想象有一条蛇，它从世界文化史的深处中蜿蜒而出，蜷曲着身姿，难以捉摸，却深刻地烙印在人类的想象之中。
它或许是埃及法老图坦卡蒙金面具上那条高高竖起的眼镜蛇，象征着保护与神圣不可侵犯的权威。
古埃及的蛇形雕塑 （公元前664年–公元前30年） 纽约大都会博物馆
又或许，它盘踞在美杜莎的头上，这位蛇发女妖和她令人石化的目光，让无数神话与艺术为之震颤。
图源：视觉中国
对于艺术爱好者而言，希腊时期的著名雕塑《拉奥孔和他的儿子们》更是生动再现了特洛伊祭司及其两子被海蛇缠绕致死时的痛苦与绝望。
图源：
视觉中国
当然，绝大多数人也听说过伊甸园中的那条蛇，它作为诱惑的象征，在基督教原罪故事中扮演着核心角色。
图源：视觉中国
Imagine a snake—coiled, elusive, and steeped in meaning—emerging from the depth of the world’s cultural history to leave its mark on human imagination. Perhaps it’s the rearing cobra, poised on the golden mask of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun, a symbol of protection and divine authority. Or it might be the head of Medusa, the Gorgon whose hair of writhing snakes and petrifying gaze have haunted myth and art alike. For the more artistically inclined, there’s the celebrated Hellenistic sculpture “Laocoön and His Sons”, capturing the agonizing moment when the Trojan priest and his sons are ensnared by sea serpents. And then, of course, there’s the serpent in the Garden of Eden, an enduring symbol of temptation and the central figure in the Christian tale of original sin.
2025年1月29日是即将到来的旧历新年的第一天。按照中国的生肖排序，2025年是乙巳蛇年，蛇毫无疑问在中国人的文化传统中是占据一席之地的。
然而从更广阔的视角来看，蛇在其他文化中也同样充满了象征和符号意义。
In the Chinese zodiac, 2025 kicks off as the Year of the Snake on Jan 29. But looking at the bigger picture, snakes seem to slither just as prominently—if not more so—through the myths and symbols of other cultures too. What stands out most about this enigmatic creature is its complexity—or, more precisely, its duality.
瓦吉特
（Wadjet）
是古埃及神话中的蛇女神，形象为蛇首人身，或单以蛇的形象出现。她是下埃及的保护女神和法老的守护者，常被描绘为一条竖起的眼镜蛇，即“乌雷乌斯”
（Uraeus）
。
公元前3100年左右，上埃及与下埃及在纳尔迈
（Narmer）
的统治下实现统一，瓦杰特的眼镜蛇图案与象征上埃及的奈赫贝特
（Nekhbet）
女神的秃鹫图案一同出现在法老的皇冠上。
图坦卡蒙金面具，上饰有眼镜蛇和秃鹫，开罗埃及博物馆 法新社Amir Makar摄
Ask the ancient Egyptians, and they’d tell you about Wadjet, the protective goddess of Lower Egypt and guardian of pharaohs, often depicted as a rearing cobra known as the uraeus. After the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by King Narmer around 3100 BC, the cobra of Wadjet appeared alongside the vulture of Nekhbet, the goddess of Upper Egypt, on the pharaoh’s crown, symbolizing the unity of the two lands.
与此同时，蛇在古埃及也代表着混乱与毁灭的力量：一条名为阿佩普
（Apep）
的巨大蛇怪是太阳神拉
（Ra）
的死对头。他希望世间陷入永久的黑暗，因而每晚，阿佩普都会在拉乘船穿越冥界时试图吞噬拉头顶的太阳圆盘。尽管阿佩普每晚都会被击败，但它却永远无法被彻底消灭。这场每夜都要重复进行的战斗象征着古埃及人对于秩序与混乱之间永恒斗争的认知。宇宙平衡，永远是在动态之中获得的，这其中蕴含了古埃及人深刻的哲学智慧。
古埃及神话中，名为阿佩普的巨大蛇怪是太阳神拉（坐船上头顶代表太阳的圆盘者）的死对头 开罗埃及博物馆
Yet it is in the ancient Egyptian portrayal of the snake as a force of chaos and destruction that one can find some of the most profound philosophical wisdom of the civilization. Apep, a massive serpent, was the arch-enemy of the sun god Ra. Each night, Apep attempted to devour Ra’s solar disk as it journeyed through the underworld. Though Apep was defeated every night, he could never be permanently destroyed. The nightly battle epitomized the Egyptian view of the perpetual struggle between order and chaos, and the constant need to maintain balance in the universe.
