All the Cool Kids Are Doing It: Serpents in Mythology
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credit: pixabay
Some are beautiful. Some are scary. Best of all, you can’t escape them because they live everywhere except for the Poles!
Perhaps this is why snakes are one of the oldest and most widely depicted animals in world mythology. For some cultures, snakes represent evil, deceit and temptation. For others, they stand for fertility, rebirth and immortality.
Join me as we tour the world in serpentine fashion!
The Mediterranean and Middle East
You may remember Perseus and Medusa from my previous post. We’ll start with them this time.
The Ancient Greeks believed the gods punished three beautiful women by turning them into monsters with snakes for hair. They called them the Gorgons.
Medusa was the only mortal Gorgon, but both she and her sisters (Stheno and Euryale) could turn unsuspecting victims into stone. Perseus mounted Medusa’s severed head on his shield in order to petrify his enemies in battle. Quite smart if you ask me.
CREDIT: ROBERT THIEMANN/UNSPLASH
Next, we move down the Mediterranean into the Nile, where the Ancient Egyptian pharaohs adorned their heads with golden cobras—symbols of royalty and protection.
However, the snake was a dual force when it came to gods. The cobra goddess Meretseger was the protector of the Valley of the Kings, while the giant serpent god of chaos Apep (or Apophis) tried to devour the world each evening.
Thankfully for the Egyptians, the sun god Ra defeated Apep every night to secure the world’s rebirth at dawn.
A bit further east, the serpent Nachash plays a big role in the Book of Genesis. In the Garden of Eden, it convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. God had warned Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit. Of course, they didn’t listen...
Scholars believe that Nachash is a representation of desire, temptation or even Satan. For their transgression, God banished Adam and Eve from Eden.
So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.”
Genesis 3:14
CREDIT: PRISCILLA DU PREEZ/UNSPLASH
Up to the North!
According to Norse mythology, the enormous dragon serpent Jörmungandr lived in the ocean around Midgard (Earth). As it grew, its gigantic body encircled Midgard until it was able to put its own tail in its mouth.
During Ragnarok, or the final battle culminating in the destruction of the world, Jörmungandr rose from the sea and wreaked havoc in Midgard. The god Thor slew it with his hammer but later died himself, poisoned by the snake’s venom.
On the Other Side of the Atlantic
CREDIT: ARIAPSA MX/PIXABAY
Mexico and Central America were home to the Aztecs and the Mayas. The first Maya depictions of a serpent god appeared around 100 BCE in the form of snake heads carved on walls. The Maya called this god Kukulkan.
Nobody knows the exact nature of Kukulkan, but the Aztecs copied Maya mythology centuries later. Their feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl was the god of wind, rain, agriculture, learning and a key entity in the creation of the universe.
Further north, member of the Hopi tribe of Arizona have been performing a ritual called the Snake Dance for thousands of years. Just as the Maya and the Aztecs before them, the Hopi believe that snakes represent land fertility. Not much else of the ritual is known because it takes place in underground chambers—outsiders are not allowed to witness it. However, there are some exceptions.
Across the Pacific: To China, India and Beyond
CREDIT: SYED AHMAD/UNSPLASH
Ancient Chinese mythology speaks of an underwater snake demon who was able to transform into a human female called Bai Suzhen (Lady White Snake). The legend is said to resemble the yin and yang of Confucianism and Daoism. The white snake represents the yin, or feminine darkness. Her enemy, a Buddhist monk, is the yang, or masculine brightness.
In Buddhism, the Naga are half-human, half-cobra demigods who protect The Buddha.
Hinduism associates them with water, rivers and lakes. The god Brahma tasked them with biting only those who were truly evil or destined to die prematurely.
Our Tour Comes to an End
Sadly, we must conclude our express tour of the world, but many more mythological snakes exist. Maybe you know some examples yourself.
Regardless of how you feel about snakes, cultures across the world have feared and venerated them for millennia.
What do they mean to you?
Read more:
https://www.history.com/news/snake-symbol-history-mythology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_in_mythology
http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Sa-Sp/Serpents-and-Snakes.html
Raf N.
After finishing a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Graduate Diploma in Digital Marketing, Raf ventured into the exciting world of professional writing. Some of Raf’s interest include travel, photography, history, languages, and dogs.
