Has anyone ever seen an ouroboros in real life?

Question

Or have you seen a picture of one? I'm really looking for a photograph. In case you don't know, an ouroboros is a mythical creature that is usually depicted as a serpent eating its tail.

Answer 1

The ourobouros (also spelled ouroboros, uroboros, aroboros), is a usually circular symbol of a creature (traditionally a serpent, lizard or dragon) following, biting or consuming it's tail in an endless loop. Many modern interpretations have also become popular now, such as impressionistic works like "Drawing Hands" by Escher.

Though frequently thought of as a medieval symbol, images of such a thing have been seen as early as 1600 BC in Egypt, Japan in the 14th century and Meso-America in the 1500's. The name we know it as, however, comes from the Greek for "tail eater" (ouro = tail or remainder, boro = to consume, as english bore).

Though an undoubtedly popular symbol throughout history, the meaning has never remained concrete and has been reshapped by whoever adopted the symbol. It has been a representation of people and Deity through the ages, from Isis and later Abraxas in ancient Egypt to Jormungand, the serpent of Midgard, in Norse legend. It also serves to represent many philosophies and ideas, from the cyclical nature of reality, the karmic cycle and chaotic interplay to even such things as thermodynamics and the nature of matter and energy.

Answer 2

An ouroboros is a symbolic creature found in mystic images related to alchemy and hermeticism. It depicts a serpent (sometimes a dragon) swallowing its own tale. In part, it represents the cycle of phenomenological existence. If you do an image Google search of "ouroboros," I'm sure many images from medieval alchemical texts will show up. I'm guessing someone out there has posted a photograph of a snake with its tale in its mouth and tagged it "ouroboros.". I'm just guessing.

Answer 3

Isnt that creature usually depicted as relating to some secret society? It is symbolic that im sure of. It has sexual conotations, it has sociopolitical meaning and the term or noun "Oroborous" is not a particular animal rather refers to the act of the snake eating its tail. I think i saw it referred to in zeitgeist the movie at zeitgeist.com. Interesting movie by the way. May answer part of your question.