Reverence came early to us -
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Serpent-Crowned Bacchus
18" x 24" oils on canvas |
| Thanks to Marija Gimbutas and her explication of Neolithic iconography in The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe. In it, she quotes Jane Harrison quoting Euripides: |
| A Horned God was found and a God with serpents crowned. (Euripides, Bacchae, 99) |
| She'd been explaining the patterns of symbolism on artifacts from 6500 to 3500 BC. The bull and the snake frequently appeared together. The former likely stood for regeneration, and the latter for concentrated life force. This quote made the connection for me, showing me the continuity of meaning and worship, all the way from the Neolithic to classical mythology and Bacchus, also known as the Bull. |