公元前332年，亚历山大大帝在征服波斯帝国的军事行动中占领了埃及。亚历山大去世后，其帝国被瓜分，埃及落入其手下大将托勒密之手，开启了托勒密王朝的统治时期。托勒密王朝的统治者接受并强化了蛇在埃及文化中的象征寓意，同时还极有可能将蛇形手镯引入了埃及。
埃及在罗马统治时期的金蛇手镯 纽约大都会博物馆
In 332 BC, Alexander the Great conquered Egypt during his military campaign across the Persian Empire. After his death in 323 BC, his empire was divided, and Egypt eventually came under the rule of his general Ptolemy I, marking the start of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. The Ptolemaic rulers accepted and reinforced the Egyptian motifs including the snakes, bringing to Egypt snake-themed bracelets.
托勒密王朝的最后一任统治者克利奥帕特拉七世
（Cleopatra VII）
最终在公元前30年被屋大维
（Octavian，后称奥古斯都大帝）
击败。屋大维将埃及纳入罗马帝国的直接统治之下，并利用蛇这一象征王权与神佑的图腾来强化自身统治的合法性。他统治时期铸造的硬币上常刻有盘绕在祭坛上的蛇，充满了“君权神授”的意味。人们普遍认为，这里的蛇象征着阿斯克勒庇俄斯
（Asclepius）
，这位希腊与罗马的医药与治愈之神常被描绘为手持一根盘绕着单条小蝰蛇的权杖——即阿斯克勒庇俄斯之杖
（Rod of Asclepius）
。
古希腊与罗马的医药与治愈之神阿斯克勒庇俄斯常被描绘为手持一根盘绕着单条小蝰蛇的权杖——即阿斯克勒庇俄斯之杖 图为2023年6月在中华世纪坛展出的意大利那不勒斯国家考古博物馆珍藏的一件阿斯克勒庇俄斯雕像
Cleopatra VII, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, was ultimately defeated by Octavian (63 BC-14 AD), who later became known as Augustus, the first Roman Emperor. While Cleopatra famously killed herself by snakebite on 30 BC, Augustus, bringing Egypt under direct Roman control, aggressively embraced the symbolism of the serpent to bolster his sense of legitimacy. Coins minted during his reign often depicted a serpent coiled around an altar, signifying the emperor’s connection to gods and divine protection.
It’s widely believed that the snake in this context represented Asclepius, the Greco-Roman god of medicine and healing. Asclepius was often depicted holding a staff with a single serpent coiled around it, known as the Rod of Asclepius.
在古希腊，在供奉这位神祇的庙宇中，人们饲养着灵蛇，它们有时会自由地在患者周围蜿蜒游走，为他们传递治愈的能量。阿斯克勒庇俄斯之杖的象征意义，使它后来成为的世界卫生组织
（WHO）
标志的核心组成部分。
世界卫生组织标志
In fact, sacred snakes were kept in temples dedicated to the god and sometimes allowed to roam freely around patients, as they were believed to be able to transmit healing energy. Such was the powerful symbolism of the Rod of Asclepius that was later adopted as the logo of the World Health Organization.
蛇毒既可以致命，又具有药用价值，这种伤害与治愈的双重特性，使得蛇同时成为毁灭与疗愈的象征。这种矛盾的特性本身与屋大维期待树立的形象相呼应——作为统治者，他既能对敌人发动致命打击，又渴望被视为饱受战乱之苦的罗马世界的拯救者与治愈者。
Some historians have suggested that the dual qualities of the snake — as both a symbol of healing and harm — stem from the nature of its venom, which can be both poisonous and curative. This paradoxical aspect aligns well with a ruler like Octavian, who was capable of delivering deadly strikes to his enemies yet was eager to be perceived as a healer of the war-ravaged Roman world.
值得一提的是，许多人常将阿斯克勒庇俄斯之杖与古希腊的众神使者赫尔墨斯
（Hermes）
所持的由两条蛇缠绕而成并带有翅膀的手杖“卡杜修斯”
（Caduceus）
混淆。
在古希腊神话中，赫尔墨斯
（Hermes）
，这位商业、旅者和边界之神，有一次遇到两条正在争斗的蛇。他用一根手杖将它们分开，两条蛇便缠绕在手杖上，形成完美的平衡，并与手杖一起化作象征和谐与和平的标志，被称为“卡杜修斯”。正好衬托赫尔墨斯作为冲突调解者
（mediator）
的角色。
手持“卡杜修斯”（蛇杖）的赫耳墨斯，公元前2世纪的罗马仿制品，根据公元前5世纪的希腊原作所做
According to one version of ancient Greek mythology, Hermes, the messenger God who was also the deity of commerce, travelers and boundaries, once encountered two snakes fighting. Using a staff, he separated them, and the snakes coiled around the staff in perfect balance, transforming themselves, together with the rod itself, into a symbol of harmony and peace befitting Hermes’ role as a mediator.
