Caduceus - what is it? Meaning, photo

Snake-braided gold rod with wings and a ball-shaped tip is a symbol that came from ancient times. He is the immutable reality of the mythology and religion of the most diverse peoples of the world, whether Romans, Indians or Egyptians. A mysterious wand is called a caduceus. What is it and why did the ancient gods need it? How was it used in the Middle Ages and how is it used by man in modern reality? These and many other questions we will answer by making a short journey into the history of this ancient symbol.

Ancient symbol in Mesopotamia

Caduceus appeared a few thousand years ago, and for modern science, even the approximate date of its emergence remains a mystery. This symbol existed even in Mesopotamia. Caduceus was an integral part of the image of the god Ninurta. With the help of this rod, its owner was able to heal and even resurrect people.

What did the caduceus symbolize in ancient Egypt?

And in ancient Egypt, according to some researchers, there was a special kind of caduceus. He was a wand that crowned the sun, lined with the moon.

Quite possibly, the caduceus, like the urae, symbolized the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt. At the same time, his staff embodied the world axis, supporting the day-light and his companion. The serpents that encircled him represented the moon gods, which are closer to the earth, and the wings - the celestial, inhabiting near the sun.

However, after the great war that took place between them, the situation changed somewhat. The moon gods moved to the earth, and the heavenly (solar) - on its surface. In this regard, I received a different interpretation and a caduceus. Its significance now boiled down to the unity of the underground and terrestrial world, illuminated by moonlight and sunlight.

The caduceus in the hands was usually held by Anubis, a god with a jackal's head and a human body. He once escorted the dead to the afterlife. Perhaps, it was he who 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, dexterity and eloquence, according to one version, received it from the patron of the arts of Apollo in exchange for a pipe, on the other, from the skillful blacksmith Hephaestus. And the ancient Roman prototype of Hermes Mercury was given to the god of the underworld by Hades.

Initially, it looked like an olive branch with two shoots, wrapped in garlands. Subsequently they were transformed into serpents, and the wand acquired wings. Ancient legends say that Hermes (Mercury) once saw snakes fighting under the sprawling branches of oak. To reconcile them, God threw a caduceus between them. A miracle happened, and the snakes immediately stopped fighting. But two of them, in a fit of fury, encircled the caduceus of Hermes and froze forever, meeting each other's eyes.

Later, the ancient Greek god gave the rod to his son Nerik. It was from him that the messenger came. As a sign of their inviolability, they took the caduceus with them when they went to distant lands. At the same time the rod of Hermes became a symbol of trade, prosperity, well-being, as well as mutual understanding and reconciliation. However, this is not all hypostases, which embodied the caduceus. A picture of an Ancient Greek deity with a famous staff in his hand is presented below.

Tears Dionysus and the Caduceus

Caduceus has some similarity with the dionys of Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of wine, inspiration and religious ecstasy. His staff was made from a fennel stalk, and his cone was crowned. Tears Dionysus was crouching ivy, which sometimes turned into a snake. This transformation was mentioned by Plutarch. Perhaps, therefore, some researchers consider Tiers a kind of caduceus.

In the ancient Greek myths, a rod of fennel was an indispensable attribute of the mysteries of Dionysus and a sign of the great creative principle. Moreover, not only the god himself possessed the dirce, but all his entourage: debauched demons of fertility of satire and his admirer of maenads.

Caduceus and awakening of kundalini

In India, an ancient symbol similar to a caduceus was also discovered. What it is, you can really feel, only immersed in the religion of this country. In Buddhism, this symbol is closely connected with yoga and meditation and has a special meaning. The snake is identified with the energy concentrated at the base of the human spine. There she lies, curled in a three and a half turn. Otherwise Buddhists call it kundalini.

The rod of a caduceus is like a sushumna, a hollow channel in the spine. Awakening, energy is divided into streams. Like serpents, they twist sushumna, passing through the canals and pingala, forming intersecting spirals and connecting at seven points. The scheme of energy flows visually resembles the symbol "caduceus".

