Snake motifs: The Irish Perspective

Perhaps it would be easier to show you some glaring examples of snake symbolism directly from the Boyne valley itself.



This clearly shows the left eye, snout and dorsal markings, proportionately correct. The markings themselves show a double zig-zag line and a row of connected lozenges/rhomboids. Gimbutas saw lozenges as the fertility symbol on female form figurines because of the positioning of the symbol on the female belly and protruding portions of the female anatomy.This is of course a contextual interpretation.The second image below is again a snake head with a striking renedition of the eye and snout from site 4 at Knowth.



The dorsal markings here are not as clear as the Newgrange example but nonetheless a more realistic renedition of the reptile.

Above found in Western Europe and British Isles.

Above found in Spain, Portugal and Northern Africa.

Above found in SE Europe and Turkey. Clearly from all three snake types you can see either a zig-zag dorsal band or a section that changes to Rhomboid/Lozenge shape. Is it possible that a few species could have been in existance some 5 millennia ago in Ireland?

Vipera Berus (The Common Adder)(After Linneaus)

We can start with what is regarded in herptelogical circles as the most widely distributed snake subspecies in the world. Referred to as the Northern Viper or Common Adder, its distribution covers a huge geographical range, as far south as the Mediterranean and as North as the Artic Circle (67 degrees latitude Northern Scandinavia) and as east as Asia. It elevation ranges from sea level in Galicia, Spain to 10,500 ft. in the Swiss Alps. Habitat is sometimes marshy ground but usually dry moors ,sandy heaths and stony hilltops exposed to the sun where it likes to bask along with open forests. Its food consists of small rodents , lizards, worms, frogs, birds, mice and large slugs. I bring up this slugs highlight because various layers of snail shells were discovered in cross section of the Newgrange mound during restoration.These slugs/snail shells were identified scientifically as Land Molluscs of the order Oxychilus Cellarius, Discus Rotundatus and Vitrea Contracta.(NOTE 6) These snails like moist, shaded areas that would be present in stony soil at hilltops. Its quite possible the Neolithic society used them as a food product but this type of snake would also have used these snails in its diet. I don't have any pictures of those type of molluscs but below you will see a series of Land Mollusc shell types that mimic the spiral iconography at Newgrange.



I now like to draw your attention to the stone lintel belonging to Newgrange's famously executed roof box at the entrance to the mound (see below).


Now compare it to the head marking on Vipera Berus drawn at the turn of the 20th Century (below)





The correlation in my mind is very striking. Notice also how there are spots, black spots between the dorsal markings running in a chain along the snakes back. Not all snake markings are consistent across species or type. Now take a look at the 'Angular style' of iconography that the archaeoloigists gave to any Neolithic style that was opposite the curved markings found elsewhere.

Note that nearly all the angular style markings on Neolithic sites are above ground level. I think there is a clear reason for this. Since we now know that snakes like dark, moist habitats, such as rocky caves, being a small reptile with one defence mechanism, a powerful at that, but having no way of fast retreat because the snake is limbless, these animals probably chose to reach high above ground level to evade predators who could not either detect them or reach them at lintel level within the mounds. Its also likely that condensation throughout the passageways and chambers provided a source of water and cooling for the snakes. Look at all the markings on lintels and corbels which are rocky shelves. Within Knowth site 1, we have double zig-zag lines at the corbel level. Lozenges, highly stylized, exist at the lintel level in Fourknocks site 1and Newgrange (more snake markings).Perhaps the most famous carving at Newgrange, the entrance stone will help even further.



Here I am in agreement with Gimbutas as these, on one level, represent snake coils, as spirals. Spirals and coilings go back to the Paleolithic age indicating a form of the earth Goddess and the life energy renewal. Most snakes coil to conserve body heat, but some venomous species coil to attack (rattlesnakes).Again we see chevrons/lozenges in association with the spirals.

In the above diagram all lintel/corbel stones exhibit the same repeated patterning of Lozenges and double zig-zag lines. Of particular interest is the very highly stylized roof slabs designated 'E' and 'F' visible over the right hand and end recesses. Corbelling and roof slabs within Newgrange monument continue to show the Lozenge/ double zig-zag iconography in the drawings below.



In fact one corbel Co 1 / C12-13 appears to show an upside down snake head and thorax partially obscured by a concrete pillar.

Vipera Latastii (Lataste's Viper)(After Bosca)

Found in Spain, Portugal and Northern Africa. This viper has clear dorsal markings of the wavy zig-zag variety but being grey or pale brown in colouring. Its distribution appears not as wide as V. Berus but again what do we known of its distribution 5,000 years ago? Again it likes dry stony hills and forests. It is somewhat of a tree climber looking to prey on small birds. Dorsal markings are black and it has a distinguishing upturned snout.


In the above drawing we can see, once again, the dorsal black spot markings on either side of the zig-zag band.

Copyright © Paul Griffin 2000 - 2003