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The serpent, or snake, is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. The word is derived from Latin serpens, a crawling animal or snake. Snakes have been associated with some of the oldest rituals known to humankind [1] [2] and represent dual expression [3] of good and evil. [4] In some cultures, snakes were fertility symbols.
Snake handling at the Church of God with Signs Following at Lejunior in Harlan County, Kentucky, 15 September 1946 ().Photo by Russell Lee.. Snake handling, also called serpent handling, is a religious rite observed in a small number of isolated churches, mostly in the United States, usually characterized as rural and part of the Holiness movement.
The ouroboros is often interpreted as a symbol for eternal cyclic renewal or a cycle of life, death and rebirth; the snake's skin-sloughing symbolises the transmigration of souls. The snake biting its own tail is a fertility symbol in some religions: the tail is a phallic symbol and the mouth is a yonic or womb-like symbol. [9]
"The snake's spiritual meaning has long been associated with healing and change," says Wilson. "Snakes represent the cycle of death and rebirth symbolized by the ouroboros—the snake swallowing ...
The first three snakes Danh-gbi, Li, Liwui were all worshipped at Whydah, Dahomey where the serpent cult originated. [37] For the Dahomeans, the spirit of the serpent was one to be feared as he was unforgiving. [38] They believed that the serpent spirit could manifest itself in any long, winding objects such as plant roots and animal nerves.
From the ouroboros (a snake eating its own tail in a circle like shape) to the cosmic rainbow serpent, snake dreams can alert you to your state of consciousness and well-being, as well as the ...
The symbol of a serpent or snake played important roles in the religious traditions and cultural life of ancient Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Canaan. [1] The serpent was a symbol of evil power and chaos from the underworld as well as a symbol of fertility, life, healing, and rebirth.
Likewise, the Korean snake goddess Eobshin was portrayed as a black snake that had human ears. The Aztec spirit of intelligence and the wind, Quetzalcoatl ("Plumed Serpent"). The Mayan sky-goddess was a common attribute. However, in her case, the snakes leaned into her ears and whispered the secrets of the universe (i.e. the secrets of herself).