Whilst visiting the cemetery in Haverhill, Suffolk yesterday, I was drawn to this monument that I assumed to be the Virgin Mary, even though there is no Sacred heart symbol or any of the other usual indicators as to her identity. However, when I took a closer look, I noticed that she was standing on a serpent with an apple in it's mouth.
In the Bible Genesis 3: 1-15: when Eve said that the serpent had beguiled her to eat the forbidden fruit, God told the serpent that it was cursed above all other animals, saying that it shall crawl upon its belly and eat dust all the days of its life and the Lord told the serpent that Eve and all her her offspring would crush the serpents head and that it would bite their heel.
So is this Mary or could it be Eve ? and is this serpent a symbol of mortal temptation ?
This monument in the Histon Road Cemetry, Cambridge, has a snake on each of its four sides, each one in a different position. The first snake above is an Ouroboros ( a snake biting or eating it's own tail ) a symbol of immortality, rejuvenation and eternity.
And lastly, this snake from Mill Road cemetery in Cambridge, holds the cloth which is draped around the urn.
No comments:
Post a Comment