Why are there so many images of snakes in the ancient myth system of China?

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First of all, we know that images based on snakes are ubiquitous in all myths, and they all have a very important position.

For example:

The octagonal snake in Japanese mythology is the first disaster in Japanese mythology.

In Indian mythology, Wang Po Suu Kyi of Naga acted as a vital rope in the milk-churning incident, which led to constant competition for sumo wine and endless hatred for Indra and Asura.

The snake in the Nordic mythological world, dreaming and rolling around the universe, will be destroyed once it is pulled out. Despair, the rebellion of the Black Dragon, is as terrible as Eater of Worlds.

In Greek mythology, there are also basilisks such as Tifeng, Xu Dela and lamia. The scepters of Hermes and Hippocrates were also entangled in snakes.

In isolated South America, Ku Ku Ku Kun is also one of the most famous gods.

The most famous thing, of course, is that Satan turned into a snake in the Garden of Eden and became the initiator of original sin.

Lazarus, the main god of Egypt, will fight the serpent in the underworld, and the serpent will protect the demigod Pharaoh.

The Sumerian hero forgot that he got the immortal grass, but it was taken away by the snake. ...

There must be a reason why snakes are so valued. And this truth must be universally applicable, and it can't be caused by the climate, preferences, other customs or accidental events in one place and one region-because these ancient myths about snakes originated very early, and there is almost no possibility of spreading with ethnic exchanges.

Therefore, the key to the answer lies in the characteristics of the snake itself:

1 has a wide range of branches-snakes are found all over the world except Antarctica, and even an isolated continent with unique creatures like Australia.

Besides, snakes are very common and people are familiar with them.

2, unique image-snakes have a very special image, impressive and easy to associate.

The above two points determine that snakes have more opportunities to appear in myths and legends.

3, awesome-poisonous snakes have deadly toxins, and pythons are huge and powerful. These characteristics will give people a great shock.

4, molting hibernation-snakes molt in a very special way, leaving a very complete skin, this process is easy to observe, and can leave a tangible remains of snake molting. The scene of snake molting is full of new feelings, shocking and enviable.

At the same time, snakes have hibernation ability. You can play dead in the winter when everything is dying, and come back to life in spring.

Animals with molting ability, such as cicadas, are considered to have regenerative ability and can continue to rejuvenate or evolve into a higher level of existence.

Animals with hibernating ability, such as bears and frogs, are considered to have resurrection ability and can return to the world from death.

Snakes, on the other hand, have both abilities, which naturally makes people afraid and envious.

The above two points determine that snakes must appear in myths and legends, with great magic and long life.

5, cold-blooded and wet-snakes are cold-blooded animals and like wet environments.

This determines the feminine nature of snakes: they are often associated with caves, abyss, rivers (and snake rivers) and even rain and darkness.

Then, snakes will appear in the myths and legends of various countries, and they must be powerful characters.

How to treat this power determines whether the image of the snake is good or evil.

If snakes are good at swallowing, poisonous, dark and cold-blooded, they will become greedy, vicious and hostile images like Satan, a rebellious nemesis.

However, in order to envy the power and immortality of snakes, there will be more neutral, horrible and reverent images such as the guardian of Pharaoh and the Naga clan.

Both of these images exist in China's mythology. For example, Nine Babies, Xiang Liu, Xiu Snake and other evil trolls are the first type. They are enemies of order, like to destroy and kill, and even if they die, they will pollute the sacred land with deadly poison.

And all kinds of dragons, even the dragon king, are second images. The Dragon King has the power to control rainfall and wind and waves, and must be enshrined. But this kind of sacrifice is actually mixed with a little hatred and helplessness. Especially in the south, because the rain represented by the Dragon King is not a shower, but a disaster, typhoon and tsunami that destroys homes. For such a tyrannical god, a new story of Nezha and the Monkey King appeared as a protest against the bad weather. That's why the temples of Nezha's Three Princes are common in the south, but rare in the north where water is scarce-besides Beijing itself, dragons are also needed.

