The Caduceus Symbol
The caduceus is the symbol of Hermes, the Greek God of transitions and boundaries. The caduceus was also used to symbolize commerce and negotiations.
The caduceus was not originally Hermes', but it was given to him by his half-brother Apollo. In the Homeric Hymns about Hermes, it is said that Hermes had stolen cattle from Apollo, and as compensation for stealing the cattle Hermes gave Apollo his lyre which was fashioned from a tortoise shell. As a sign of friendship Apollo returned the gesture by giving Hermes the caduceus.
A statue of Hermes
The caduceus through its symbolization of the god Hermes (Mercury to the Romans) also symbolized the element mercury, the astrological symbol, and the planet. The modern symbol used for mercery came from the caduceus.
The symbol for Mercury
The caduceus, also known as the "Wand of Mercury," was thought in antiquity to possess magical properties; that would gently part the souls from the dying body and wake the dead.
Passage from the book explaining the magical properties of the wand of Mercury: Lives of the necromancers: or, An account of the most eminent persons in successive ages, who have claimed for themselves, or to whom has been imputed by others, the exercise of magical power (1834) (Page 37)
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The caduceus is also commonly mistaken for the medical symbol, the Rod of Asclepius.
A study from Walter J Friedlander's The Golden Wand of Medicine: A History of the Caduceus symbol in medicine stated that, "The rod of Asclepius is the dominant symbol for professional healthcare associations in the United States. One survey found that 62% of professional healthcare associations used the rod of Asclepius as their symbol. The same survey found that 76% of commercial healthcare organizations used the Caduceus symbol."
The Medical Symbol using the Rod of Asclepius
great article and true, so many organizations and individuals mix up the Caduceus with the Rod of Asclepius ... while are similar, it is surprising that professional organizations would not know the difference. This is because studying Greek Mythology is actually an intellectual luxury in our era, as opposed to a subject matter previously considered a staple of one's classical education.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all of your research on symbols ... they are found everywhere we look, even if we don't know (as a culture) that we're seeing them.
Great work!