Caduceus — that’s the name of Hermes’ rod, a staff with two intertwined snakes and wings, which the god, known as Mercury in Roman mythology, carried around to ward off disputes and bring about reconciliation.
在罗马神话中，赫尔墨斯被称为墨丘利
（Mercury）
，他常携带这根手杖，用来消弭纷争、带来和解。纽约大都会艺术博物馆收藏了一幅十八世纪的油画，描绘了小爱神丘比特
（Cupid）
身披粉色轻纱，手持象征其父墨丘利的卡杜修斯杖。
手持“卡杜修斯”（蛇杖）的小爱神丘比特，十八世纪的油画 纽约大都会艺术馆
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York owns an eighteenth-century oil painting depicting Cupid, barely covered in pink drapery, holding a caduceus — the symbol of his father, Mercury.
While few may have associated snakes with the art of diplomacy, let alone with a chubby baby, many have confused the Caduceus with the Rod of Asclepius, a staff entwined with a single snake that symbolizes healing and medicine.
在古罗马诗人奥维德
（Ovid，
公元前43年－公元17年
）
的长诗《变形记》
（Metamorposes）
中，他讲述了也许是与蛇相关的最著名神话——美杜莎
（Medusa）
的悲剧故事。美杜莎原本是一位美丽的凡人，是雅典娜神庙中的祭司。海神波塞冬
（Poseidon）
觊觎美杜莎的美貌并在雅典娜的神庙中侵犯了她，亵渎了神圣之地。雅典娜对此大为愤怒，但她没有惩罚波塞冬，而是将怒火发泄到美杜莎身上，将她变成了戈耳工
（Gorgon）
——一个满头蛇发、目光能将人石化的怪物。
美杜莎的头像，希腊化晚期至奥古斯都时期的罗马大理石复制品 德国慕尼黑雕塑博物馆
In a retelling of the Greek myth by the much-celebrated Roman poet Ovid (43 BC–17 AD), Poseidon, the god of the sea, desired Medusa and raped her in Athena’s temple, violating the sacred place. Enraged by the desecration of her temple, Athena, instead of punishing Poseidon, directed her wrath at Medusa, transforming the poor girl into a Gorgon, a monstrous figure with snakes for hair and a gaze that turned anyone who looked at her to stone.
为美杜莎的命运更添一层讽刺与哀伤的是，她后来被希腊神话中的英雄珀耳修斯
（Perseus）
杀死。珀耳修斯将美杜莎的头献给雅典娜，而雅典娜则将其置于自己的盾牌上，作为保护的象征。
珀耳修斯手持被其砍下的美杜莎头颅， 十九世纪早期由意大利雕塑家安东尼奥·卡诺瓦（1757–1822）所做 纽约大都会艺术馆
As if to add another layer of poignancy and irony to Medusa’s fate, she was later slayed by Perseus, a hero in Greek mythology who gave her severed head to Athena to be placed on the shield of the goddess as a protective emblem.
在接下来的两千年里，美杜莎的故事被不断重新解读，这也反映了人类社会与文化不停的演进。现代读者和学者常将她的故事视为一个反映女性在古代社会中遭受不公正待遇的缩影。还有一些人认为雅典娜的惩罚虽过于残酷，但也可能是出于对美杜莎的保护——变得丑陋的她避免了可能遭受的进一步伤害，以一种充满悲剧色彩的方式变得强大。
Latter-day interpretations of Medusa's story continue to evolve, reflecting shifting cultural understandings. Modern readers and scholars often see her tale as a commentary on the injustice faced by women in both mythology and society. Some, however, interpret Athena's actions—though harsh—as an attempt to shield Medusa from further harm, granting her a mournful form of empowerment.
