Of Dragons and Men
Wax carving is what I do most of the time and am fortunate
enough to enjoy this miniature world of detail. Once carved the wax piece is
translated into metal by means of a lost wax casting process. The actual
carving of wax is time consuming (well, the way I go about it..), The kind of
detail that I like means that having a compulsive obsessive disposition is an
advantage in this choice of medium. It also means I have plenty of time for
contemplation under the guise of being hard at work. Wax carving is such that
part of my attention is focused on what I am doing, while the greater part of
my thinking can wonder and contemplate at will.
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| A double finger ring I carved of a Dragon |
As a theme for our exhibition, the Fine ounce collective
conceived the title “Breath of Fire”, 2012 being the year of the Dragon. I have
been joyously carving along this theme, when I can. While busy with carving my
thoughts have been a’ wandering and wondering on the subject of Dragons …
Where did the myth of the Dragon originate? The presence
of the Dragon myth in most of the worlds ancient cultures suggests to me that
such a creature might once have existed and if so where were its beginnings.
It seems that the very first written creation stories of
the world (uncovered so far) are from the Sumerian civilization, generally in
the area we call Mesopotamia. The word ‘dragon’ as we know it today, only came
later with the Greek civilization. Much of the philosophy, cosmology and
religion of these later civilizations evolved from the earlier Sumerian myths.
The Sumerians depicted these Serpent dragons guarding treasures, holding back
floods and dispensing knowledge. Gods and Heroes alike also battle them.
In earlier Asian mythologies Dragons are either Gods or
messengers to the Gods. As in earlier Middle Eastern stories the Dragons are
most often associated with water and wisdom. However unlike the Middle Eastern
and later European stories where there is fighting amidst Dragons, Gods and
man, the Asian Dragon is generally benevolent.
Dragons exist today as myth
and fantasy where real understanding has faded, so too has the significance of
the symbolism surrounding the concept of Serpents and Dragons. I am thinking
specifically of the Caduceas, which is a winged staff with two snakes wrapped
around it associated with the Greek God Hermes; and the Ouroboros, which is an
image of a Serpent holding its tail in its mouth
The Caduceus is generally perceived as a symbol for
medicine. It was only in the 7th century that it came to be
associated with a precursor for medicine. It is often interchangeable with the
‘Rod of Aselepuis’ (single snake, no wings). These symbols origins however,
date as early as 2600 BC in Mesopotamia and there are several references to a
Caduceus like symbol in the Bible. Historically, these two symbols had distinct
meanings in astrological alchemical principles and are perceived by some
scholars to represent a DNA double helix. There are others of the opinion that
Dragons are linked to the winged gods from the heavens that came to earth to create
the human race and are a very important symbology in the creational blueprint
of our reality
.
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| Caduceus |
The other significant Serpent dragon symbol still
prevalent today is the Ouroboros. It’s existence is can be traced back to
ancient Egypt circa 1600 BC. Most evident in ancient Gnostic texts, the
Ouroboros is any image of a snake, worm, serpent or dragon biting it’s own
tail. It generally takes the form of a circle but is also interchangeable with
a figure 8 shape (mostly known as an infinity symbol). It can represent many
concepts- time, life continuity, completion, the repetition of history, the
self- sufficiency of nature and the rebirth of the Earth. The
Ouroboros (and Caduceus) symbol has also been associated with Kundalini energy.
The Ouroboros is evident in many societies throughout history, seen in ancient
Egypt, Japan, India, Greek alchemical texts, European woodcuts, Native American
Indian tribes and by the Aztecs.
An interesting angle on the significance of the Ouroboros
is that of Swiss psychologist Karl Jung. He interprets this symbol as
archetypal to the human psyche. As such he describes the Ouroboros as a
dramatic symbol for integration and assimilation of the opposite, that is the
shadow aspect of the unconscious.
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| Ouroboros |
There are also ideas around the Ouroboros being an
astrological alchemical symbol. This mythology implies that the Milky Way
Galaxy keeps a time cycle that ends in great and possibly catastrophic change
when the serpent eats it’s tail (at the end of this tail of reality). Suntelia
Aion is the sun rising out of the mouth of the Ouroboros, which allegedly
occurs on December 21, 2012- representing the evolution of consciousness in the
alchemy of time.
What is beyond grasp is where fantasy and fact collide.
Knowledge eludes, as true understanding is just a faint image in the mist of
time.
Meagan Meredith
when is the exhibition??
ReplyDeleteWe are not certain of the exact dates yet, but will exhibit at several venues in succession, starting in November. When the details are confirmed, we will post them on the blog - probably next week, so please come back!
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