Sea serpent | 台北市立動物園資訊網

Seaserpent,mythologicalandlegendarymarineanimalthattraditionallyresemblesanenormoussnake.Thebeliefinhugecreaturesthatinhabitedthedeep ...

sea serpent, mythological and legendary marine animal that traditionally resembles an enormous snake[1]. The belief in huge creatures that inhabited the deep was widespread throughout the ancient world. In the Old Testament[2] there are several allusions[3] to a primordial[4] combat between God and a monstrous adversary variously named Leviathan[5] or Rahab. Although the references to Leviathan usually indicate a dragon-like creature, the name has also been used to denote a sea monster in general (see dragon[6]). Analogies[7] to this combat are found throughout the ancient Middle East[8]. Babylonian literature[9] records a battle between the god Marduk and the multi-headed serpent-dragon Tiamat, and in Hittite myth[10] the weather god is victorious over the dragon Illuyankas. Similarly, a Canaanite poem from Ras Shamra[11] (ancient Ugarit) in northern Syria records a battle between the god Baal and a monster called Leviathan.

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