A golden rod braided by snakes with wings and a tip in the shape of a ball is a symbol that came from ancient times. He is the unchanging reality of mythology and religion of the most diverse peoples of the world, whether it be the Romans, Indians or Egyptians. The mysterious wand is called the caduceus. What is it and why did the ancient gods need it? How was it used in the Middle Ages and how is man using it in modern reality? We will answer these and many other questions by making a short trip to the history of this ancient symbol.
Ancient symbol in Mesopotamia
Caduceus appeared several thousand years ago, and even the approximate date of its occurrence remains a mystery to modern science. This symbol existed in Mesopotamia. Caduceus was an integral part of the image of the god Ninurth. With the help of this rod, its owner was able to heal and even resurrect people.
What did caduceus symbolize in ancient Egypt?
And in ancient Egypt, according to some researchers, there was a special kind of caduceus. It was a rod crowned by the sun, bordered by the moon.
It is possible that the caduceus, like the Urey, symbolized the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt. At the same time, his rod embodied the world axis that supports the daylight and its satellite. The snakes that surrounded him personified the moon gods closer to the earth, and the wings - the heavenly, living near the sun.
However, after the great war that took place between them, the situation changed somewhat. The lunar gods moved underground, and the heavenly (solar) ones moved to its surface. In this regard, received a different interpretation and caduceus. Its significance now reduced to the unity of the underground and terrestrial world, illuminated by moonlight and sunlight.
Caduceus was usually held in hands by Anubis, a god with a jackal head and a human body. He once escorted the dead to the afterlife. Perhaps it was from him that the ancient Greeks borrowed this amazing symbol.
Caduceus in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome
In ancient mythology, the caduceus was called the "rod of Hermes" and had the ability to reconcile enemies. The ancient Greek god of trade, agility and eloquence, according to one version, received it from the patron of the arts of Apollo in exchange for a pipe, and according to another, from the skilled smith Hephaestus. And the ancient Roman prototype of Hermes to Mercury was given the rod by the god of the underworld Hades.
Initially, it looked like an olive branch with two shoots, entwined with garlands. Subsequently, they transformed into a serpent, and the rod acquired wings. Ancient legends say that Hermes (Mercury) once saw snakes fighting under the spreading branches of an oak tree. To reconcile them, God threw a caduceus between them. The miracle happened, and the snakes immediately stopped fighting. But two of them in a fit of rage encircled the caduceus of Hermes and froze forever, meeting their eyes with each other.
Later, the ancient Greek god gave the rod to his son Nerik. It was from him that the kind of heralds went. As a sign of their integrity, they took caduceus with them when they went to distant lands. At the same time, the rod of Hermes became a symbol of trade, wealth, prosperity, as well as mutual understanding and reconciliation. However, this is not all the hypostases embodied by the caduceus. A photo of the image of an ancient Greek deity with a famous rod in his hand is presented below.
Thiers Dionysus and Caduceus
Caduceus has some similarities with the thyrsus of Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of wine, inspiration and religious ecstasy. His rod was made from a fennel stalk, and the pine cone crowned him. Tires of Dionysus was surrounded by ivy, which sometimes turned into a snake. This transformation was mentioned by Plutarch. Perhaps, therefore, some researchers consider thyrsus as a variety of caduceus.
In ancient Greek myths, the fennel rod was a mandatory attribute of the mysteries of Dionysus and a sign of a great creative principle. Moreover, not only God himself possessed a thyrsus, but also his entire retinue: the dissolute demons of the fertility of satire and his admirer of maenad.
Caduceus and the awakening of kundalini
In India, an ancient symbol was also discovered, shaped like a caduceus. What it is, you can truly feel only plunged into the religion of this country. In Buddhism, this symbol is closely associated with yoga and meditation and has a special meaning. The snake is identified with the energy concentrated in the base of the human spine. There she lies curled up in three and a half turns. Otherwise, Buddhists call it kundalini.
The caduceus rod is similar to sushumna, a hollow canal in the spine. Awakening, energy is divided into flows. Like snakes, they wrap around Sushumna, passing through the canals of Ida and Pingala, forming intersecting spirals and connecting at seven points. The energy flow diagram visually resembles the caduceus symbol.
