SNAKE STORIES AND MYTHS

All through history snakes have been both good and evil.  Here are some historic examples:

In the Christian bible, the story of Adam and Eve being tempted by the evil snake. It was the snake (Satan) the tempted Eve with an apple and caused them to be kicked out of the beautiful Garden of Eden.  Also in the Bible, Moses, who went to Egypt to convince the Pharaoh to release the Hebrew slaves, turned his staff (walking stick) into a snake to prove God’s power.

The Ancient Aztecs worshipped the snake. Quetzalcoatl was the “plumed serpent” and was considered the “Master of Life”. 

Some African Cultures worshipped rock Pythons and killing a python was a very serious crime.

Aborigines in Australia believed that a giant rainbow serpent was the creator of life.

Many cultures believed that snakes had medicinal or healing powers.

And of course there is the story of St. Patrick who got rid of all the snakes in Ireland.  He is celebrated every year on March 17th. Supposedly there are no snakes in Ireland to this day.

What about the stories of the snake charmers? Where the charmer plays the flute and the snake slowly comes out of a basket and sways to the music. Since snakes cannot hear sounds that aren’t vibrating on the ground, they can’t hear the flute music. The snake is actually following the motion of the flute and usually the charmer is swaying back and forth as well. The snakes that charmers use are tired out before hand so that they don’t attack the charmer.

Some common snake myths:

• The Death Adder has a sting in its tail.
• Snakes hypnotize their prey. 
• Tiger Snakes chase people. 
• Snakes milk cows. 
• If you kill one of a pair of Tiger Snakes, its mate will hunt you down to take its revenge.
• In Australia, there is a Hoop Snake that takes its tail in its mouth and then goes bowling merrily along.

A Greek writer named Aesop wrote many stories called fables. Fables are stories that are told in order to teach a lesson. They aren't necessarily true. Aesop wrote the following stories about snakes. The moral, or lesson, of the story is at the end.  

AESOP'S FABLES INVOLVING SNAKES

A Greek writer named Aesop wrote many stories called fables. Fables are stories that are told in order to teach a lesson. They aren’t necessarily true. Aesop wrote the following stories about snakes. The moral, or lesson, of the story is at the end. Here are some examples:

The Laborer and the Snake

 A snake, having made his hole close to the porch of a cottage, inflicted a mortal bite on the cottager's infant son. Grieving over his loss, the father resolved to kill the snake. The next day, when it came out of its hole for food, he took up his axe, but by swinging too hastily, missed its head and cut off only the end of its tail. After some time the cottager, afraid that the snake would bite him also, endeavored to make peace, and placed some bread and salt in the hole. The snake, slightly hissing, said: "There can henceforth be no peace between us; for whenever I see you I shall remember the loss of my tail, and whenever you see me you will be thinking of the death of your son."

The lesson: No one truly forgets injuries in the presence of him who caused the injury.

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The Farmer and the Snake

 One winter a farmer found a snake stiff and frozen with cold. He had compassion on it, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom. The warmth quickly revived the Snake, and resuming its natural instincts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound. "Oh," cried the farmer with his last breath, "I am rightly served for pitying a scoundrel." 

The lesson: The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful.

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The Serpent and the Eagle
An Eagle swooped down upon a Serpent and seized it in his talons with the intention of carrying it off and devouring it. But the Serpent was too quick for him and had its coils round him in a moment; and then there ensued a life-and-death struggle between the two. A countryman, who was a witness of the encounter, came to the assistance of the eagle, and succeeded in freeing him from the Serpent and enabling him to escape. In revenge, the Serpent spat some of his poison into the man's drinking-horn. Heated with his exertions, the man was about to slake his thirst with a draught from the horn, when the Eagle knocked it out of his hand, and spilled its contents upon the ground.
The lesson: One good turn deserves another.