What is more special is the third image: the kind dragon and snake.

Snakes can be reborn, resurrected and even circled. For people who are good at philosophical thinking, there is an endless cycle of beauty in it.

At the same time, snake venom' snake gall' can be used as medicine to save lives.

Moreover, the water veins represented by dragons and snakes are the foundation of human survival.

All these circumstances have led to the appearance of a kind and great snake god image. For example, Ku Ku Ku Kun is a kind and kind god in Mayan mythology.

In China, this situation went further-that is, Yin He reformed this theory.

Birds take snakes as their natural enemies. Birds flying in the sky naturally represent the sky and light, which is completely opposite to the attributes of snakes. So birds and snakes are old enemies in other myths. For example, Goruda and Naga, the bane of rebellion and the Condor.

However, the sages of China realized through their profound observation and understanding of nature that yin and harmony can be transformed, just as the cold in winter is the place where the vitality of spring accumulates, and the abyss is the place where the sun must rest after exhaustion.

So, Bei Ming Kun turned into Peng. In the dark direction of the north, the sea animal Kun (sea animal, fish, dragon and snake can be confused) in the absolutely dark and cold place of the deep sea can fly to the absolutely bright and hot south and become a very positive Peng in the sky. This magnificent thinking is not unique to Zhuangzi, at least it is the wisdom that Song people inherited from Shang culture.

Under this wisdom, powerful snakes can naturally appear in an absolutely positive image, and their representatives are Nu Wa and Fuxi. So that after this, the negative image of the dragon became the representative of the supreme imperial power of Zhiyang, while the phoenix became a negative female animal, which is strange.

After that, it is easy to say that many mythical snakes were forgotten with the desecration of myths by human beings or the demise of culture itself. But the dragon in China mythology, because of its combination with the most powerful secular regime, has strong vitality and lasting sacredness. Now, the image of the dragon is also called the symbol of China's nationalism, and it will continue to show its unparalleled strength since ancient times-constantly reinventing itself, coming back from the dead, endless circulation, endless strength, and turning from yin to yang!

Therefore, when we say that we are descendants of the dragon, we have enough reason to be proud.

Edited on 2015-07-11.

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In the long history, the worship of snakes, or the totem of snakes, is very common in myths or religions in eastern and western countries and regions. It stands for masculinity and erection. Male, penis. Reproduction, creation. Give a few well-known examples. In ancient China mythology, Fuxi Nuwa was a snake. Nu Wa made man, and life was born. Fuxi religion, the beginning of creation. In Christian mythology, the original …

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In the long history, the worship of snakes, or the totem of snakes, is very common in myths or religions in eastern and western countries and regions.

It stands for masculinity and erection. Male, penis. Reproduction, creation.

Give a few well-known examples.

In ancient China mythology, Fuxi Nuwa was a snake. Nu Wa made man, and life was born. Fuxi religion, the beginning of creation.

In Christian mythology, the beginning of original sin was that snakes lured Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of wisdom, which enabled mankind to reproduce.

According to the cosmology of ancient India, the sky is above the earth, and the earth is carried by four elephants. The elephant stood on the back of a giant turtle, and all this was surrounded by a giant snake. People think that snakes are a symbol of vitality, which can make infertile women give birth, make weak children get rid of diseases and keep fit.

Among the animal gods believed by ancient Egyptians, snakes are the most. It contains the meanings of motherhood, land, reproduction and fertility.

In Mayan civilization, most snake gods also represent life, food, land and so on.

Private thought,

The frequent appearance of snake images originated from the metaphor of human reproductive worship.

Freud even thought that in dreams, snakes represent the roots of the sun and are a symbol of sex.

In many ancient and modern works of art, there are also many metaphors about snakes.

This is human nature, regardless of national boundaries and races.