The Ouroboros, the symbol of a serpent eating its own tail, has origins in ancient Egyptian myth as well as Scandinavian myth. In Egypt, the Great Serpent Apophis, the god of chaos and origin, was prophesied to rise from the Earth to swallow the Sun god Ra, the physical embodiment of the sun. He was said to stretch over all the Earth, hidden under sand and stone. Likewise, Scandinavian myth refers to another Great Serpent, Jormangundr. He was said to stretch over all the Earth as well, laying under the ocean. He was said to be so great, he wrapped all the way around the world and bit his own tail. He, too, was prophesied to rise during Ragnarok, the end times of all the worlds. Over time, the Ouroboros became associated with destruction, then the cycle of destruction and creation, and finally, in our modern times, the infinite cycle of time, and birth, death, and rebirth. This Ouroboros, inspired by a 14th century alchemical manual, has an alchemical meaning of eternity, the endless cycle of death and rebirth, and the one-ness of all things through this cycle.

2" x 2 1/4", ~17 grams, pewter certified lead free