COUNTER COVER 10

THE SNAKE

The figure of the snake (and also the slug) is very common in the iconography of ancient cultures.

The sacred cobra was the protective animal of the pharaohs, which is why it was depicted in their headdresses with a vigilant attitude. In Greece, snakes were associated with different divinities and represented both fertility and protection against death by curing diseases. (linked to Aesculapius, a symbol that we still associate with medicine and pharmacy today).

In Rome, snakes were protectors of the home, the family and domestic animals. They ensured fertility, happiness and the health of the household.

In the Christian tradition, however, snakes often have negative connotations as they are associated with the temptations of evil, and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.