Apollo's silver bow and arrow represent his defeat of the monster Python (or Phython). Python was a serpent who lived near Delphi, considered the center of the earth.
Python, in Greek mythology, a huge serpent that was killed by the god Apollo at Delphi either because it would not let him found his oracle, being accustomed itself to giving oracles, or because it had persecuted Apollo's mother, Leto, during her pregnancy.
He was also often depicted with one or both of his two main attributes: a bow and a lyre. The bow symbolized distance, death, terror, and awe, while the lyre more gently proclaimed the joy of communion with Olympus through music, poetry, and dance.
According to Apollo, the staff, with its two winged snakes, was to bring peace and overcome disease. The medical symbolism connected to the staff and snake has descended most vividly from Greek mythology in connection with the healer Aesculapius.
Apollo slew the Python with his bow and arrow. By killing the Python, Apollo gained control of the oracle and the surrounding country. Apollo also functions as the god of religious healing and ritual purification. Because Python was the son of Gaia, the earth goddess, Apollo had to make amends for killing him.
In Greek mythology, Python (Greek: Πύθων; gen. Πύθωνος) was the serpent, sometimes represented as a medieval-style dragon, living at the center of the earth, believed by the ancient Greeks to be at Delphi.
According to some ancient accounts, the Python protected the oracle of Gaia, the mother of the gods and first inhabitant of the site. As described in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, Apollo slew the serpent and then spent eight years on leave, in order to cleanse himself.
Although his sacred animals were the wolf, the raven and the dolphin, Apollo was also known as the god of cowherds and kept (bright red) sacred cows, the finest cattle in the world.
Snakes have been associated with Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic and the lower world.
This is the insignia of the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission. Represented in the Apollo 13 emblem is Apollo, the sun god of Greek mythology, symbolizing how the Apollo flights have extended the light of knowledge to all mankind. The Latin phrase Ex Luna, Scientia means "From the Moon, Knowledge." Image credit: NASA.
The symbol of a serpent or snake played important roles in the religious traditions and cultural life of ancient Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Canaan. The serpent was a symbol of evil power and chaos from the underworld as well as a symbol of fertility, life, healing, and rebirth.
The defeat of the Python represents the classical Greek patriarchal culture's defeat of the old chthonic and chaotic goddess power of Gaia, the first-born of Chaos in the Greek creation myth.
The snake primarily represents rebirth, death and mortality, due to its casting of its skin and being symbolically "reborn". Over a large part of India, there are carved representations of cobras or nagas or stones as substitutes. To these human food and flowers are offered and lights are burned before the shrines.
Manasa, goddess of snakes, worshipped mainly in Bengal and other parts of northeastern India, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite and also for fertility and general prosperity.
After Rhea refused to marry him, Zeus turned into a snake and raped her. Rhea became pregnant and gave birth to Persephone. Zeus in the form of a snake would mate with his daughter Persephone, which resulted in the birth of Dionysus.
Apollo. White: Apollo is strongly associated with the sun, with archery, with truth-telling, and with healing.
Apollo's love for Daphne was so strong that the god of prophecy was unable to foretell his future but still, his emotions were uncontrollable. He approached the nymph whom he now saw more beautiful and virtuous than she actually was.
According to legend, Zeus released two eagles from opposite ends of the earth and they met exactly at the spot of Apollo's sanctuary, which came to be known universally by the name of DELPHI [del'feye], or DELPHOI, for the following reason. After Apollo had established his sanctuary, he needed to recruit attendants.
From what can be gleaned from The Demigod Diaries, it can be presumed that some, or even all of Apollo's children possess a limited form of precognition. Thanks to a curse, all the children of Apollo have a terrible fear of snakes.
The snake figure was associated with Asclepios, the ancient Greek God of medicine, and possessed benevolent properties. It was believed to be able to cure a patient or a wounded person just by touch.
The logo for the programming language was created by its developer, Guido Van Rossum. The man was inspired by the Monty Python's Flying Circus shows, hence giving the language the name, connected to it, but decided to design the logo according to the first meaning of the word, a snake.