Hippocampus
A hippocamp or hippocampus ( ancient Greek ἱππόκαμπος , from ἵππος hippos "horse" and κάμπος kampos "sea monster") is a mythical creature , in front a horse, behind a fish. The spelling Hippocamp goes back to the Latin form hippocampus .
In representations of Greek mythology - such as on coins - the hippocampus is depicted as a train or mount of various sea gods. The front part sometimes has wings, the rear part of the fish with its dorsal fin is often curled up like a snake.
reception
Many Venetian gondolas are decorated with hippocamps on both sides of the passenger compartment. Hippocamps also appear in Faust II , in Act 2, scene rocky bays of the Aegean Sea .
The seahorses get their Latin generic name hippocampus from the mythical creature . The anatomy of the hippocampus , a part of the brain, is named after the seahorse .
In heraldry , both the hippocampus (the "seahorse") and the seahorse are heraldic animals , see seahorse ( heraldic animal) .
For the first time as central fountain figures are four large hippocamps at the Residenzbrunnen in Salzburg.
gallery
Mannerist drinking vessel, late 16th century
Detail of the Trevi Fountain
Two hippocamps in the railing of the Berlin Palace Bridge
A hippocampus on the Schwerin Castle Bridge
A hippocampus on the rudder of an A320 as the former logo of the airline Air France
literature
- Bruno Sauer : Hippocampus . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 1, 2, Leipzig 1890, Col. 2673-2677 ( digitized version ).
- Hans Lamer : Hippocampus. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VIII, 2, Stuttgart 1913, Sp. 1748-1772.
See also
- Hippocampus (part of the brain)
- Seahorse ( lat.hippocampus )
- Seahorse (heraldic animal)
- Hippocamp (moon of Neptune)