Post #43 [W] [H] [O] logo and rod of Asclepius. Part 4
Refer to post #31 #32 #33
[W] o r l d
[H] e a l t h
[O] r g a n i z a t i o n
What is name of the rod in [W] [H] [O] logo? Rod of Asclepius.
What is origin of Rod of Asclepius? Taken from a Greek god named Asclepius. He is a deity linked to medicinal arts of healing from Greek mythology.
Where to find information on Rod of Asclepius? Click on link at bottom.
[EXCERPTS FROM ARTICLE]
In Greek mythology, the Rod of Asclepius, also known as the Staff of Aesculapius and as the asklepian, is a serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god Asclepius, a deity associated with healing and medicine. The symbol has continued to be used in modern times, where it is associated with medicine and health care.
In honor of Asclepius, a particular type of non-venomous snake was often used in healing rituals, and these snakes – the Aesculapian snakes – crawled around freely on the floor in dormitories where the sick and injured slept.
These snakes were introduced at the founding of each new temple of Asclepius throughout the classical world. From about 300 BCE onwards, the cult of Asclepius grew very popular and pilgrims flocked to his healing temples to be cured of their ills. Ritual purification would be followed by offerings or sacrifices to the god.
The significance of the serpent has been interpreted in many ways; sometimes the shedding of skin and renewal is emphasized as symbolizing rejuvenation, while other assessments center on the serpent as a symbol that unites and expresses the dual nature of the work of the physician, who deals with life and death, sickness and health.
Asclepius derived his name from healing soothingly and from deferring the withering that comes with death. For this reason, therefore, they give him a serpent as an attribute, indicating that those who avail themselves of medical science undergo a process similar to the serpent.
They, as it were, grow young again after illnesses and slough off old age; also because the serpent is a sign of attention, much of which is required in medical treatments.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_of_Asclepius
