The first salamander logo in advertising

Das, Indraneil (2021) The first salamander logo in advertising. Herpetological Review, 52 (1). pp. 57-60. ISSN 0018-084X

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Abstract

Perhaps corresponding to known species, frogs remain more often represented than other groups of amphibians in popular cultures. While folk perceptions of frogs remain societally positive, those of members of the Caudata are more mixed, owing to often-negative beliefs held in rural Europe and amongst indigenous peoples of the New World (Crump 2015; Das 2011). Examples include their use in witchcraft and poisoning (Shakespeare 1603–1606), as ‘the devil’s beast’ in medieval times (Cooke 1893). It also appears in works on occult and black magic (Crump 2015), as well as in mediaeval bestiaries (McCulloch 1962), and include beliefs, such as seen only when one is about to die (Kuzmin and Maslova 2003) or lead to suffering loss of worldly possessions (Froom 1982), and even affect stored beverages (Brøndegaard 1985). Positive or neutral attributes associated with salamanders include their ability to withstand fire (Aristotle 350 B.C.E.), hence, presumably the usage of the salamander motif as ancient symbol for fire and of Sulfur (Saunders 1995). This belief was validated in part by a more recent observation (Stromberg 1997) of a salamander surviving fire.

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