The Library
Animals > Amphisbaena
Amphisbaena
An amphisbaena is a dragon or serpent with a head at both ends. This one has bird-like heads with beaks that seem to be eating simultaneously, one a small snake, the other something more obscure. Carvings of this subject are more often found in stone than in wood.
Such a beast was used in art to make one consider the duplicity and deceit of the man or woman who leads a double life. The amphisbaena could put one of its heads into the mouth of the other, then roll along like a hoop, thus going in whatever direction it felt convenient. According to bestiaries it was the only snake to withstand the cold and had eyes that shone like lamps.