References

References

am9905d (2012) Greek God Hermes. [online] Available at: http://am9905d.hubpages.com/hub/Greek-God-Hermes [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012].

En.wikipedia.org (1893) Boa constrictor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boa_constrictor [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012].

En.wikipedia.org (1923) Snake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012].

En.wikipedia.org (1957) Snake venom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_venom [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012].

En.wikipedia.org (1916) Caduceus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caduceus [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012].

Green, T. (2003) The Tattoo Encyclopedia. London: Simon and Schuster UK Ltd, p.220,221

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Saint-Exupéry, A. (1943) The Little Prince. 3rd ed. New York: Harcourt, p.1.

Hall,S(2007)This Means This This Means That London: Laurence Kin

Theoi.com (2000) HERMES : Greek God of Herds, Trade & Athletics, Herald of the Gods | Mythology, w/ pictures | Roman Mercury. [online] Available at: http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Hermes.html [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012].

Unknown. (2010) angry hissing snake!. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upPXpYMnC48 [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012].

Unknown. (2011) ball python eats big rat. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwA3RkXTzGQ [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012].

Weirdspace.dk (2004) J?rmungandr/Midgard Serpent/Vast Monster (Norse mythology) - WeirdSpace. [online] Available at: http://www.weirdspace.dk/NorseMythology/Jormungandr.htm [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012].

Image Reference list –

http://www.mccullagh.org/db9/1ds2-4/kidney-beans.jpg

http://www.thefatlossauthority.com/fat_loss_tips/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/calories-in-an-apple.jpg

http://statsdaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/snake20.jpeg

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/biggestsecret/biggestsecretbook/images/biggestsecretbook12.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Rod_of_Asclepius2.svg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Star_of_life2.svg/220px-Star_of_life2.svg.png

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2605/3974606317_a8b31bbd22.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/The_children_of_Loki_by_Willy_Pogany.png

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs48/i/2009/231/f/9/Old_School_Snake_and_Dagger_by_Green_Jet.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4506153447_ec1f29a820.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/409027_10150555500057970_676087969_8838540_260811449_n.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBktFqnNhlwgvPAAdTz87SZbeFrNAPPhK18AbGjc6E8SVN-f3TsZNPBT8Q_7X4TfKdJvJCCdDnkBfmkWuOKQ0tdnyQLuWKA-eg_JiymkqMqP_euLgNRlOIix5XpUGalIJv757DhSSXyYR/s320/tumblr_lnfutmYtOY1qcu6ojo1_400.png

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/Apep_1.jpg

Conclusion

This is page one from the childrens book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Here the child's drawing of a snake eating an elephant has to be explained to the adults, who perceive it as a hat. How we perceive things can change just by aging,  a completely different outlook from a generation difference. So think how many differences in semiotics can happen just to one creature over the course of thousands of years? And can anything have one fixed meaning with all these changes or will it constantly differ as culture moves on around us?

It can be clearly seen from these few examples that the snake is one of the most widely interpreted animals. From Apep, the Egyptian God of darkness and chaos, a personification of all that is evil to the snake being a sign of birth, a phallic symbol, linking it to reproduction and the bringing of new life, the snake has meant so many different things to so many different people from the start of history. 
Inborn phobias, mythology, personal experience all vary our outlook on this magnificent creature.


Ferdinand de Saussure said, "Everything is a sign, language is a system of signs."
To me though it seems that the snake can be a sign, a symbol, for just about everything.