Caves are prevalent images in the world of myths, legends, and cults. The cave is thought to be closely related to the symbolic HEART, and is often a place where the self and ego unite. They can be secret passageways to an underworld, places in which to make contact with the powers and forces which will eventually make their way into the world of light. In popular legend, caves usually house gnomes, spirits, DRAGONS, and TREASURE; they are often the site for initiation ceremonies. Psychologists interpret a dreamer's dangerous passage through caves as symbolizing the search for the meaning of life in the deep strata of the "maternal unconscious", as for Jung it represents the security and the impregnability of the unconscious (Biederman, 61). Entering the cave is considered re-entry into the womb of Mother EARTH. General symbolism of containment.
With a phallic snake and water, embodies the origin of life. Resurrection, often when a double cave, Christ was born and buried in a cave. Fertility and love making.
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FAQs
cave, natural opening in the earth large enough for human exploration. Such a cavity is formed in many types of rock and by many processes. The largest and most common caves are those formed by chemical reaction between circulating groundwater and bedrock composed of limestone or dolomite.
What is the full meaning of cave? ›
1. : a natural chamber or series of chambers in the earth or in the side of a hill or cliff. 2. : a usually underground chamber for storage.
What is something you'll find in a cave? ›
Some of the creatures that might inhabit the cave you're in are bats, cave spiders, insects, moths, fungi, fish, and hibernating animals – although you won't find any bears in caves in the UK!
What is the white stuff in caves? ›
Gypsum is a mineral that forms in the dry areas of the cave. It is a calcium sulfate mineral that is soluble in water. It is most commonly seen as delicate white crystal found along tour routes such as Cleveland Avenue and Kentucky Avenue.
What is their secret code in opening the cave? ›
It opens on the magic words "open sesame" and seals itself on the words "close sesame".
Who lives in a cave answer? ›
Troglobites: from the Greek words "troglos" (cave) and "bios" (life). They are the true cave dwellers which spend their entire lives in the cave.
What does cave in mean in text? ›
submission to something or someone previously opposed or resisted: His cave-in to such unreasonable demands shocked us.
What does cave girl mean in slang? ›
Noun. cavegirl (plural cavegirls) A young cavewoman. A brutish or aggressive girl.
What does cave like mean? ›
(ˈkeɪvˌlaɪk ) adjective. similar to or resembling a cave.
How old are caves? ›
As the rock dissolves, it forms and crystallises on cave walls. Geologists thought the caves were somewhere between 750,000 and 1.2 million years old – but the alunite was four million years old. This is a breakthrough that could have major consequences for the dating of other caves around the world.
Isotopic dating techniques can be applied to cave sediments, to determine the timescale of the geological events which formed and shaped present-day caves. It is estimated that a cave cannot be more than 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) vertically beneath the surface due to the pressure of overlying rocks.
What is a room in a cave called? ›
CAVERN A very large chamber within a cave.
What do you call bodies of water in caves? ›
An underground lake or subterranean lake is a lake underneath the surface of the Earth. Most naturally occurring underground lakes are found in areas of karst topography, where limestone or other soluble rock has been weathered away, leaving a cave where water can flow and accumulate.
Why do people squeeze in caves? ›
Motivation. Caving is often undertaken for the enjoyment of the outdoor activity or for physical exercise, as well as original exploration, similar to mountaineering or diving. Physical or biological science is also an important goal for some cavers, while others are engaged in cave photography.
Why is cave water green? ›
Algae: The Painters of the Cave
These tiny organisms thrive in the cave's unique conditions, bathed in sunlight and nutrient-rich water. Algae containing chlorophyll play a vital role in giving the water its greenish tint.
What is the answer to the 13 cave question? ›
So the goal is to check C13 every day so that if a thief tries to move anti-clockwise, you can catch him right away, and if he goes clockwise, cops can capture him in no more than 12 days (this includes the case where he remains in Cave C1). Therefore the correct answer is 12.
What is the cave in the allegory of the cave? ›
Plato begins by having Socrates ask Glaucon to imagine a cave where people have been imprisoned from childhood. These prisoners are chained so that their legs and necks are fixed, forcing them to gaze at the wall in front of them and not to look around at the cave, each other, or themselves (514a–b).
What is the cave you fear to enter? ›
There's a lot of wisdom in this thought from Joseph Campbell: The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. After all, if it was the easy path, if it wasn't the place we hadn't yet looked because we were afraid, we would have already done it.
