Snakestones, Shaligrams, Ammonites, Oh My! All About Ammonites
An ammonite fossil with a carved snake head!
Post Author- Ellis Nolan
Ammonites, the aquatic ancestor of cephalopods such as the octopus and nautilus, have captured our imaginations for centuries. Their spiraling fossilized shells have been known by many names throughout history. Here is our roundup of the most fascinating ammonite folklore!
Ammonites found in England in the seventh century and beyond were often known as Snakestones, since the coiled fossil shells look similar to curled up snakes. There are numerous folk myths related to snakestones, one of which ascribes their origin to Saint Hilda. The seventh-century saint was tasked with removing all snakes from an area where an abbey was to be constructed in Whitby, England; to do this, she turned them all to stone using a magical spell. The coiled snakestones appear commonly in the iconography of Whitby and Saint Hilda owing to this myth.
But, of course, snakestones (ammonites) don’t have a stone head intact (although many artisans carved beautiful snake heads into fossilized ammonites)! Another snakestone myth says that Saint Cuthbert (who was said to wear a rosary of crinoid beads) cast a spell beheading all of the snakes in Whitby.
Around the world, Ammonites are known by many other names, and are often thought to have medicinal or healing properties. The name “ammonite” actually derives from the ancient Greeks, who knew the fossils as “horns of Ammon,” after the God Ammon, who was often depicted with the horns of a ram. Ancient Romans also believed pyritized ammonites, fossils infused with pyrite, or fool’s gold, could be used to tell the future.
In Hinduism, shaligrams, which are fossils often containing ammonites found on the banks of the Gandaki river in Nepal, are considered symbolic representations of Vishnu, one of the principal deities of the religion. This is because the ribs of the ammonite spiral resemble Vishnu’s chakra, a disc-shaped weapon often depicted in one of the deity’s hands.
Ammonites are also experiencing a resurgence in popularity in today’s culture, with many boutique and high end jewelers featuring them prominently in their works. One maker creates earrings with ammonite fossils set in gold with pearl accents, that retail for almost 3,000 USD. Many fashionistas enjoy that the ammonites stand out in a world of diamonds and sapphires, as well as their imbuement with the primordial history of life on Earth
Whether they’re known as snakestones, shaligrams or ammonites, it seems these spiral stones will always represent the magical and spiritual realms. Who knows what further research into these fascinating creatures will find!
Interested in learning more about Ammonites or purchasing your own? Check out our Ammonite collection here!
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