Chnuphis Serpent

8/10/2019 Chnuphis Serpent

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A Limoges enamelled plaque of the twelfth century (in the collection of Mr. OctaviusMorgan) represents on its one half "Moyses" lifting up the Braen !erpent to the "ilii#srael." On the other half$ "similis Aaron" is seen inscri%ing with ap. &'

reed pen the mystic au *ross upon the foreheads of the elect. he first of these

ta%leau+ offers the most e+traordinary feature in its representation of the serpent$depicted here with lion's head and mane:the verita%le Agathod,mon *hnuphis of ourAle+andrian talismans. he preservation of this form to so late a period fills one withsurprise- it indicates a traditionary %elief that the sym%ol was the giver of life andhealth. he %elief must have come down from the times when the gyptian talismanwas commonly worn$ in the way /alen mentions$ as a protection to the chest. heBraen !erpent of Moses and the 0lasma Agathod,mon of 1ing 2echepsos had in allpro%a%ility one and the same origin$ giving currency to those little ingots whichformed the sole money of the 3indoos %efore the esta%lishment of the Macedonians inBactria. But the most pro%a%le solution of the question is that the sym%ol stealthilyrepresents the serpent4entwined clu% of Aesculapius (itself so hard to account for)$ orthe wand similarly encircled$ which was the %adge of gyptian priesthood. And whatrenders this con5ecture of mine almost a certainty is an as of the gens Acilia$ %earingfor o%verse the head of Aesculapius$ for reverse a wand(not the usual clu%) placedvertically and encircled %y his serpent in threeconvolutions. his type$ if slightlydefaced %y wear$ would %ecome identical in appearance with the *hnuphis sym%ol.he spiral frequently ta6es the form of the letters S S Sdisconnected$ traversed %y astraight line. he curative virtue ascri%ed to the sigil$ again$ tends to indicate itsderivation from the proper %adge of the god of the healing art. or the eminent

physician Marcellus mpiricus (who flourished at Bordeau+ in heodosius7 reign)promises wonderful effects in the cure of pleurisy from the wearing of this very figureengraved upon a cerulean !cythian 5asper. 8hether this promise %e true or not$marvellous has %een the vitality of the sym%ol itself9 for reduced to a dou%le S Supona %ar$ it %ecame a favourite device in the times of chivalry$ %eing ta6en as the re%usupon the word Fermesse:(!!fermes) and the em%lem of constancy. 3ence comes itthat this ancient gyptian sym%ol now adornsp. &&;

the *ollar of the /arter$ formerly 6nown as the "*ollars of !!." Meyric67s derivation of

the name from the initial of "!ouver ayne$" motto of 3enry #oman lawyer9 and therefore was ta6en for %adge %y his profession44a theorywhich assuredly does not account for 3enry7s queen$ ?oan of 2avarre$ %eing similarlydecorated with her hus%and upon their monument.

hat the Agathod,mon sigil was not only pre4*hristian$ %ut ascended to the remotest
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antiquity in its use as a talisman$ plainly appears from /alen7s notice thereof (=e !imp.Med. @ i+.). "!ome indeed assert that a virtue of this 6ind is inherent in certain stones$such as it is certainis possessed %y the green 5asper$ which %enefits the chest andmouth of the stomach$ when tied upon them. !ome indeed set the stone in a ring$ andengrave upon it a serpent with head crowned with rays$ according to the directions of

1ing 2echepsos in his thirteenth %oo6. Of this material # have had much e+perience$having made a nec6lace out of stones of the 6ind$ and hung it a%out the patient7s nec6$descending low enough to touch the mouth of the stomach$ and they proved to %e ofno less %enefit than if they had %een engraved in the manner laid down %y 1ing2echepsos." his treatise %y 2echepsos must have %een a regular Manual for the useof Magicians$ for Ausonius mentions its author as

"uique magos docuit mysteria vana 2echepsi.""2echepsos$ teacher of vain Magic7s lore."

p. &&'

paragraph continuesChe %oo6$ perhaps the foundation of the pretended va+$ was the first

source of the notions concerning the virtues of sigils and gems preserved to us in themedi,val "Lapidaria." 0liny (vii. D;) quotes him along with his countryman 0etosirisas an astrological authority$ according to whose rule of the "etartomorion" (or lawdeduced from the position of three signs$ Trine) the possi%le duration of human life inthe region of #taly e+tended to '&E years. And %efore dismissing 2echepsos and his%oo6 it may %e as well to add here44for the fact will %e of service in a further stage ofthis inquiry44that 0liny mentions (+++. &) a second school of Magic$ "%ut more recent%y many thousand years" than Foroaster7s$ and founded %y theJews$ Moses$ #annes and

?otapes. he first of the trio may %e the almudist to whose "secret volume" ?uvenal

alludes44"radidit arcane quacumque volumine Moses."

paragraph continuesCAlthough the Apostle couples #annes along with #am%res amongst thegyptian opponents of the 3e%rew legislator$ ?uvenal also informs us that the nationretained even in his times their ancient fame of veracious interpreters of dreams9 nay$more$ grown "wiser than =aniel$" they even producedthem to order44

"ualiacunque voles ?ud,i somnia mittunt."

