The Ouroborus

Design: Myself and MS Paint, Ouroborus image credit: quigleyscabinet.blogspot.com.au

Perhaps as a form of escapism, I've been really into fantasy lately. I've started watching Game of Thrones, I'm reading The Wheel of Time series and I've been playing Dragon Age: Origins. Anyhow, I noticed a curious similarity between the latter two. There is an item in Dragon Age that, apart from the material (black iron vs. gold), matches the description of the 'Great Serpent' ring worn by the Aes Sedai (read: sorceresses) in Robert Jordan's novels. I would have liked to find the book quote actually describing it, but as I am listening to audiobooks it makes it rather more difficult to find.

Image credit: dragonage.wikia.com

Both of these are reference to a mythological symbol known as the Ouroborus (Greek for tail-devouring snake, though it is also sometimes portrayed as a dragon). The Ouroborus, much like the mythical Phoenix that rises again from its ashes, symbolises the cyclicality of life and death - the endless process of creation and destruction. The Ouroborus has been used in many different cultures across the world, from ancient Egypt and Greece, to Norsemen and in Hinduism. If I had more time to research, this post would be more than just a summary from Wikipedia.

It is mentioned that the Ouroborus could be "interpreted as a Western equivalent of the Taoist Yin-Yang symbol". This also interestingly relates back to Robert Jordan's books, as "the ancient symbol of te Aes Sedai" is "a circle separated by a sinuous line".

Image credit: wot.wikia.com

The Ouroborus is also referenced by a few of the bands I listen to:

If you know about any other mythological symbols, let me know in the comments.