The Rod of Asclepius Relic On TV

Image: Shining bronze sculpture of a snake wrapped around a staff. The top of the staff of almost cup like instead of round. The storage room is lit up by old lighting which makes the ancient staff glow, emulating it’s ancient powers. From the Warehouse 13 Wiki

I have become a huge fan of Warehouse 13 which is produced by the SyFy network. I’m watching past seasons. There is a long hiatus which drives me nuts about shows these days but I will be able to catch up by the time the new season starts in April.

Warehouse 13 is about a team of specialists who track down objects that could be misused or are down right dangerous. They keep them safe in a the thirteenth warehouse to be used. The others were destroyed or lost. The Warehouse Agents recover everything from Excaliber to Statues of Hera and Zeus that break out in a lightening battle.

I enjoy history and fantasy so I get sucked into the stories about ancient items or items that belonged to a historical person which are given a twist. The show also has esoteric and Pagany (that’s not a word but it sounds fun) elements. For example Claudia Donovan is sitting at breakfast with all the men. Agent Myka Bering joins them. “Thank the Goddess,” Claudia states with relief.

The show really made my day when the season two finale showed the Rod of Asclepius coming to life. When Agent Pete Latimer reaches out to it the snake slithers and hisses at him.

“Rod or Staff of Asclepius

Asclepius or Asklepios was the son of the Greek God Apolo and Koronis, a Trikkaian Princess. She died while he was still in the womb. Apolo freed his son from Koronis’ womb while she laid on the funeral pyre. Thus his name means to cut open. The babe was raised by the centaur Kheiron and taught medicine. Asclepius is often considered the physician of the Gods and myths say he could even raise the dead.

Hippocrates of Cos (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC), a Greek Physician and descendant of Asclepius, “founded the Hippocratic School of medicine. This intellectual school revolutionized medicine in ancient Greece, establishing it as a discipline distinct from other fields that it had traditionally been associated with (notably theurgy and philosophy), thus establishing medicine as a profession.” Theurgy is a ritual practice, sometimes seen as magical in nature, which invokes the action or evokes the presence of one or more gods. The goal is to unite with the divine, become one with reality, and perfect oneself. It is believed this father of Western Medicine wrote the Hippocratic Oath, which has been taken by doctors for centuries. (Wikipedia).” From The Magick and History of Medical Alert Identification Part 1

If you haven’t seen this show, I suggest you check it out. It’s a hilarious and witty adventure.

Video: The introduction used in Season One.