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.
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.