The awakening of kundalini Buddhists is achieved through specific exercises and a special frame of mind. It is characterized by "inner fire", clairvoyance, telepathy, exacerbation of intuition, changes in sexual temperament, mood swings and visions.

What did the caduceus mean in alchemy and medicine?

In the Renaissance the therapeutic properties, which were still in Mesopotamia thousands of years ago, had a caduceus. The medical symbol, created by its inhabitants, was now used by the alchemists. They, as a rule, put a seal with the image of Hermes and the caduceus on the vessels with medicinal preparations. The rod of the ancient Greek deity, who became the patron of alchemy, was often crowned by crows.

The wings of the caduceus symbolized the ability to cross any boundaries, snakes are the unity of opposites: illness and healing, and the rod is the axis of the world. The alchemists tried to find the perfect medicine and chose such an emblem not by accident. Indeed, according to the occult sciences, the secret of life and death could be discovered by the caduceus. Medicine, incidentally, soon received another emblem - a bowl with a snake.

Her icon is also considered to be the staff of Asclepius. He is sometimes associated with the caduceus. The staff of Asclepius is a wooden rod wrapped in one snake. Its history also goes back to ancient Greek mythology, but with the caduceus it has nothing in common.

Aaron's Wand

Of particular interest is the rod of Aaron, which belonged to the ancestors of the Jewish high priests, which had the same shape as the caduceus. What is it and what is its history?

According to the European occult sciences, in the rod of Aaron was sacred fire. It is commonly believed that he could turn into a snake and devour his kindred. With his help, Aaron, the brother of Moses, was able to carry out three executions of Egypt: punishment by blood, the execution of toads and the invasion of midges.

Another wondrous story is related to the wand, which occurred during the wanderings of the Jews in the desert. Bredya among high dunes, representatives of different tribes entered into a fierce dispute. 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 laid down their wands for the night in the Tabernacle. In the morning the Most High gave a fateful sign: Aaronov's rod was covered with leaves, flowers and fruits of almonds. This miracle became the final proof of God's chosenness of the Levites.

Ancient symbol in Christianity

In Christianity, the caduceus became an attribute of the Mother of God of Sophia. Her image with him can be seen in Orthodox iconography. Sitting on the golden throne, Sophia holds a caduceus in her right hand. Only its crown is not a rounded tip, but an edge.

We can assume that it is a symbol of power, but it is much more likely that the rod carries a certain spiritual significance. He is like a copy, which in Orthodoxy is taken to cut out particles from prosphora as a symbol of perforation of the body of the Lamb. And this action is a reference to the event of antiquity, when the Roman warrior Longinus on Calvary pierced the side of the crucified Christ with a spear.

What else can a caduceus mean?

There are many other assumptions about what can mean a caduceus. In psychoanalysis, it is a phallic symbol, and in hermetic semiotics it is the key to the afterlife. It is generally believed that it was the caduceus Hermes who opened the door to the underworld.

The rod traditionally means the power over the forces of nature, and the snakes symbolize opposing sides, striving for unity: light and darkness, fire and water, male and female. Their symmetrical arrangement speaks of the harmonious development of the spiritual and the material.

The central part is usually identified with the world axis, along which the gods-intermediaries move between heaven and earth. From the point of view of some researchers, such was Hermes, so he got a caduceus. What is it, we dismantled, but how is it used now?

Caduceus in modern heraldry

In the modern world, the caduceus is used in the symbols of the chambers of commerce and industry of many countries of the world. It is included in the emblems of arbitration courts and the Federal Customs Service of Russia, as well as the medical service of the US Army. It is represented by a caduceus and on the arms of the Finnish city of Jyväskylä.

Apparently, the ancient symbol is still considered popular and relevant. Once it was held in the hands of Egyptian, Roman and Greek gods. They created cases for them, which plunged people into awe, and now the caduceus became a symbol depicted on the emblems of federal bodies and state departments. However, he still retains the mysterious spirit of ancient times.