The Ouroboros dragon amulet, cast in zinc, depicts a dragon biting its own tail. Its body forms a closed circle, a symbol of eternity, renewal and the continuous cycle of life. The Ouroboros connects the beginning with the end, reminding us that something new can emerge from destruction.
- Material: zinc
- Dimensions: 3 × 4 cm
- Design: Kati
- Made in the Czech Republic
Uroboros, or Ouroboros, takes its name from Greek and means “tail-devouring”. It appears in the form of both a serpent and a dragon. The meaning of this motif changes over the centuries: it can represent a protective circle, the unity of the world, eternity and the constant transformation of matter.
In ancient Egypt, the serpent with its tail in its mouth appears in religious imagery associated with the sun god and the afterlife. Its body surrounds and protects whatever lies within the circle. Its meaning therefore extends beyond eternity, with protection and the enclosing of sacred space also playing an important role.
In the Greek-language alchemical tradition, the Ouroboros accompanies the phrase “One is All”. The serpent’s closed body expresses the idea that the diverse forms of matter belong to a single whole and can transform into one another. In European alchemy, the motif develops further and also takes on the form of a dragon. Devouring its own tail represents a process in which destruction and creation depend on one another.
Norse mythology offers a similar image in Jörmungandr, the enormous serpent that lies in the ocean surrounding Midgard, the world of humans, holding its own tail in its mouth. He is an adversary of the god Thor and faces him in a final battle at Ragnarök. Although his shape resembles the Ouroboros, he has his own role in Norse stories and cannot simply be regarded as the same symbol.
Related products