Buddhists achieve the awakening of kundalini with the help of specific exercises and special moods. It is characterized by “inner fire”, clairvoyance, telepathy, aggravation of intuition, changes in sexual temperament, mood swings and visions.
What did caduceus mean in alchemy and medicine?
In the Renaissance, the healing properties that caduceus had in Mesopotamia thousands of years ago became relevant again. The medical symbol created by its inhabitants was now used by alchemists. They, as a rule, put a seal with the image of Hermes and caduceus on the vessels with drugs. The rod of the ancient Greek deity, who became the patron saint of alchemy, often crowned the raven.
The wings of the caduceus symbolized the ability to cross any borders, snakes - the unity of opposites: disease and healing, and the rod - the axis of the world. Alchemists struggled to find the perfect medicine and it was not by chance that they chose such an emblem. Indeed, according to occult sciences, the secret of life and death could be discovered precisely by the caduceus. Medicine, however, soon received a different emblem - a bowl with a snake.
Her symbol is also considered to be the staff of Asclepius. He is sometimes associated with caduceus. The staff of Asclepius is a wooden rod, twined with a single snake. Its history is also rooted in ancient Greek mythology, but it has nothing to do with the caduceus.
Aaron's Wand
Of certain interest is also the rod of Aaron, which belonged to the founders of the Jewish high priests , which had the same shape as the caduceus. What is it and what is its story?
According to European occult sciences, a sacred fire was concluded in the rod of Aaron. It is generally believed that he could turn into a snake and devour his relatives. With his help, Aaron, the brother of Moses, was able to carry out three Egyptian executions: punishment by blood, execution by toads and invasion of midges.
Another amazing story connected with the rod happened during the wanderings of Jews in the desert. Wandering among the high dunes, representatives of different tribes entered into a fierce debate. His reason was the election of the Levites to serve God. Representatives of other tribes, however, also had their claims to this privilege. To resolve the dispute, they resorted to God's judgment and put their rods overnight at the Tabernacle. In the morning, the Almighty gave a fateful sign: Aaron's rod was covered with leaves, flowers and almond fruits. This miracle was the final proof of God's chosen Levites.
Ancient symbol in Christianity
In Christianity, the caduceus became an attribute of Our Lady of Sofia. Her image with him can be seen in Orthodox iconography. Seated on a golden throne, Sofia holds a caduceus in her right hand. Only it is crowned not by a rounded tip, but by a point.
It can be assumed that it is a symbol of power, but much more likely, the rod carries a certain spiritual significance. It is like a copy, which in Orthodoxy is customary to cut out particles from prosphora as a symbol of the perforation of the body of the Lamb. And this action is a reference to the event of antiquity, when the Roman warrior Longinus at Calvary pierced the side of the crucified Christ with a spear.
What else can caduceus mean?
There are many other assumptions about what caduceus can mean. In psychoanalysis, it is a phallic symbol, and in Hermetic semiotics, it is the key to the afterlife. It is generally accepted that it was the Caduceus that Hermes opened the door to the underworld.
The rod traditionally means power over the forces of nature, and snakes symbolize the warring parties, striving for unity: light and darkness, fire and water, male and female principles. Their symmetrical arrangement indicates the harmonious development of the spiritual and material.
The central part is usually identified with the world axis along which the intermediary gods move between heaven and earth. From the point of view of some researchers, Hermes was one, so he got the caduceus. What is it, we disassembled, but how is it used now?
Caduceus in modern heraldry
In the modern world, caduceus is used in the symbolism of chambers of commerce in many countries of the world. It is included in the emblems of the arbitration courts and the Federal Customs Service of Russia, as well as the medical service of the US Army. Depicted by the caduceus and on the coat of arms of the Finnish city of Jyväskylä.
As you can see, the ancient symbol is still considered popular and relevant. Once he was held in the hands of the Egyptian, Roman and Greek gods. They did things to them that threw people into awe, and now the caduceus has become the symbol depicted on the emblems of federal bodies and government departments. However, he still retained the mysterious spirit of ancient times.