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Ouroboros: Difference between revisions
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Dating back from [[Ancient Egypt]], the '''Ouroboros''' is a symbol of [[Infinite|eternity]] and the cyclical nature of time and the universe. The fact that the serpent is eating itself is also indicative of the idea of self-consumption in the way we live. Sometime it may even be two serpents each eating the others tail, taking on similarities with the [[Dragons Up the Yin-Yang|Yin Yang]] symbol. Another, [[Newer Than They Think|more modern]] common variation is for the snake or snakes to have an additional knot which forms the infinity symbol, ∞.
The [[Motif]] gains a lot of a secondary tier of association with alchemy and [[Time Travel]]. Note the connection to [[The Phoenix]] and also the serpent as the shedder of skin and rejuvenator which acts much like [[The Phoenix]] motif.
In some versions, the serpent [[Here There Be Dragons|encircles the world]] or the [[Tree of Life]], and is tied to its fate.
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== Comic Books ==
* In "The Lord of the Mountains", an issue of ''[[Thorgal]]'', a ring that allows time travel takes the form of an Ouroboros.
* In ''[[Tintin]] in the Congo'', Tintin makes a snake eat its own tail.
** It's apparently possible to create this in Real Life by feeding a snake's tail to itself. Snakes can't stop digesting once they've started, so this is a rather mean thing to do.
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** In the film, they make the specific addition of having the two snakes also intertwine in the centre to make the other common variation of having the infinity symbol in the centre.
* This is mentioned in a crappy children's book called Redwork. It's about alchemy, and there's a ring in the shape of a serpent eating its own tail.
* The above picture comes from the early alchemists' text ''The Chrysopoeaia of Cleopatra'' which dates all the way back to 2nd century Alexandria. "Chrysopoeaia" means rather literally "Making Gold" or basically, since we're dealing with alchemists here, transmutation into gold i.e. a Philosopher's Stone. You can also see from the light dark comparisons the similarity to the [[Dragons Up the Yin-Yang|Taijitu]].
* In [[Robert E. Howard]]'s [[Conan the Barbarian]] story "[[The Phoenix on the Sword]]", Thoth-amon's Ring of Power.
{{quote|''He triumphantly lifted a ring of curious make. It was of a metal like copper, and was made in the form of a scaled serpent, coiled in three loops, with its tail in its mouth. Its eyes were yellow gems which glittered balefully. ''}}
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== Live Action TV ==
* In ''[[Millennium (TV series)|Millennium]]'', members of the Millennium group are identified by the Ouroboros symbol.
* ''[[The X-Files]]'': Scully got an oroboros tattoo. Then she hooked up with a guy with a tattoo that talked to him.
* On ''[[Red Dwarf]]'', the episode ''Ouroboros'' reveals that Lister was discovered in a box with the word ''Ouroboros'' on it (originally misread as "Our Rob or Ross"). This turns out to be significant as {{spoiler|Lister is [[My Own Grampa|his own father]]}}. The box originally contained Ouroboros-brand everlasting batteries.
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* [[The Smashing Pumpkins]]' fifth album ''Machina'' featured a lot of artwork from Vasily Kafanov and a lot of other alchemy inspired artwork. Yo can see [http://www.nachtkabarett.com/SmashingPumpkins/Machina/ArtworkXI-XVI quite a lot of it here] and amongst the number, lies several of the Ouroboros.
* ''The Bedlam in Goliath'', the fourth full-length [[The Mars Volta]] album, contains a track named "Ouroborous" that loops back onto a pair of choruses and a series of guitar riffs that [[Word of God]] has declared to be a reference to this motif. Also fits in with the various weirdness that permeates the album, being as it is based around sayings and events that the band encountered while using an old ouija board they found in Jerusalem, and the string of unpleasant events that they thought were due to a curse from the board.
* [[wikipedia:The Way of All Flesh (album)|The Way of All Flesh]] the fourth album from French Metal band Gojira opens with the track "Oroborus" which describes the motif and its relationship with life and death. The album itself is about coming to terms with mortality and dying.
* The anarcho-punk band Crass had an Ouroboros and a cross in their symbol.
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* ''[[Lost Kingdoms]]'' has one as a high level mon you can evolve one of your dragons into.
* Ouroboros is the [[Sealed Evil in a Can]] in the game ''[[Brigandine]]''
* Hazama/Terumi (of ''[[
* ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 2'' has an Ouroboros appear in the map screen if you try to use it when GW is glitching. This hints at the purpose of the S3 program.
** Also shows up more subtly with the fact that the story's about a bunch of Snakes [[Recycled Script|doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and]]
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