"he ?ew$ for money$ sends what dreams you choose."

paragraph continuesC3ippolytus in the following century remar6s that the "!amaritans$"or"!imonians$" founded %y the first preacher of the /nosis$ !imon Magus himself$availed themselves of this power in order to plague their adversaries$ "sendingthe dream-producingdemons to trou%le whomsoever they please." he medi,val namefor engraved gems regarded as talismans$ vi.$ "0ierres dG#srael$" is %etter foundedthan is generally supposed. he o%vious difficulty that graven figures44nay$ more$idols44could not have %een the wor6 of ?ews$ is answered %y the >a%%inical gloss uponthe !econd *ommandment$ which allows the wearing of any sort of design cut


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in intaglio$ though prohi%iting anything of the sort in relief.p. &&&

he choice of the greenjasper(now calledplasma:) for the Agathod,mon sigils waspro%a%ly dictated %y the resem%lance of its colour to that of the sacred Asp44green%anded with %rown. As for the figure itself$ a very ancient testimony as to its nature

and signification is afforded %y the tradition use%ius has preserved (#. H)- "heserpent$ unless in5ured %y violence$ never dies naturally$ for which reason the0hInicians have given it the name of the 7/ood /enius$7Agathodmon. or the samecause the gyptians have called it 7*neph$7 and given to it the head of a haw6$ %ecauseof the especial swiftness of that %ird." he priest of peae$ entitled "3ead4interpreterof sacred things and !cri%e$" had e+pounded the allegory thus "he most divine2ature of all was one !erpent having the face of a haw6$ and most delightful in aspect$for when he opened his eyes he filled all the places of his native region with light9 %utwhen he closed them$ dar6ness immediately ensued." he serpent on our gems$however$ does not appear invested with a haw67s head$ %ut with a lion's;for whichreason this legend applies %etter to the A%ra+as4god$ occasionally equipped with ahaw67s or lion7s head$ in place of his proper one$ that of a coc6. But the idea iscertainly em%odied in that common design upon the Mithraic gems$ a man grasping aserpent$ of which the radiated head points at his eyes and seems to supply them withlight. urthermore$ the meaning of the figure of the Agathod,mon is clearly denoted%y the *haldee legend frequently accompanying it. C C $ "he verlasting!un$" which is sometimes followed %y $ pro%a%ly used as sacred numerals$ for theyhave the power in /ree6 arithmetic of H;D. his same legend is attached toa classicalfigure of 0hI%us (such as he appears on the coins with the legend SOLI

INVICTO COMITI) engraved upon a yellow 5asper in the Marl%orough *a%inet44a factsufficiently attesting the accuracy of the interpretation here given to the *haldeeinscription.

Astrologyli6ewise lent its aid to accrediting the virtues of thep. &&J

sigil. hat great authority 3ephaestion (quoted %y !almasius$ ie) o%servesthat C is the name of one of the!ecani$ or three chief stars in *ancer9 whilstanother astrologer laid down that the star so called was set in the %reast of Leo$ andforthat reasonwas efficacious for the cure of all diseases in the chest of man. And in fact

we find this latter dictum confirmed %y the prayer CC C $ "1eep in good health the chest of 0roclus$" engraved upon the %ac6 ofone of these very *hnuphis gems. Others of the same 6ind are again surrounded %y along *optic legend often arranged in the outline of a serpent$ varying in words$ %utalways terminating in the epithet U or $ "Brea6er" or"Moc6er" of the /iants44that is$ of the evil and re%ellious Angels9 for the /recian fa%leof the 8ar of the /iants against ?ove had then revived$ a Foroastrian interpretation%eing applied to the re%ellion of Ahriman and his demons against Ormud and the
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Ministers of /ood.

he method of employing a talisman is thus prescri%ed in the Magic 0apyrus$ K -44"A!pell of Alleius *r,onius$ spo6en to the Lamp$" "

$ hou that sha6est the world nter$ and deliver an oracle concerning such and such a matter.

N N . he engraved stone ( . .) !erapis seated in front$ having the gyptian crown ( ) $ and upon his sceptre an i%is$ on the %ac6 of the stone the 2ame9 and loc6 it up and 6eep it for use. 3old in thy left hand thering$ and in thy right a %ranch of olive and of %ay4tree$ waving them over the lamp$repeating all the while the spells even times. And having drawn the ring upon theproper finger of thy left hand$ facing and %eing inwards (the engraving)$ stic6 the gemagainst thy left ear$ and go to sleep$ without returning answer to any one." he o%5ectof this charm was (although not so stated) to procure prophetic dreams$ which areactually enumerated amongst the effects to follow from the use of the one that standsne+t in the M!.

