The cultural symbolic meaning of the zodiac snake

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People often refer to Snake Ya as "Little Dragon" to show respect. The skin that the snake takes off is called the snake slough, also known as the "dragon clothing"; the third month of the folk custom lunar calendar is the day when the snake ends hibernation and goes out of the cave. It is also called "the dragon raises its head." These are all comparing snakes to dragons. In fact, the dragon is also made by people adding branches and leaves to the snake's imagination. Despite such a quote, the status and symbolism of the snake and the dragon are worlds apart. Perhaps because dragons do not really exist, people can shape the image of dragons at will, and snakes have been seen by everyone, especially poisonous snakes are also fatal, so people's impression of snakes is very bad. The position of the dragon in Chinese culture is extremely lofty. It is a symbol of power, nobility, and greatness, as well as a symbol of luck, auspiciousness, and success. Therefore, in the feudal dynasty, the dragon was dedicated, and others were not allowed to overstep. The emperor is called the "true dragon emperor", and the emperor's descendants are called "the dragon son and grandson." As descendants of Yan and Huang, the Chinese are also known as descendants of the dragon. This shows that the status of the dragon is so high. If the dragon is "Yangchun Baixue", in contrast, the symbolic meaning of the snake as the prototype of the dragon is not even a "liba man".

The symbolic meaning of the snake, people first think of its viciousness. Many people have an inexplicable sense of fear when they think of Snake Li. Once there was a young lady who was fishing in a pond and suddenly caught a small water snake. The young lady exclaimed in exclamation. She threw down her fishing rod like an electric shock and fled. In fact, this is just an ordinary water snake, not a poisonous snake. So why do people fear snakes so much? In addition to the strange appearance of snakes, the main reason is the influence of myths and fables about poisonous snakes on people. Venomous snakes are only a very small number in the entire snake family. Very few people have been bitten by poisonous snakes. However, the story of Guantian Viper has given people a deep preconceived impression of snakes, and most people have not seen it. Snakes have a fear of snakes even when they don’t even know what they are.

In these myths and legends, the fable of "the farmer and the snake" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and is well-known to every family. In a severe winter, a kind-hearted farmer saw a frozen snake on the road. The farmer felt sorry for the snake, so he put it in his arms. Gradually the snake regained consciousness, but instead of feeling the report, it bit the farmer instead. Before he died, he said: "I have pity for this ungrateful thing, deserves such retribution." This fable is the most typical story about the vicious snake. Snakes are not only poisonous, but also ungrateful and cannot change their vicious nature. In other legends about snakes, there are also many stories about snakes making waves and harming humans, which undoubtedly deepens people's bad impression of snakes. People use snakes to describe the viciousness of people, such as saying that someone is "snake-hearted." In a man-centered society, women are often regarded as the source of harm, so there is a saying that " women are poisonous snakes".

The second symbolic meaning of the snake is insidious and indifferent. This is probably related to the fact that snakes are so-called "cold-blooded animals", so coldness is also considered a characteristic of snakes. In addition, the snake has no vocal cords and cannot make a sound, which deepens its cold impression. Those women who are beautiful on the outside and sinister and vicious on the inside are called "beautiful snakes." In some literary works about detection and espionage, there are often images of beautiful snakes.

The third symbolic meaning of the snake is unpredictable. Snakes have no feet but can crawl, and often come and go without a trace, which is very mysterious. Mystery leads people to worship the snake. In ancient times, people were powerless to deal with the harm and threat of snakes. In order to win over snake envoys, they were kind to others, and people regarded it as a god to worship and worship. The mystery brings all kinds of taboos. There are taboos for various snakes in various ethnic groups throughout our country. If you say "snakes have no feet", they are afraid that snakes will really grow their feet to chase people; avoid seeing snakes mate, avoid using finger snakes, avoid seeing snakes shed their skins, and a folk proverb in some places in Guizhou says, "If you see snakes peeling off, you will never die. "Peeling"; in some places of the Miao nationality, avoid seeing snakes passing by while picking up the bride; in some places in Anhui, people dream of snakes and think it is a harbinger of somebody; many people avoid seeing snakes "feet", and even more avoid seeing snakes. "Two-headed snakes" thought this was a bad omen. It is said that Sun Shuao of Chu State during the Warring States Period saw two snakes when he was a child. This was not a good sign, but Sun Shuao killed the snake and buried it in order to prevent others from seeing the two snakes. Unexpectedly, Sun Shuao turned into auspiciousness because of this, and later became the name of Chu. In short, there are many snake taboos that accompany the mystery of snakes, and some taboos are still popular today.

