Hippocampus

A hippocampus on a crater ( red-figure painting )

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

Depiction in an ancient Roman mosaic in Bath
A hippocampus on a Venetian gondola
Depiction of a hippocampus from 1563
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