Terra (Earth)

In the temple of the Good Goddess on the Aventine Hill in Rome,
non-poisonous snakes roamed freely in the precincts to encourage the fertility of female clients.
At least as far back as Minoan times, snakes were associated with the life-giving powers of an Earth-goddess
(Gaia, Cybele, Terra, etc.).
This tendency survived the Judæo-Christian demonisation of serpents remarkably long.

Thus a 9th century ivory book-cover possibly from Rheims depicts the Resurrection of the Dead
leaving rather Roman mausolea to join the saints in the New Jerusalem,
viewed with satisfaction by Oceanus (bottom left), Roma (a matron!) and Terra suckling a curling snake.
Interestingly, the snake-as-Satan also features at the base of the Crucifixion.

now in the Stadtsbibliothek in Munich

Even later, in the 11th and 12th centuries, on the psalm-sheets known as Exultet Rolls because their first word was Exultet (Rejoice!)
Terra (always decently clothed) appears nurturing various animals, including bullocks, does, stags and snakes.

from Monte Cassino, now in the Apostolic Library, the Vatican

One of the few sculptured Romanesque examples is on the central portal of the seminal, Byzantine-inspired Basilica of San Marco in Venice,
where a braided Terra sits amongst stylised palm-fronds, suckling a snake.

At Riom-ès-Montagnes (Cantal) the snake entwines rather than succkles her, on a twelfth-century capital,
but the sheaf of wheat is very obvious. She holds it together with an enigmatic unsexed but probably male figure.
Her cornucopia seems to feature apples (more appropriate in Auvergne) rather than grapes.

At Riom-ès-Montagne (Cantal) the snake entwines rather than succkles her,
but the sheaf of wheat is very obvious. She holds it together with an enigmatic unsexed but probably male figure.
Her cornucopia seems to feature apples (more appropriate in Auvergne) rather than grapes.

 

At Benevento she suckles a stag and an ox. In a Mount Athos manuscript she suckles a unicorn.
For other examples, see Images of Lust, page 67.

Click for Luxuria figures with snakes and other "unclean beasts" >