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1. Pátera de Perotitos

THE CULT OF THE SERPENT IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPT SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE TOWER OF BABYLON AND THE ZIGURRAT OF BORSIPPA 20-26 March, 2002 Ph. D. Ana María Vázquez Hoys Prehistory and Ancient History Dept. U.N.E.D., Madrid (Spain). 1. Pátera de Perotitos. Interpretation?

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1. Pátera de Perotitos

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  1. THE CULT OF THE SERPENT IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND EGYPTSECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCEON THE TOWER OF BABYLONAND THE ZIGURRAT OF BORSIPPA20-26 March, 2002Ph. D. Ana María Vázquez HoysPrehistory and Ancient History Dept.U.N.E.D., Madrid (Spain)

  2. 1. Pátera de Perotitos • Interpretation? • Serpent was not goddess - Maybe a divinity. • Powers of protection, immortality, regeneration.

  3. 2. Scene in the House of the Vetti • Roman cult. • Soul of the dead = serpent inside the grave. • Spinal column becomes a serpent. • Sign of immortality.

  4. 3. Mosaic Against the Evil Eye • Mosaic in Tunis. • Roman Magic Beliefs. • Serpent protects against evil eye.

  5. 4. Minoic Vessel • IV Millenium - Greece - Minoic Times. • Serpent as an animal related to the gods. • Divine powers - Immortality.

  6. 5. Serpent Priestesses/Goddesses • Possibly related to immortality. • Possibly related to the serpent goddess adored in Crete.

  7. 6. Apolo • God Apolo. • Serpent entwined around the tripod of Delphos. • Python - Prophecy snake goddess vanquished by Sun God.

  8. 7. Statue of Esculapio/Asclepio • In Greece, the serpent is not a goddess. • The serpent symbolises healing power in the god´s rod.

  9. 8. Statue of Higia • Goddess of Health, daughter of Asclepio. • In the company of the serpent, healing symbol. • Serpent in pharmacy´s symbol, in modern world.

  10. 9. God Nergal • Ancient Near East. • Caduceus, serpent, and scorpion.

  11. 10. Uroboros • Phoenicia. • Serpent biting its tail. • Symbol of infinity. • Neverending passing of time.

  12. 11. Vessel o Gudea (2141-2122 B.C.) • Ancient Near East. • Caduceus, symbol of god Ningizzida.

  13. 12. Scarf Serpent • Ancient Greece. • Serpent used as Scarf. • Cold - relief from summer´s heat.

  14. 13. Serpent-charmers • From goddess to mere tourist attraction?

  15. 14. Tutankamon - Goddess Wadjet • Egyptian Pharaon. • Gets power from the goddess serpent.

  16. 15. Cat-shaped Re Killing Serpent-shaped Apopi • Ctonic or Sea Serpent. • Enemy of masculine sky divinities.

  17. 16. Ur • Mesopotamia. • Primitive goddeses. • Serpent-shaped or in company of serpents.

  18. 17. Primitive Ideograms • Snake Head from Susa, with the archaic sign without the qunu. • Serpent Primitive Ideogram, read as MUS.

  19. 18. Archaic Forms • Ideogram origin of the signBU, SIR. • With a general sense of “to be or to become long, big, tall, to extend, to go far, to take”, with its translationsARKU, BAQAMU, RUQU, SABATU. • Origin of the modern sign read as SIR, SUD, which, as ARAKU, means “to be long”, or ARKU, “long”.

  20. 19. The sign MUS

  21. 20. Other terms • According to Mayer Modena, the original meaning of this word comes from the Acadian SERRETU/SERRATE. • “To tie”, “to link together with a bond”, “magic knot”.

  22. 21. Serpent - Magic Knot • Ctonic animal. • Linked to the dead. • Magical and supernatural powers. • Linked to prophecies.

  23. 22. Serpent Goddesses • Sahan. • Mysterious serpent-goddess from Babylon. • Goddess of health. • Wife of Ninurta. • Egypt. • Pharaon´s Uraeus. • Wadjet.

  24. 23. Summary • In Ancient Near East and Egypt, the goddesses are serpent-shaped. • In the West, the serpents are not a divinity. They just symbolise their powers and their gifts to humans: • Nourishing • Fertility • Fecundity • Health • Immortality • Beginning of Life • Protection in Afterlife... Weret-Heqau (Egypt)

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