Aspid and Basilisk in mythology and legends

In Russian, the aspid has long ceased to be a proper name and is written with a small letter. From the Greek language the word "aspid" is translated as a poisonous snake. In ancient times, the Aspide was called the insidious terrible snake, which kept people in awe and the mere mention of it, caused a shiver throughout the body.

Aspid - who is this?

The world is full of legends, myths and legends. Hearing the next story, you involuntarily think how many drops of truth, and how many lies he has collected. Legends of the terrible serpent, which destroyed everything in its path, have reached to our days. Aspid, is it really who, is the personification of the devil, the serpent tempter of the Bible, the real giant dragon or the Serpent of the Horynych ? Could there really be an Aspid?

Who is the Aspid in the Bible?

Who forced Eve to taste the sweet forbidden fruit? Biblical tradition, about the serpent tempter, one of the oldest mentions of the Aspid. This monster, most often mentioned in biblical stories and theological books:

  1. It appears as a poisonous snake of sand color, with black and white spots and horns.
  2. It is also found in the form of a winged dragon, which has two legs, a bird's beak and a serpent bifurcated tongue.
  3. The aspid in the Bible reflects the face of the devil.

Aspid - Mythology

Ancient legends tell of a snake that devastated the neighborhood, killing people and animals. According to the legend, it was possible to destroy it only with fire. Aspid - a mythical creature, and for a long time he was not only representative of the serpent family, but was the personification of horror and death. In myths, using Aspid spells could be inserted into a trance, so one ear he constantly presses to the ground, and the other is plugged with a tail.

Aspid and Basilisk

In the Bible, the enemy appeared often in the form of a snake. Basilisk is mentioned in the 90 psalm "you will step on the aspid and basilisk; thou shalt trample a lion and a dragon. " According to legend, from the egg that the black cock will take down and the toad will sit on the manure, the Basilisk hatches. In the legends, he is depicted with a cock head, a toad body and a tail, like a snake, on his head, a crown similar to a crown of red color. The main weapon that can destroy a monster was a mirror capable of killing Basilisk by its own reflection. Aspid and Basilisk are poisonous snakes, but at the same time, they are still biblical and mythical creatures .

Aspid - Slavic Mythology

There was a rumor that the snake was flying, the ground would be ravaged. All were frightened, not to hide from him, the true death awaits. But the wise man knew how to overcome Aspid, that he was afraid of snakes sound of pipes and fire and did not sit down on the ground. He ordered the forging of copper pipes and mites of iron. Has arrived the Aspid, was delighted easy profit as here sounded dozens of pipes from a deep hole, under a lattice in it trumpeters have hidden. The snake of the pipes was frightened, flew to the pit, and from there dozens of red-hot ticks began to pierce him in the back, paws, wings. The monster was frightened and flew away. No one saw him again on the Slavic land.

Different nationalities in their own way represented a treacherous serpent. In Egyptian mythology it is believed that the queen of Cleopatra died from the poison of Aspid. Slavonic mythology is rich in colorful stories and the snake in legends represented differently. Aspid, in ancient myths, rather, a collective being, embodying the dark forces. Whether the myths are far from the real confluence of affairs, it is difficult for historians to say:

  1. The Slavs saw a monster of a proportional snake, but with a bird's nose, two trunks and wings that shimmered like semiprecious stones.
  2. According to one of the myths, the wings of the monster consisted of plates of precious stones: sapphires, emeralds and diamonds. The snake's body was charcoal black.
  3. The aspid in Slavic mythology is compared with the Snake Gorynych.
  4. Chernobog, who commanded the shock legions of the army of darkness, also the Slavs are compared to the winged snake - the Aspid.
  5. The aspid never sets foot on the earth because she refuses to accept the devil's product. The snake can not be killed by any weapon, especially the arrow of an ordinary person, and the hammer will not help.

Aspid - legend

The serpent who lived in the Black Mountains, decided to leave the cave, where he stayed for many years. He took off high and took Dazhbog from three beautiful girls. But the disappearance of the beauties was quickly discovered, and Dazhbog himself rushed to catch up with the monster and rescue them. A big and serious battle broke out, after which beautiful maidens managed to rescue a snake from captivity. Then the snake came up with a new insidious plan and stole three earthly princesses, and so that no one could ever come to their aid, hid the beauties in the Kingdom of Koshchei.

Powerful bogatyrs rushed to rescue the princes from captivity and almost reached them, but they could not defeat Aspid. But it turned out for the heroes to drive the snake out of the dungeon, to the earth's surface, where its mighty warriors were waiting. They managed to decapitate the snake and burn it. Turned his ashes into a mighty mountain. Since then, Aspid, the winged serpent, no longer troubled people.