The medical symbol of serpents wrapped around a staff is a familiar one in the field, decorating pharmaceutical packaging and hospitals alike. The ancient emblem of the medical profession has a story behind it that makes it seem ill-fitting as the symbol of the medical profession.
There are two versions of the symbol. The winged version is known as a caduceus and the stick is a staff that was carried by the Olympian god. In Greek mythology, Hermes was a messenger between the gods and humans and a guide to the Underworld. Doctors of the olden days had to travel great distances by foot in order to visit their patients, which is why the connection to medicine is appropriate.
One version of the myth says that he was given the staff by Apollo, who was the god of healing. He received the staff from Zeus, the king of the gods, and it was entwined with two white ribbons. One story says that the ribbons were replaced by serpents after he used the stick to separate two fighting snakes.
The staff of Asclepius has no wings and only one snake, but it is an earlier depiction of the medical symbol. Asclepius is the Greek god of medicine and the son of Apollo and Coronis. According to mythology, he was able to bring the dead back to life.
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Zeus killed Asclepius with a thunderbolt for disrupting the natural order of the world by reviving the dead, and another version says that Zeus killed him as punishment for accepting money in exchange for conducting a resurrection. After he died, Zeus placed Asclepius among the stars as the constellation Ophiuchus.
The Greeks used snakes in healing rituals to honor Asclepius, as snake venom was thought to be helpful and their skin-shedding was seen as a symbol of rebirth and renewal. It's a good thing to keep in mind the next time you see a medical alert bracelet featuring serpents.
Take a look at this huge range of medical symbols, old and new, and learn more about the Red Cross international charity, about the 12 Olympians of the Greek pantheon of gods.
Livescience editor Ben Biggs updated on 11 March.
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