- In Greek mythology, the daughter of Asclepius was Hygeia, the goddess of health and the protector of pharmacists
- In the Greek language, her name means “to heal”, or “to bring health”, which is why she was considered the guardian or personification of health. Her name has been preserved to this day in the word “hygiene”
- Before you is the relief “Hygeia”, authored by Mihalj Kar and dating back to 1931. This relief was specially commissioned as an ornament for the exterior wall of Mr. Andrija Mirković’s pharmacy, which he opened in Novi Sad
- The symbols associated with Hygeia are the serpent and water. The serpent symbolizes vigilance and constant alertness aimed at preserving internal balance, the loss of which leads to illness. Due to the shedding of their old skin and the formation of its replacement, snakes are also a powerful symbol of rejuvenation and the renewal of health
- Water, or the divine drink that brings health. Water generally refers to all liquid matter circulating through nature in the form of rain, sap, milk, and blood. Waters are the beginning of everything on Earth because, according to myth, primordial waters contained everything that later took solid forms. Because of its quality, transparency, and depth – water is also symbolically associated with intuitive wisdom.
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