sahmeran
Pronounced Shahmeran
According to the legend, Sahmeran is a serpent-goddess, who bears the power to cure through her knowledge of herbal medicine.
After forming a relationship with a mortal man called Cemsab, she shares her medicinal knowledge and wisdom with him, in confidentiality. One day, the Vizier (minister of the Sultan) sets to find Sahmeran, knowing that the terminally ill Sultan’s only choice of recovery is killing and eating her. Tricking Cemsab to get to her, Sahmeran agrees to sacrifice her life, and tells Cemsab that her meat should be boiled in three different pots. The Vizier drinks the first pot, the Sultan drinks the second and Cemsab the third. Unexpectedly, the Vizier faces death, the Sultan recovery, and Cemsab is gifted Sahmeran’s medicinal wisdom.¹
Although this idea of an only-existing-for-the-advancement-of-men female figure is certainly outdated today, her story, as the all-knowing healing goddess, remains one of empowerment in many Middle Eastern cultures - especially prevalent in the Mediterranean town of Tarsus, as well as in Mardin within Kurdish communities.
Despite her demise in the story, she has become immortal through the countless depictions of her image, some of which can be seen at the bottom of the page. These are interpretations of Sahmeran’s legend by Artists & Makers in Turkey. You can click onto the images to be taken to the source* or follow her trail below.
follow the trail
~ our journal ~
~ our collection ~
[1] https://onedio.com/haber/tibbin-sembolu-haline-gelen-sonsuz-bilgeligin-ve-sifanin-kaynagi-olarak-vucut-bulmus-yilan-kadin-sahmeran-894805
Visual Credits - Banner: Zahit Mungan on zahitmungan.com, Thumbnail: aktuelresim.com
*Artworks courtesy of the artists. We have no rights over the images in the above gallery, except for the items in our collection.