Although the original intention of these *hnuphis sigils was unquestiona%ly the onepointed out in the preceding pages$ yetp. &&E

there is every pro%a%ility from the nature of the case that the same were adopted andinterpreted in aspiritualsense %y the numerous and influential sect that first assumedthe title of "/nostics." hey had an all4sufficient reason for so doing$ in thefundamental doctrine of their creed. he well4informed and temperate 3ippolytus$writing at the most flourishing period of these transitional theosophies$ thus opens his

actual 7>efutation of all 3eresies7 and his ifth Boo6 with the description "of that sectwhich hath dared to %oast the "erpentas the author of their religion$ as they prove %ycertain arguments wherewithhehath inspired them. On this account the apostles andpriests of this creed have %een styled 72aaseni$7 from 72aas$7 the 3e%rew wordforserpent:%ut su%sequently they entitled themselves 7he /nostics$7 %ecause theyalone understood the deep things of religion. Out of this sect sprung many otherteachers$ who %y diversifying the original doctrines through inventions of their own%ecame the founders of new systems." urther on he has a passage %earingimmediately upon this su%5ect. "his#aasis the only thingthey worship$ for whichreason they are called 72aaseni7 (ie$phites$ or !erpent4worshippers). rom this same

word #aasthey pretend that all the temples ( ) under 3eaven derive the name.And unto this 2aas are dedicated every rite$ ceremony$ mystery$ that is9 in short$ notone rite can %e found under 3eaven into which this 2aas doth not enter. or they saythe !erpent signifies the element 8ater9 and with hales of Miletus contend thatnothing in the niverse can su%sist without it$ whether of things mortal or immortal$animate or inanimate. All things are su%5ect unto him9 and he is good$ and hath allgood things within himself as in the horn of a unicorn$ so that he imparts %eauty and


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perfection unto all that is$ inasmuch as he pervades all things$ as flowing out of den$and divided into four heads. . . . his 2aas is the 7water a%ove the firmament$7 andli6ewise the 7living water7 spo6en of %y the !aviour. nto this %aterall 2ature isdrawn$ and attracts out of the same whatever is analogous to its own nature$ eachthing after its own 6ind$ with more avidity than the loadstone draws the iron$ the ray

of the sea4haw6 gold$ or am%er straws. hen they gop. &&D

on to %oast- 8e are the "piritual$ who have drawn our own portion out of the livingwater of the uphrates that flows through the midst of Ba%ylon9 and who have enteredin through the rue /ate$ the which is ?esus the Blessed. And we of all men are the only&hristians$ in the hird /ate cele%rating the Mystery$ %eing anointed with the ineffa%leointment out of the hornli6e =avid$ not out of the earthen esselli6e !aul whoconversed with the vil !pirit of carnal concupiscence."

uphrates$ a more recent teacher of the sect$ who founded the %ranch calling

themselves "0eratai$" or atalists$ has a passage that indicates the sense in which hisfollowers may have accepted these *hnuphis gems. "o them therefore of the *hildrenof #srael who were %itten in the 8ilderness Moses showed the True and (erfect"erpent;in whom whosoever trusteth he shall not %e %itten %y the serpents of the8ilderness$ that is$ shall not %e hurt %y the (owers. 2o one therefore is a%le to heal andto save them that %e gone forth out of gypt$ that is$ out of the %ody and out of theworld$ save that 0erfect$ ull of all fulness$ !erpent. #n 3im whosoever putteth histrust$ that man perisheth not %y the serpents of the 8ilderness$ that is$ %y the gods ofthe nativity."

hese last 0owers$ whom uphrates (a pure astrologer) in another place calls the"gods of death$" are the stars of the horoscope$ "which impose upon all that %e %ornthe fatal yo6e of the changeful nativity$" that is$ the necessity of death$ the necessaryconsequence of )irth$ a doctrine that clearly leads to the efficacy of the !erpent sigil asa talisman to protect the wearer against the malign influence of the astral genii. heOphites$ in fact$ were the legitimate descendants of the Bacchic Mystae$ whose religionduring the two centuries preceding our era must have %een the predominant one inthe great cities of Asia Minor. An argument derived from 2umismatics esta%lishes thecommon fact44the coinage of the chief cities$ phesus$ Apamea$ 0ergamus$ was issuedchiefly in the form of &istophori$ having for o%verse the Bacchic !erpent raising himself

out of the sacred coffer9 for reverse$ two serpents entwined round torches.

Footnotes

&'-:his sigla in its simplest form$ $ ma6es its appearance in profusion over all the%uildings of 3enri #


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same figure is to %e found on the medals of 3enri7s mother and sister$ and even uponarticles made for Anne of Austria9 and he acquiesces in the e+planation given in thete+t$ which is ta6en from an old %oo6$ 7Les Bigarrures$7 chap. "=es >P%us de la0icardie$" %y tienne a%ouret$ !ieur des Accords44(7>evue 2umismatique7 for 'QD@$ p.&H@).

"ermesse$ dont lGAmour peint un *hiffre dGamour*ommune en lGPcriture$ mais rare dans le coeur$Mais ainsi que la forme est dGun arc mis en deu+Le dPsir inconstant froisse et %rise tes nIuds$*e pendant quo les mains tafermessefigurent." GLovs 0apon$G '@th century.

&&&-:he greenjasperof the moderns was the molochites or molochas of the ancients$for 0liny descri%es it as opa*ue$ dar64green$ and specially used for amulets.
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Chnuphis Serpent

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