In the 1960s, Professor Ding Naitong published a comparative study on the stories of the "White Snake Legend" between the East and the West, titled "The High Monk and the Snake Woman: A Comparative Study of Western Beauty Snake Stories and Eastern White Snake Legend Stories," which inspired academic discussions. Subsequent research will deepen understanding from the perspectives of cultural characteristics, thematic studies, and social gender. However, there is insufficient exploration of the social and cultural factors behind the stories of medieval European beautiful snakes. This article starts from the story of M é liusin in medieval Portugal, analyzes the imagery and historical background of the beautiful snake, and explores the similarities and differences with the legend of the White Snake. At the same time, it is pointed out that clarifying the differences between the stories of Lamia and Meliusin can help to further investigate the image of the beautiful snake and its cultural connotations.

1. 'Lady of the Sheep's Hoof': The Legend and Imagery of M é liusin in Portugal

The popular fairy tale of M é liusin in medieval Europe appeared in Portugal in the form of "Lady of the Sheep's Hoof" and was first recorded in the "Genealogy of Counties". The story is divided into three parts: the encounter, love, and separation between the fairy and the knight; The supernatural characteristics and prohibitions of fairies; The offspring of the fairy inherit the family's prestige. The image of Lady Sheep's Hoof is associated with the god Pan in ancient Greek mythology, the demonic symbol in Catholicism, and the Siren, reflecting the victory of supernatural forces over mortals. In the story, Lady Sheep Hoof gifted her son with divine horses, making him invincible in battle, demonstrating her deep connection with the Biscay Forest. The story finally reveals that Lady Sheep's Hoof may be an ancient witch named Viro from Biscay, related to the gods Maju and Mari in Basque mythology. The image of Lady Sheep Hoof has transformed from a goddess who blesses the Biscay people to a snake demon who feeds on human blood, reflecting the interweaving of mythological legends and historical narratives.

The Story of Lady Sheep Hoof and the Genealogy of Portuguese Medieval Nobles

Medieval historians incorporated folklore, fiction, and fairy tales into clan genealogies, deifying aristocratic families. Since the 12th century in Western Europe, conflicts between monarchical monarchy and feudal lords have increased, and noble genealogies have endowed families with ancient and magical bloodlines through ancestors who are descendants of ancient heroes or royal families, or associated with mysterious figures. Chapter 9 of the Genealogy tells the ancestral stories of the Arrow family in the Biscay region through these two ways. The territory of Biscay existed before the Kingdom of Castile, and the legitimacy of the Biscay lord was demonstrated through the fictional character of the brother of the English king, John. The legitimacy of feudal lords' power comes from their association with the territory, and the obligation of lords to defend the territory and the symbolic tribute of submission symbolize the entire Biscay society. The people of Biscay chose the prince with royal bloodline, Fran ç ois, as their lord, which was in line with the popular Breton legend at that time. At the end of both the story of Frohon and the story of Lady Sheep's Hoof, the village of Vistula appears, witnessing the power and marriage of the Lord of Biscay, symbolizing the tripartite connection of Indo European society. In the story of Lady Sheep's Hoof, the union of Diegu Robes and Lady Sheep's Hoof symbolizes the recognition of the land of Biscay towards the Arrow family, and the supernatural power strengthens the legitimacy of the family's leadership. In history, Lord Biscay was a vassal of the Castile king, but maintained a high degree of autonomy. The Genealogy reflects the period of competition between the Arrow family and the Castile and Le ó n royal family. At the beginning of the 13th century, the lord of Biscay, Diegu Robes, supported the family and defeated the Castile king. The development of secular and court literature in Western Europe provided nourishment for the story of Lady Sheep Hoof. In the 1440s, Count Pedro of Portugal compiled the "Genealogy". At that time, the power of feudal lords was declining and the power of urban petty bourgeoisie was rising. Castile King Afonso XI usurped the power of the Arrow family and later gave up the leadership of Biscay with the support of the Grand Lord Lara family. Lord Lara needs to re-establish the power of local nobles and restore the feudal vassal tradition, requiring the support of local nobles in Biscay. Count Pedro propagated the independence of the Biscay region relative to the Kingdom of Castile by compiling legends about the origins of the Arrow family. At the end of the story of Lady Sheep's Hoof, the sacrifice is interrupted, and the village girls encounter unexpected events, symbolizing the decline of the Arrow family.

3. A Study on the Types of Meliusin and Lamia

Deeply explored the differences between the legend of Meliusin and the story of Lamia. Firstly, although both involve transformations, the character of a high-ranking monk is lacking in the story of Meliusin, and the structure of "setting prohibitions, observing prohibitions, and prohibiting" is more prominent in the story of Meliusin. Secondly, the imagery of the beautiful snake and its underlying historical and cultural connotations differ between the two stories. The beautiful snake in the story of Lamia is often seen as a source of disaster, while the beautiful snake in the story of Meliusin symbolizes more of nature and the abundance and reproduction of women. In addition, the husband of the beautiful snake in the story of Meliusin was not severely punished for marrying the beautiful snake, which contrasts with the plot in the story of Lamia where the husband repents and becomes a disciple of a high monk. The rise of the Meliusin story is closely related to the popularity of elegant love and magical stories in the 12th and 13th century court culture of Western Europe. The image of the beautiful snake blends the goddess image in folk culture with the goddess image in classical culture. The image of a beautiful snake with a human head and animal body symbolizes the existence of a supernatural kingdom. For young knights, the combination with a beautiful snake symbolizes a violation of social rules, which is the true meaning of taboos in the story of Meliusin.

4 Conclusion

Explored the multiple meanings of the medieval European beauty snake story, particularly the fairy and goddess features in the 14th century Portuguese "Lady of the Sheep's Hoof" story, as well as the devil traces associated with Christian symbolic events. The beautiful snake image in the story combines three supernatural powers: the folk mountain goddess of the Iberian Peninsula, the ancient Greek and Roman goddess of destiny, and the Christian devil transformation, symbolizing territorial conquest and bloodline continuity. The story structure echoes the comments of French historian Jacques Le Gough on the medieval story of M é liusin, revealing the taboo core in the story of the beautiful snake. Compared to the Lamian type stories in the ancient Greek "Apollonius", the forbidden person in the Meliusin type stories is a knight, and after being forbidden, the beautiful snake returns to another world, reflecting its supernatural attributes and higher status than its husband. Chinese Lamia stories emphasize the white snake's usurpation and fear of beasts/aliens entering the human world. The connotation of the narrative of beautiful snakes in the East and the West is complex, carrying the social and cultural factors at the time of its emergence, reflecting the different worldviews and cosmology of traditional Chinese and Western societies.