Olifant in gevecht met slang after 1596

This engraving by Karel van Mallery depicts a dramatic battle between an elephant and a serpent. Within the frame, we witness an ancient struggle between two powerful symbols. The elephant, often associated with wisdom, memory, and strength, clashes with the serpent, a complex symbol representing chaos, primal energy, but also healing and knowledge. Notice how the serpent coils around the elephant's trunk, a potent image echoing the ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail, symbolizing cyclicality and the eternal return. This motif reverberates across cultures, from ancient Egyptian iconography to Norse mythology, where serpents embody both destruction and rebirth. The life force, locked in a perpetual cycle of creation and destruction. This primal battle taps into our collective unconscious, resonating as a struggle between order and chaos, consciousness and instinct, engaging viewers on a deeply psychological level. This is not just an illustration, but a powerful encapsulation of universal themes, resurfacing throughout history.