10-30-2006, 08:09 PM
I came up with a few interesting remarks, some of which I thought would interest you. Working on the rod or staff theory, the sign of Esculapius or Asclepius, god of healing came to mind. This link has some nice coins.
http://hobbyblog.blogspot.com/2003_11_3 ... chive.html
Then there is this one
www.harrow.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/strea ... t_id=27560
tying in the snakewrapped staff to the healing properties of plants (leaves, not feathers?)
Then there is this tekstclipping:
" The caduceus is the wand of the messenger of the gods, Hermes — or Mercury in Greek mythology. Though it often is used as a medical icon, the official symbol of the health care profession is the staff of Aesculapius, who was a son of Apollo and the god of healing. This god’s symbol has a single serpent wrapped around a rough-hewn tree branch.
The American Medical Association adopted the staff of Aesculapius as its symbol in 1910.
The AMA’s symbol has one snake entwined around a knotted staff. The ancients tell us that while the healer Aesculapius was visiting the house of a patient, a serpent coiled itself around the staff and Aesculapius killed it. Shortly thereafter, another serpent appeared with an herb leaf in its mouth and restored the dead serpent to life.
Aesculapius kept the leaf, and with it was even better at healing people. He became so successful as a healer, he could even restore people from the dead. Homer singled him out in his epics as a mortal physician-hero who performed miraculous acts of healing on the battlefield. "
bringing magical leaves into the story. There is mention of myrtle leaves, but these are pretty dubious to tie in directly.
There is a reference to the use of laurel leaves in the rituals of the Pythoness (priestesses of Delphi), linked to the later Roman god Apollo.
Perhaps this speculative line gets you further?
http://hobbyblog.blogspot.com/2003_11_3 ... chive.html
Then there is this one
www.harrow.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/strea ... t_id=27560
tying in the snakewrapped staff to the healing properties of plants (leaves, not feathers?)
Then there is this tekstclipping:
" The caduceus is the wand of the messenger of the gods, Hermes — or Mercury in Greek mythology. Though it often is used as a medical icon, the official symbol of the health care profession is the staff of Aesculapius, who was a son of Apollo and the god of healing. This god’s symbol has a single serpent wrapped around a rough-hewn tree branch.
The American Medical Association adopted the staff of Aesculapius as its symbol in 1910.
The AMA’s symbol has one snake entwined around a knotted staff. The ancients tell us that while the healer Aesculapius was visiting the house of a patient, a serpent coiled itself around the staff and Aesculapius killed it. Shortly thereafter, another serpent appeared with an herb leaf in its mouth and restored the dead serpent to life.
Aesculapius kept the leaf, and with it was even better at healing people. He became so successful as a healer, he could even restore people from the dead. Homer singled him out in his epics as a mortal physician-hero who performed miraculous acts of healing on the battlefield. "
bringing magical leaves into the story. There is mention of myrtle leaves, but these are pretty dubious to tie in directly.
There is a reference to the use of laurel leaves in the rituals of the Pythoness (priestesses of Delphi), linked to the later Roman god Apollo.
Perhaps this speculative line gets you further?
