A Study on the Symbolism of the Alligator

This study aims to expand the understanding of the biological characteristics of alligators, their symbolism in myths, folk tales, and art, and their symbolic meanings as they appear in sandplay therapy. The symbolism of alligators has been categorized into five main themes: divinity, motherhood, greed and aggression, false tears, and death and regeneration. In the context of sandplay therapy, alligators have emerged as significant symbols in the sand tray scenes of children facing emotional and behavioral challenges. For instance, an 11-year-old boy who struggled with uncontrollable violent behavior and anger demonstrated a process of healing his relationship with motherhood by expressing aggression and symbolically “spitting out” destructive emotions. A 10-year-old boy with difficulty forming relationships and a tendency toward violent behavior expressed anger and aggression through alligator symbols, representing the burning and purification of his “devouring” sense of motherhood. Another 10-year-old boy, who frequently complained of hunger even after eating, symbolically killed a negative alligator or engaged in a heroic struggle with it, reflecting his inner battle with destructive impulses. An 8-year-old girl, whose mother passed away from cancer, symbolically transformed representations of negative motherhood into positive motherhood using alligator figures. This study expands the symbolic understanding of alligators, which frequently appear in sandplay therapy. The research was inspired by curiosity stemming from a dream about alligators. Symbolically, alligators represent psychological content rooted in the collective unconscious that must be transformed into “secret entities,” signifying processes of inner growth and integration.