Reflectivesurfaces's Blog

I have been on a bit of an Ancient Roman mindset in the last month.  I have dabbled with learning a bit of latin…mostly amusing little sayings…and reread the mythology of this culture.  It has also led me to an ancient symbol of the ouroboros.  This symbol of a snake eating its own tale has found its way into modern culture in many venues.  It has been the cover of albums, the title of literary works and even Dana Scully of the X-files have chosen this symbol as her back tatoo.  So that means it must be a very important concept tied to this snake eating its own tail.

First, a little lesson in ouroboros.  This symbol has been around for not centuries, but for a couple thousand years.   It is believed that it illustrates the unending qualities of our world, or in things that seem to begin as soon as they end. It cannot be extinguished, or destroyed.  It is cyclic and continuous.  It is for all eternity that the process of renewal continues.   It has used as a symbol in many cultures:  Aztec, Egyptian, Roman, Hindu.  It has been used in science:  from the musing of Jung, to the discovery of benzene by Kekule, and all the way back to the alchemists of long ago.  It has been tied to those Harry Potter-ish ideas of phoenixes and philosopher stones.  It has been used in religions, secret organizations (hello there, Masons!) and as a literary device for numerous books, stories, songs, articles and poetry.  Even Plato had a lot to say about Ouroboros.

My first impression of  ouroboros is that it must have been an old joke.  Are we going in circles in this life caused by the biting of our own ass, as it were?  That the events of this life that seem to repeat are actually the creation of our own making?   Why choose a snake biting its own tail as a symbol of eternity?   The snake has been a sign of knowledge, from its beginning on the human stage as the sneaky serpent of the Garden of Eden.  It is used on the symbol of medical professionals everywhere.  But eating its own tail?  To me, it looks as if the ancients were saying; “Hey what’s eating you?  Oh, your life.”  Then some dude in a loincloth bursts into a serious set of the giggles at the ironic twist.  Or someone knocked him on the head with their club, causing the giggles as a precursor to a brain aneurism.  Hard to tell. 

I have never seen a snake in nature munch on its own hind end, so I sense this symbol wasn’t lifted from the world around them.  I haven’t seen a snake roll like a tire while holding it nether regions, except for the odd cartoon.  Yet this symbol shows up over thousands of years in very distance and diverse cultures around the globe.  It has a universal appeal that seems to inspire people.  The circle has always meant continuous.  It is the basis on the ring that married people wear on their left hand.  Eternity.  Dana Scully wouldn’t put just any old tattoo on her back.  Mulder wouldn’t understand it and it would start a whole new investigation. 

However, in my eyes, it is a snake biting its own ass, and I think the snake should have learned something from the entire experience.  Before you chomp down on something, check what it is first.  If it tastes like you, then immediately stop chewing.