Serpent

Serpent
2005.10.06 1:27

Serpent was used in a biblical world, in Genesis, as a symbol of seduction to Eve, so their role was not in the least a good one but they were forced to play a bad role there. Actually there are many people who don't like serpent. I don't know there's a word something like a serpentphobe - I know there's a word like aracnidphobe though.
On the other hand, serpent has been long used as a symbol of medicine. Actually under a kind of mysticism, serpent was used as a symbol of endless endeavour toward truth, for example a symbol of evolving two serpents were used as a symbol of elixir, alchemy, etc.
Faust was a real historical figure who practiced alchemy, and if we thought about alchemy in connection with his relationship with Mephisto, we can somehow agree serpent was used as a messenger of Satan in biblical world.
The sex of two opposit sex of serpents are believed to be longest in animals. Serpent is not supposed to be a symbol of something evil but a symbol of humans' endless endeavour toward procreation.
Serpents also evolve several times in their lives. I must say humans are more greedy than serpents, it was us humans to blame Eve ate forbidden apples and recommended Adam to eat, we humans made two mistakes - one is to have eaten apples and the other was we attributed our fault to a serpent.
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Eve's Decision(Score:2)
by Shadow Wrought (586631) on 2005.10.06 1:52 (#13723230) (http://slashdot.org/~Shadow%20Wrought/journal Last Journal: 2005.10.05 1:36)
My wife is currently reading Eve and the Choice Made in Eden [amazon.com] by Beverly Campbell [amazon.com]. One of the thigns she discusses is that if Eve had not eaten the fruit, than none of us would ever be. Simply put, for us to exist, for the human race to have begun, Adam and Eve needed to expelled from Eden.*
So while the serpent quite possibly lead her down the path, it was something that needed to happen. What I find fascinating about life is how much of the time we find ourselves doing things that we really don't want to do, but know we must. Eve was the first.
*According to Judeo-Christian (and possibly Islamic?) beliefs.--Care for some chili? I've added an extra ingredient just for you. The merciless peppers of Quetzlzacatenango! [ Reply to This ]
Re:Eve's Decision(Score:1)
by mercedo (822671) * on 2005.10.06 2:27 (#13723521) (http://slashdot.org/~mercedo/journal/109855 Last Journal: 2005.10.10 0:20)
I just wonder how biblical world is full of paradoxical truth. Garden of Eden is thought to be located at the midst of Mesopotamia -probably Ur, at that time Eden must have had aboundant of fruits as well as other tasty food -honey, wine, etc. If they kept away from eating apples, they would keep on staying in Eden. They kept on doing intermarriage and they all were likely to be swept away by flood.
The fact was they ate apples that humans never tasted previously then they found it extremely delicious, so they started moving from Eden to seek for another more delicious food that humans never tasted before. The fact was they were not expelled but they started immigrating to another region.--Ancient Greek Philosophers -18c Enlightenment Thinkers -Slashdotters [ Reply to This Parent ]
Re:Eve's Decision(Score:2)
by Shadow Wrought (586631) on 2005.10.06 3:52 (#13724096) (http://slashdot.org/~Shadow%20Wrought/journal Last Journal: 2005.10.05 1:36)
Once again showing how much interpretation comes with reading the Bible. When I read it, it certainly was a banishment for breaking their covenant with God. The theme of breaking covenants winds its way though almost the entirety of the Old Testament and much of the New Testament. For me most of boiled down to a karmic message of, "Do good, good things happen, do bad, bad things happen." But, that is just how I understood it.--Care for some chili? I've added an extra ingredient just for you. The merciless peppers of Quetzlzacatenango! [ Reply to This Parent ]
Apples(Score:1)
by DisownedSky (905171) * <.disownedsky. .at. .earthlink.net.> on 2005.10.06 2:03 (#13723326) (http://home.earthlink.net/~disownedsky Last Journal: 2005.10.07 23:34)
Mmmm..apples. I'm eating one right now, God damn it. Actually, my take on the Genesis garden myth is that it is a very savvy bit of creative mythology. It describes a process that took hundreds of thousands of years during which our species lost its innocence. I doubt the ancient Hebrews understood this in any scientific way, but things [slashdot.org] are often first experienced in the mythosphere before it is possible to get our arms around them scientifically. In this case a few thousand years later, and we are just now beginning to piece together the story of our species.
When I was 12 years old, a little serpent sent me to the Emergency Room for a very painful episode. I don't like the little buggers, but oddly, I don't like killing them, either. LittleSky thinks they're slimy and won't be persuaded otherwise.--
"If you haven't found something strange during the day, it hasn't been much of a day." - J. A. Wheeler[ Reply to This ]
Re:Apples(Score:1)
by mercedo (822671) * on 2005.10.06 2:47 (#13723680) (http://slashdot.org/~mercedo/journal/109855 Last Journal: 2005.10.10 0:20)
It describes a process that took hundreds of thousands of years during which our species lost its innocence.
That's it.
Besides after they finished eating apples, they found themselve strange to be naked, then they hid their private parts in fig's leaf. They learned how delicious apples were as well as their activities.
If you were eating apples, throw one to me, I will catch it in my mouth, oh thanks it's so delicious!--Ancient Greek Philosophers -18c Enlightenment Thinkers -Slashdotters [ Reply to This Parent ]
Herpetophobia or Ophidiophobia(Score:1)
by StalinsNotDead (764374) on 2005.10.06 4:35 (#13724406) (Last Journal: 2005.10.05 0:40)
Herpetophobia = fear of reptilesOphidiophobia = fear of snakes--If you don't want people to think you're an asshole, don't be one. It's that simple.-The Mad Poster [ Reply to This ]
Re:Herpetophobia or Ophidiophobia(Score:1)
by iminplaya (723125) on 2005.10.06 7:47 (#13725805)
pomophobia = fear of applesor should that be newtonphobia...--Oooo...standing for the Queen, are we? RTFM [bfi.org] [ Reply to This Parent ]
Re:Herpetophobia or Ophidiophobia(Score:1)
by mercedo (822671) * on 2005.10.07 8:37 (#13735522) (http://slashdot.org/~mercedo/journal/109855 Last Journal: 2005.10.10 0:20)
Oh, I see. There would be as many words as notions we tend to have.--Ancient Greek Philosophers -18c Enlightenment Thinkers -Slashdotters [ Reply to This Parent ]