Thoughts on the Symbolism and Origin of Apollo’s Fight Against the Pythian Snake
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12797/CC.24.2021.24.02Keywords:
Apollo, Pytho, Kadmos, Illuyanka, OphioneusAbstract
The following paper deals with the mythological story about Apollo’s fight against a she-snake at Pytho, where he eventually builds a sanctuary – the Delphic Oracle. First, it is attempted to decipher the terms Pytho, Delphi and Omphalos. A symbolism revolving around an underlying theme of birth is considered. Then, the stories about Apollo and about Kadmos, as well as a motif in Pherecydes’ theogony, and the Anatolian Illuyanka Myth are being presented as subjects of a comparative analysis. This leads to the proposal that all four narratives have a common origin in Western Anatolia or Pre-Greek Hellas.
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