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The Carving

The fogou's carving depicts a Celtic god of healing and similar figures are to be found in Brittany and elsewhere.

One suggestion is that this is Clew an Nemed, which means 'Clew of the Sanctuary', although there are other possibilities. Since it is equally weathered on either side, and not just on the side exposed to the fogou's entrance, it was most likely brought from another site, possibly a Druidic grove or sanctuary, and would therefore predate the building of the fogou.

The fogou's snake, unique in Britain, may owe something to its proximity to the St Michael 'dragon'. I have even heard from a local visitor, that there are legends which tell of a dragon living in the fogou.

Both the snake, or serpent, and the dragon are traditionally symbols for the flow of life force or energy. In Tantric and Yogic disciplines the path to enlightenment coincides with the awakening of energy which resides at the base of the spine and which rises up the chakras as they open. Kundalini Yoga describes two channels twining either side of the spine, Ida and Pingala, corresponding to the masculine and feminine principles. Kundalini energy is depicted as a serpent.

The ancient Chinese saw dragons in the landscape which for them represented the flow of terrestrial energy. The massive serpentine landscape temple at Avebury was the site of seasonal invocations to fertility and the life force. The life-giving physician has as a symbol the Caduceus, two snakes coiling up a staff. The Aztecs, ancient Egyptians and Druids all revered the snake as a symbol of life-giving power.

The carving may be modelled on Serapis, a god prevalent around 300 BC in Roman and Greek lands who was associated with the Unconscious, Judgement, raised Kundalini, Healing and Chanelling. The Celtic version of this deity was Cernunnos, and in Ireland he was known as Cerna. There are also similarities to Asclepius, a Greek god of healing, who grasps a snake in one hand and a staff in the other. Cernunnos also holds a snake, but in his other hand he is shown holding a torc. Cernunnos was a guardian of the underworld.

The theme is of Kundalini energy, serpent power, raised and mastered. Raised energy brings up unconscious material which must be faced and integrated.

The god of healing is a guardian of the underworld into which the initiate must enter in order to confront his or her unconscious. It takes a hero to encounter the dragon in its lair, free the damsel and find the treasure hoard. We enter the depths to face our personal demons, monsters and dragons. When we have confronted them, we can be free of fear and more connected, because we are no longer their prisoner. This is the treasure.

So entering the underworld of the unconscious is the key to healing, and this also seems to be a key to the purpose of the fogou.

It is not easy to see the carving of the God of Healing. It is best viewed from well within the passage so that the light from outside throws it into relief. It becomes visible by attending to its shadows, which, ironically, is also true of the unconscious.

Extracted from "Fogou - A Journey Into the Underworld" by Jo May (published by Gothic Image)

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