Snake's symbolism in Coptic and Islamic Art

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Tourism Guidance, Faculty of Tourism & Hotels, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

Abstract

The snake is considered one of the important symbols of creation and good in Ancient Egyptian civilization, however, it sometimes even symbolized evil. This symbol was, furthermore, used by Coptic artists in many paintings, sculptures, and applied arts. The snake appeared in many pictorial presentations derived from religious stories, a pattern that was still in use during the Islamic era, where the snake appeared in many miniatures that tell the story of Adam and Eve, the Devil temptation, and their expulsion from heaven along with the snake, the peacock, and the Devil. Despite that symbolism of evil and temptation to disobedience, the representation of the snake played another role when it appeared in the Islamic hospitals as a symbol of healing, and in other occasions, as a symbol of protection stinging away evils and pests. The research aims to study of the snake symbolism in Coptic, Byzantine, and Islamic periods contemporary to the Renaissance in Europe, and to Shed light on the snake symbolism in various forms of art, such as painting, miniatures, sculpture and applied arts.

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