The Cave and the Womb: The Myth of Cadmus and the Myth of Apollo and Python

Abstract

This chapter attends to the myth of Cadmos and to the myth of Apollo and Python. My analysis of the Cadmos myth sheds light on the intriguing visual iconography of the woman and the dragon, and on the recurrence of symbolic motifs such as the cow and the cave in myths associated with a Great Goddess. My discussion of the Apollo and Python (or Delphina) myth suggests that Python is a representation of a Great Mother Goddess, while also considering the ritualistic role of the Pythia and her mythical connection with the dragon. The scope of the discussion is broadened by an examination of Greco-Roman religious rituals and sanctuaries characterized by a unique and holy relationship between women and dragons.