人总是要为惹怒神灵付出高昂的代价。在与奥维德同时代的罗马诗人维吉尔
（Virgil，公元前70年—公元前19年）
的史诗《埃涅阿斯纪》
（Aeneid）
中，特洛伊祭司拉奥孔
（Laocoön）
警告他的同胞不要将希腊人的木马引入城中，并说出那句著名的：“我惧怕希腊人，即使他们带着礼物而来。”
（"Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes."）
然而，他的警告未被采纳，希腊人所建造的内部中空巨大木马被作为和平的象征迎入城中，夜晚希腊士兵从木马中潜出，打开城门，让之前假意离开的希腊大军进入，一举攻陷特洛伊。
Divine wrath invariably exacted a heavy toll. In Virgil's
Aeneid
, Laocoön, a Trojan priest, warned his countrymen against bringing the wooden horse into the city, uttering the famous line: "Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes" ("I fear the Greeks, even when they bring gifts"). His warning was ignored. The massive wooden horse, constructed by the Greeks with a hollowed-out side to conceal their elite soldiers, was welcomed into the city as a peace offering. At night, the Greek soldiers emerged from the horse, and opened the city gates to the returning Greek army, leading to the fall of Troy.
但拉奥孔并没有亲眼看到特洛伊的灭亡。作为惩罚，他和他的两个儿子被站在希腊联军一边的大神——有版本说是波塞冬——派来的两条巨大的海蛇缠绕并勒死。公元1506年，一座名为《拉奥孔和他的儿子们》
（Laocoön and His Sons）
的雕塑在罗马被发掘出土并放在梵蒂冈博物馆内展示至今。这座被认为创作于公元前2世纪至公元1世纪之间的雕像生动地捕捉了拉奥孔一家被海蛇缠绕、濒死时的恐怖景象，震撼地展现了神罚的威力。
雕塑《拉奥孔和他的儿子们》，创作于公元前2世纪至公元1世纪之间 梵蒂冈博物馆
Yet Laocoön didn’t even have the chance to witness that fall — as punishment, he and his two sons were strangled by two enormous sea serpents sent by gods who supported the Greeks. In 1506, a statute of
Laocoön and His Sons
, commonly referred to as the Laocoön Group today, was excavated in Rome in 1506 and put on public display in the Vatican Museums, where it remains today.
Dated to a period between the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD, the sculpture, capturing the harrowing, hopeless moment when the serpents crushed the three in their coils and killed them in a horrifying spectacle, vividly conveys the full impact of divine retribution.
蛇的形象在艺术与建筑中的运用也在古罗马时期达到一个高峰。从壁画到马赛克地面，从雕塑到生活器皿和首饰，蛇的形象无处不在。美国大都会博物馆收藏有几件埃及在古罗马统治时间的蛇形金手镯，其环形设计很容易让人联想到“衔尾蛇”
（Ouroboros）
——一条吞噬自己尾巴的蛇 。
“衔尾蛇”一词源自希腊语“oura”（尾巴）和“bora”（吞食），它是人类最古老的符号之一，象征着宇宙中的循环性——季节的更替、昼夜的往复以及生死的轮回。
一个在1478年炼金术文献中的蛇吞自身图案
这种循环的背后是“重生”的概念，而蛇的定期蜕皮的习性使之成为这一概念的化身。事实上，在古埃及的象形文字中，不同种类的蛇经常出现，其中一些即是代表“重生”与 “不朽”。
The ancient Roman world embraced snake imagery, incorporating it into frescoes, mosaics, statues, and gold bracelets whose circular design evokes the ancient symbol of the Ouroboros—a serpent devouring its own tail. Derived from the Greek words oura (tail) and bora (eating), the Ouroboros is one of humanity's oldest symbols, embodying the cyclical nature of existence—seasonal changes, the rhythm of night and day, and the cycle of life and death.
Underlying these cycles is the concept of renewal, as reflected in the snake’s periodic shedding of its own skin. In fact, in ancient Egypt, different types of snakes appeared in hieroglyphic writing and art, some carrying the meaning of rebirth and immortality.
与永生相关的蛇在英雄史诗《吉尔伽美什史诗》
（
The Epic of Gilgamesh
）
中也扮演着重要角色。这部起源于公元前2100年左右的文学作品，来自古代美索不达米亚，是已知最古老的文学作品之一。故事中，主人公吉尔伽美什带了摆脱“终有一死”的命运，从海底成功取回了“生命之草”，而这神草却被一条蛇偷走吞食。
这一情节通常被解读为暗示死亡的不可避免, 而这进一步强化了该史诗的核心主题之一：接受生命的有限性本身就代表着智慧。
Echoing the Egyptian theme of eternal life, the snake plays a significant role in
The Epic of Gilgamesh
, one of the oldest known works of literature, originating from ancient Mesopotamia around 2100 BC. In the story, Gilgamesh, the death-fearing protagonist, successfully retrieves the "Plant of Life" from the bottom of the sea, only to have it stolen and consumed by a serpent.
The loss, widely interpreted as symbolizing the inevitability of death, reinforces one of the epic's central themes: wisdom is gained through accepting life's limitations.