The fourth symbolic meaning of the snake is cunning. This symbolic meaning is "imported", which is derived from the "Bible". The "Bible" says that the snake is the most cunning among all things created by God, Jehovah. Because of its lure, Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden steal After eating the fruit of wisdom, Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden. Since then, mankind has "original sin". In order to atone for sins, humans must worship God and endure all kinds of suffering. Snakes were also punished and could only walk on their stomachs, eat soil for life, and fight against humans.

In fact, looking at it from another angle, "cunning" can be regarded as synonymous with wit, wisdom, and cleverness. It is inaccurate to use "cunning" to describe the actions of a snake. I think at the beginning, after God created Adam and Eve, he did not give them wisdom and ability. They were naked in the Garden of Eden, without even the least shame, doing nothing all day, and eating the fruit of the tree when they were hungry. It is precisely because of the teaching of the snake that the ancestors of mankind got rid of the ignorance of shame without wisdom. After eating the fruit from the tree of wisdom, Adam and Eve did not die. Instead, they had bright eyes. They had wisdom and knew shame, so they used fig tree leaves into skirts to cover their shame. Only after Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden, did human labor and reproduction truly begin, and humanity is here today. Without the serpent's teaching, Adam and Eve still live naked in the Garden of Eden today.

If you compare Prometheus, the god of fire thief in ancient Greek mythology, with the snake that tempted human ancestors to eat the fruit of wisdom, you will find that people's evaluation and impression of snakes is very unfair. Prometheus taught mankind many abilities, but mankind has no fire. Zeus of the gods decided not to give mankind fire. Prometheus risked his death to steal the fire and hand it over to humans. Zeus Thunder, locked Prometheus on the cliffs of the Caucasus Mountains, and asked a eagle to peck Prometheus’ liver. The liver grew out immediately after being eaten, and then was eaten again. Falling, the blood soaked the earth under his feet, and he suffered endless and great pain like this. Prometheus made great sacrifices for the benefit of mankind. Therefore, he was greatly respected and praised by people, and he became a model and model for giving righteousness through the ages. However, in contrast, the snake that gave human wisdom was not only influenced by Jehovah. Curses and punishments have also become enemies of mankind for generations. To this day, they are still synonymous with evil and cunning. Prometheus was later freed by Hercules, but when will the punishment of the snake end?

Whether it is Chinese culture or Western culture, the main symbolic meaning of snakes is derogatory. But this is not entirely true. The meaning of snake exemption also has a positive side.

The first symbolic meaning of the front of the snake is luck, auspiciousness and sacredness. People divide snakes into domestic snakes and wild snakes. In some places, the presence of domestic snakes is a good omen. Abroad, the ancient Egyptians believed that the snake was the protector of the monarch. The pharaoh used gold and gems to shape the image of a cobra and decorated it in the crown as an emblem of imperial power. The envoys of European countries in BC carved the image of two snakes on the crutch to represent the power of envoys. They were used exclusively by envoys in international exchanges. The snake became a symbol of state and authority.

The second positive symbolic meaning of the snake is the pursuit of love and happiness. This significance is mainly reflected in the traditional folk story "The Legend of the White Snake".

The third positive symbolism of the snake is longevity, reproduction and wealth. In Chinese culture, snakes and turtles are symbols of longevity. People who practice yoga believe that snakes can live for 500 years. There is a kind of force in the human body that coils around like a snake, called "snake force." As long as you practice well, you can release this force. The snake is also a symbol of wealth. The snake has its own underground kingdom with countless treasures. Therefore, those who want to get rich must go to the snake temple to pray sincerely. ( Chinese Zodiac http:///shengxiao/ )

The fourth positive symbolism of the snake is medicine and medicine. Chinese folks have snakes that can recognize medicinal herbs.