The snake eating man coat of arms is a unique and unusual heraldic symbol that has appeared sporadically throughout history. Coats of arms traditionally contain images and symbols representing the history, values, and accomplishments of a family, institution, or location. While common charges include lions, eagles, swords, and crowns, the depiction of a snake devouring a human is highly uncommon. The meaning and origins of the snake eating man image are obscure, leaving many questions as to how and why this strange coat of arms came into usage.
Early Examples
Some of the earliest examples of the snake eating man charge come from Mesoamerican cultures such as the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. The Aztec god Quetzalcoatl was sometimes depicted as a snake consuming a human, representing the cycle of life and death. Images of serpents eating people or gods also appeared frequently in Mayan art and architecture. Additionally, the coat of arms of Mexico City contains an image of an eagle perched on a cactus eating a snake, which originated from the legendary founding of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. So the snake eating man motif has roots in pre-Columbian mythology and symbolism.
In Medieval Europe, images of snakes eating knights or other people occasionally appeared in heraldic shields and crests. This may have represented overcoming one’s enemies, the struggle between good and evil, or simply demonstrating the ferocity of a family or group. A coat of arms dating to the 13th century for the Rincon family of Spain depicts a green snake consuming a gold knight on a red background.
The Visconti Snake
One of the most famous examples of the snake eating a human charge is the coat of arms of the House of Visconti, who ruled Milan and other parts of northern Italy from the 13th to 15th centuries. Their emblem featured a blue serpent consuming a Saracen, or Muslim soldier. The Visconti snake first appeared around the 12th century and remained part of the family’s heraldry for centuries.
There are a few proposed origins for the Visconti snake and Saracen motif. One theory is that during the Crusades, a Visconti knight defeated a Saracen opponent in battle and took his insignia. Another story says the design symbolizes the Crusader capture of Milan from the Muslims. A third account claims that in the 9th century, Archbishop Otmar of Milan rescued a child who was being swallowed by a snake. The grateful family adopted the snake image for their coat of arms to honor the incident.
Whatever its true origins, the Visconti snake and Saracen image came to represent the power and ferocity of the ruling Visconti family. It appeared not only on shields and banners, but also on armor, clothing, architectural works, and other art. The symbol remained associated with Milan even after the Visconti dynasty ended, and to this day features on the city’s flag and coat of arms.
Later Heraldic Examples
While not as common as traditional heraldic beasts, the snake eating a human continued to sporadically appear in European coats of arms over the centuries. Often it represented overcoming one’s foes in battle or exerting power and ferocity.
In English heraldry, a green snake consuming a child appeared on the crests of several families, including the Sherbornes, Clerkes, and Buckleys. The French Logras family bore the image of a gold snake eating a blue baby in its mouth. In Spain, the Cotillos family coat of arms featured a winged snake feasting on a man in armor. Some interpretations suggest this symbolized the family’s victorious battle against the Moors.
In Hungary, the ancient and noble Alapi family bore a shield divided between red and silver, with a green snake consuming a child in the silver section. The child may represent a defeated enemy. In the Netherlands, the van Neck family crest depicted a silver snake eating a gold baby. And in Poland, the Zielinski family bore the charge of a crowned snake feasting on a man in its jaws, surrounded by crosses.
While the snake-consuming-man motif is rare in heraldry, it does appear across many different European countries and centuries. The general meaning seems to relate to power over one’s foes or exerting dominance. But the specifics of why particular families chose this strange image are lost to time.
Modern Examples
Beyond its heraldic usage, the snake eating human theme occasionally appears in more modern contexts, often representing similar ideas of predation or dominance. For example, retailer French Connection sold a controversial t-shirt in 2000 printed with the FCUK acronym, where the C contained an image of a snake devouring a man. This illustrated the edgy, aggressive ethos of the brand.
The logo for Spike TV, a cable network targeting a young male demographic, also featured a wide-fanged rattlesnake consuming a human figure, evoking ideas of danger, intensity, and machismo. Food and beverage brands have sometimes used the snake eating a person motif to portray exoticism and spice, like a Mexican beer called Cucapa whose logo is a masked Aztec snake devouring a man.
In music, rock bands including Snake Corps and Beheaded have used variations of the ouroboros snake eating itself in circular fashion, evolving on the traditional image. And in movies, the snake swallowing a person is an easy visual shorthand for horror and gore, as seen in films from Anaconda to Beastmaster II.
So while no longer a common mainstream symbol, the snake consuming human image occasionally pops up in modern advertising, branding, art, and media when trying to convey shock value, danger, or unrestrained power and strength.
Meaning and Interpretations
What does the unusual image of a snake eating a person truly represent? The symbolic meaning of the charge likely depends on the specific context of how and where it is used. But some overarching themes and interpretations can be identified.
Power and Dominance
The snake eating its prey is generally a symbol of raw power, control, and dominance over one’s enemy. The serpent easily overpowers the helpless person, representing total victory and exertion of strength. This meaning comes through strongly in the Visconti coat of arms and other heraldic examples where the snake may represent a warrior or noble family overpowering a defeated foe.
Predation and Vulnerability
A snake swallowing a human whole illustrates the stark predator-prey relationship. It highlights human vulnerability and how we can quickly and easily fall victim to nature’s dangers, like a snake that can consume something twice its size. Images of snakes eating people remind viewers of the fragility of life and the constant threat of predators in the natural world.
Rebirth and Renewal
In Aztec and Mayan iconography, the snake consuming a human sometimes represented concepts like the life-death cycle and renewal. By swallowing a person whole, the snake destroys but also absorbs strength, allowing for rebirth. The ouroboros image of a snake devouring itself in a circle has related meanings of eternity, constant regeneration, and the cyclic nature of life.
Forbidden Fruit and Original Sin
A snake eating the metaphorical forbidden fruit and bringing death to mankind is a common motif across cultures. The serpent that tempts Eve to eat the apple, bringing sin into the world, is one Biblical example. The image of a snake devouring a helpless human calls these ideas to mind. It reflects core Judeo-Christian concepts of evil, temptation, and humanity’s fall from grace.
Chaos and Unrestrained Evil
The snake eating the human is an archetypal battle between order and chaos. Unlike other more civilized beasts, the snake is a primal force swallowing civilization whole. It brings uncontrolled, irrational destruction like the mythical Jörmungandr serpent that is so large it can consume the world. A snake consuming a person symbolizes the power of unchecked chaos and evil.
Conclusion
The symbolic charge of a snake eating a man is unusual but compelling. It contains multilayered meaning related to power, predation, the cycle of life, temptation, and civilized versus primal forces. This cryptic image appears in various historica contexts from Visconti coats of arms to Aztec carvings to modern corporate logos. While its specific meaning often depends on the culture and era, the snake consuming man motif always represents nature’s danger, human frailty, and the constant struggle to tame primal chaos. The evocative image distills these complex concepts into a shocking yet visually striking symbolic charge.
