Eve and the Serpent: Snake Symbolism and Repressed Histories of the Feminine

The symbol of the serpent has long represented evil, danger and chaos in western religious and mythological narratives - often associated with a particular type of female monstrosity in figures such as the biblical Eve and Lilith, or the mythological Gorgon queen Medusa. And yet, across the majority of world cultures serpents have also represented healing, regeneration and intuitive wisdom, as well as symbolising cycles of menstruation and fertility.

The killing or slaying of the serpent has been a recurrent metaphor for the triumph of religious, patriarchal and colonising forces, from the story of St Patrick killing snakes in Ireland and the suppression of sacred serpent deities in Africa, to the numerous tales of princes and heroes overcoming serpent monsters. Today, contemporary art and feminism has been interested in reclaiming the serpent as a symbol of empowerment and erotics that leads us beyond traditional frameworks of knowledge to more networked and embodied ones.

This lecture will look at an entanglement of serpent symbolism from a feminist and postcolonial perspective, exploring examples ranging from the snake goddesses of Minoan Crete to contemporary popular culture.

We are committed to making our sessions as accessible as possible. If you are unable to pay the full amount for this class, please reach out to us via email at [email protected] and we will provide you with a discount code.