The Serpent and the Swan: The Animal Bride in Folklore and Literature (Paperback)

by Boria Sax (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
...highly recommended to all who wish to probe human-animal relationships at their deep symbolic levels. -- Anthrozoos, vol. 12, #2 (1999)

Product Description
The Serpent and the Swan is a history and analysis of animal bride tales from antiquity to the present. The animal bride tale, the author argues, is an enduring expression of mankind's need to remain close to and a part of nature.

Sax traces the idea of the animal bride through human history by drawing upon legends and literary works from throughout the world. He devotes particular attention to Eurasian sources which support his thesis that the animal bride theme originated among the serpent cults of Mesopotamia and southeastern Europe. Through time, the details of the animal bride theme changed as a result of mankind's changing perceptions of the natural world. In general, this study is an account of myths and beliefs that have surrounded animals - and women - during the rise of modern humankind.

The Serpent and the Swan identifies and explains images of the animal bride that pervade, enliven, and enrich our culture. The bride becomes Eve taking an apple from the serpent, Medea casting spells, Cinderella riding to the royal ball in a pumpkin coach, and the Little Mermaid rising from the waves.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company (October 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939923688
• ISBN-13: 978-0939923687
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #733,293 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprisingly relevant and beautiful book., April 12, 1999

By	Gary Kern (NM USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

From the title you might expect something esoteric, but actually it fits right into the mainstream of human history. Author Boria Sax asks at the outset a series of direct and disarming questions: What is nature? What is animal? What is human? What is gender? What is marriage? He devotes a brief discussion to each. The picture that emerges is that mankind in the course of its development separated itself conceptually from nature, but ever after felt the need to return. Yet the concept of "nature" is not fixed; it changes with society and remains largely a mystery, as do the animals within it. One way of re-establishing the connection is through imagination, storytelling, mythmaking. Add the reminder that humans and animals can form a bond as close as a marriage, that a man may call his sweetheart his pet, and you have the psychological preconditions for the story of the animal marriage.

There are animal brides and animal grooms, and they figure not only in remote legends and tales, but in literature central to the birth of our civilization. Such are Gilgamesh and Enkidu; Adam, Eve and the Serpent; and the accounts of animal worship or reverence that punctuate the narratives of the Old and New Testaments. Such outbreaks of zoolatry, which continue on through the Middle Ages and up to the weird cults of our time, Sax interprets as revolts against the anthropomorphic gods that replaced the original animal ones. He shows how many peoples traced their origins back to animals, how noble families liked to claim a romantic link to mythical beasts. He touches on the fears animals awaken in humans, such as lawlessness, sensuality, incest, and also on their magical powers, released in ceremonies such as snake-handling.

Coming to his chief subject, Sax explores the protean power of the the serpent and the swan, the one shedding its skin and achieving rebirth, the other moulting, swimming and taking wing, both sinuous and mysterious. The crucial story here is Melusine, which I should not retell in a review, save to say that in it the two creatures become as one. It's a tale that runs through many cultures and can even be seen in our recurrent films about mermaids. Sax believes that it can reinspire us and lead us back to a sacrimental observance of animal rights. The book has wonderful line illustrations, taken from sources ancient and rare, and retellings of the chief legends. For anyone who responds to Joseph Campbell, and for those yet to explore the meaning of myth, this book will be a delight.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dr. Sax is good..., September 4, 2005

By	C. Loomis (Darmstadt, Germany) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I actually took Dr. Sax's class this summer and we used his book in addition to others. One thing in his favor was that his book was priced similar to most other textbooks. Some professors have you buy their books that are too expensive.

As for the book, it goes nicely into different animal-human relationships in literature. He deals with a variety of creatures such as selkies, serpents, cats, etc. He also references a number of stories and goes into depth explaining the animal-human relationship, such as "The Little Mermaid." A very good book and written well to keep the reader's attention. The best sectin was the very beginning where he describes his interation with some swans. It covers both fantasy and reality in a very humerous manner.