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o223/mojo4sale/Quetzalcoatl_telleriano.jpg
The New World had apparently yet to have been discovered at this time by Europeans, or anyone else for that matter.
Coincidence? ;)
Cogburn
07-30-2009, 01:52 AM
Reality. (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/sea_serpents/)
The oarfish... Caught off the east cape of Baja California, May 2007.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/508470690_93905f69a8.jpg
Sturgeon... Frazier River, BC, 2005.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/03/11/1000_lb_sturgeon.jpg
Cogburn
07-30-2009, 01:55 AM
Anaconda, Peru, 200-
http://www.extremescience.com/images/dead-anaconda.jpg
Cogburn
07-30-2009, 02:00 AM
The Origin of Serpent-Worship.
C. Staniland Wake
http://www.jstor.org/action/showArticleImage?image=images%2Fpages%2Fdtc.65.tif .gif&doi=10.2307%2F2841458
Complete and online courtesy of Google Books. (http://books.google.com/books?id=R8qAAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=%22The+Origin+of+Serpent-Worship%22&source=bl&ots=PuRathPFAv&sig=LegzDcrJ1hH012nEhp3lkCPnTz8&hl=en&ei=dihxSrTaBY7aNri76LAM&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7)
just a few scraps on that link cog?...no bookie :cry:
Cogburn
07-30-2009, 02:49 AM
Ahhh.. my bad... I had the link setup to only display the relevant section.
Here's the whole work.
http://books.google.com/books/download/Serpent_worship.pdf?id=R8qAAAAAMAAJ&output=pdf&sig=ACfU3U1SLdYR3aXvJI_7s2Fwq9Sl4890bw
Alessandra
07-30-2009, 02:56 AM
My fave:
The Ouroboros. Was my first tattoo when I hit 18. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouroboros
The Ouroboros (Greek ????????? or ?????????, from ????????? ???? "tail-devouring snake", also spelled Uroboros in English pronounced /????b???s/ or /?j???o??b???s/), is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon swallowing its own tail and forming a circle.
The Ouroboros often represents self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself, the eternal return, and other things perceived as cycles that begin anew as soon as they end (See Phoenix). It can also represent the idea of primordial unity related to something existing in or persisting from the beginning with such force or qualities it cannot be extinguished. The ouroboros has been important in religious and mythological symbolism, but has also been frequently used in alchemical illustrations, where it symbolizes the circular nature of the alchemist's opus. It is also often associated with Gnosticism, and Hermeticism.
this symbol is seen in several ancient cultures, and is still used today. A more stylised/popular version, was the icon in Chris Carter's second show: Millennium.
http://amyalexc.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/ouroboros1.jpg
http://www.spectralcreations.com/pics/ouroboros-and-solomons-seal-woodcut.jpg
http://api.ning.com/files/WFaWZQKffTjJRPGjKKLPAVQZxLOTQVQxWUEMSuqrCRaGCqWg7I SCoGfUn9R*5yepwU0DJUniN-bucqBObk-A4Q1e9HyaFRSR/ouroboros.jpg
http://www.62stockton.com/spacebirds/uploaded_images/ouroboros-full-717049.jpg
Reality. (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/sea_serpents/)
The oarfish... Caught off the east cape of Baja California, May 2007.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/508470690_93905f69a8.jpg
Sturgeon... Frazier River, BC, 2005.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/03/11/1000_lb_sturgeon.jpg
was that in reply to my post Cog?
if so don't dismiss it so quickly. :)
there is some thought that the Biscione shows a Moor being consumed by a serpent, which i believe to be the case.
the moors were a group of different people rather then an ethnic or racial group of which there is a connection to the people of mesopotamia, and i think sumer and maybe even phoenicia as well as egypt, indus and other north african peoples.
could the biscione originally have been a moorish symbol and before that a phoenician or mesopotamian symbol, the phoenician maritime empire strtched across the north of africa and down the west coast.
if my hypothesis that either sumerians or phoenicians reached the america's that could account for the similarities of the biscione and the quetzacoatl symbol of a serpent swallowing a man.
food for thought. :D
Cogburn
07-30-2009, 02:11 PM
It wasn't a dismissal... it was validation.
There are animals still alive today that at lend support to the theory that reptiles of such size as depicted in ancient carvings could have existed with mankind.
It wasn't a dismissal... it was validation.
There are animals still alive today that at lend support to the theory that reptiles of such size as depicted in ancient carvings could have existed with mankind.
ahh...i misunderstood the post....my bad.