Snake in a dream: meaning in Ibn Sirin, al-Nabulsi and Ibn Shahin

204 passages from 5 sources, quoted as written, every one linked to its page.

Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam

In a dream it is an enemy, or a state/dynasty, or a treasure, or a woman, or a child.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 94–95

The serpent (thu'ban), if the man does not fear it, is his strength and his dominion.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 94–95

The snake is an enemy possessed of wealth, because the interpretation of venom is wealth.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 94–95

And if he sees that he brought it into his house, then his enemy is plotting against him.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 94–95

(And whoever sees) that he took hold of it, then wealth will come to him from an enemy in safety.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 94–95

And if he kills it, he will triumph over an enemy.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 94–95

Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri, al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat

As for the snake, it is interpreted as a cunning enemy.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 222

Whoever sees a snake rising in the air to a high place, then he will attain joy.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 223

Whoever sees that he has killed a snake, then he will triumph over his enemy; and its flesh, its bone, its skin and its blood are the enemy's wealth.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 222

Whoever sees a snake descending upon a place, then it is interpreted as the death of the chief of that place.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 223

Whoever sees that he killed a snake and lifted it up with his hand, or divided it and lifted it up, then it is interpreted as victory over the enemies and the taking of their wealth.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 222

Whoever sees that there is a snake upon his head, then he will be a man of standing with the kings.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 223

attributed to Ibn Sirin, Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam

And it is related from al-Asma'i, who said: A man bought a piece of land, and then he saw that his brother's son was walking in it and would tread on nothing but the head of a snake. So he said: If his dream is true, nothing will be planted in it but that it will live.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 15–19

As for snakes, they are enemies, and that is because the accursed Iblis reached Adam (peace be upon him) by means of one.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 416–420

The enmity of each snake is in proportion to its harmfulness, its size, and its thickness. And they may be unbelievers and people of heretical innovations, because of the venom they carry.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 416–420

And they may indicate fornicators, their stinging, and their nature.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 416–420

Snakes may take their meaning from their name, such as when one sees them in ploughed fields or slithering beneath a tree — then they are waters and torrents; and they have likened their hissing to the sipping of water.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 416–420

A snake may be a ruler, and it may be a wife and child, because of His saying, exalted is He: "Indeed, among your wives and your children are enemies to you, so beware of them."

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 416–420

Freud and Jung, a separate view

The fact that some neurotic children cannot look at blood and raw meat, that they vomit at the sight of eggs and noodles, and that the dread of snakes, which is natural to mankind, is monstrously exaggerated in neurotics, all of this has a definite sexual meaning.

Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams / On Dreams / Dream Psychology, The Interpretation of Dreams, ch. VI The Dream-Work

The comparison with the snake is unequivocally phallic, corresponding completely with the tendency in antiquity, which was to see in the symbol of the phallus the quintessence of life and fruitfulness.

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. IV The Song of the Moth

We saw that the snake is to be taken as a phallic image of the libido (upreared in impatience), and that this image, also an attribute of the conception of the sun (the Egyptian sun idol), is an image of the libido in the combination of sun and phallus.

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. IV The Song of the Moth

The snake in Paradise is usually considered as feminine, as the seductive principle in woman, and is represented as feminine by the old artists, although properly the snake has a phallic meaning.

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. IV The Song of the Moth

The hymn describes how Isis fashioned a snake, put it in the path of Rê, and how the snake wounded the sun-god with a poisonous bite, from which wound he never recovered,

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. V Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth

(The serpent on account of its casting its skin is an excellent symbol of rebirth.)

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. V Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth

The snake, on account of casting its skin, is the symbol of renewal,

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. V Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth

Kinds and conditions of Snake

snake charmer

Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam

He is the one who gathers snakes. Seeing him in a dream indicates keeping company with people of evil and placating enemies.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 91

If in the dream he has snakes with him and the dreamer is ill, it indicates the length of his life and his living on.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 91

cucumber and snake-cucumber

attributed to Ibn Sirin, Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam

(Cucumber and snake-cucumber) are worry and sorrow, so whoever eats them, then he is striving in a matter that weighs heavily upon him.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 660–662

Especially the yellow kind of it, for in its season it is provision, and out of its season it is illness.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 660–662

snake cucumber (faqqus)

Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri, al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat

The snake cucumber (faqqus): it is disliked according to some, and it has been said concerning it:

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 234

Whoever sees that he obtained snake cucumbers and ate of them, then he will be accused of a theft.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 234

large snake (python/serpent)

Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam

In a dream it indicates a man of the valley, and it may indicate enmity from one's family, spouses, and children, and it may be an envious, evil neighbour.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 54

The water serpent is a helper of the oppressor, or the ruler's standards/insignia.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 54

snake bead

Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri, al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat

As for the snake bead, it is interpreted as a woman or a slave girl whose origin is from a people who cause harm and are of insolent nature.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 170

snake cucumber

Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri, al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat

As for the snake cucumber (qiththa'), in interpretation it has the same ruling as the cucumber (khiyar), and it may perhaps be interpreted as indicating more good than that, if it was cheap in price.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 233

snake meat

Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri, al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat

And the meat of the serpent is interpreted as the enemy's wealth, and eating from it is overcoming him.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 244

treading on the heads of snakes

Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri, al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat

A rare anecdote: It is related that a man bought a piece of land, and he saw his brother's son walking in it and treading on the heads of snakes. So he came to an interpreter and recounted his dream to him, and he said: If your dream is true, you will not plant anything in that land but that it will become alive (thrive).

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, pp. 261–262

rock encircled by a snake

Freud and Jung, a separate view

The rock encircled by a snake is to be comprehended similarly, because Mithra is one born from a rock.

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. V Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth

encoiling by a snake

Freud and Jung, a separate view

The encoiling also means the engulfing, the entering into the mother’s womb.

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. VI The Battle for Deliverance from the Mother

hissing of a snake

attributed to Ibn Sirin, Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam

The hissing of a snake means being kept at a distance by an enemy who conceals his enmity; then he will prevail over him.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 195–196

164 more passages on this symbol are in the database and used by the interpreter.