Serpents in Religion

Little did this unassuming serpent at Greensboro's Natural Science Center realize that he would be featured on Sacred Sunday!  Sacred Sunday is not only people and buildings, but also thoughts that cause us to pause and reflect on spirituality. The serpent is a recurring symbol in mythology and many religions. In the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:4-5 & 3:22/Old Testament), it is the deceptive serpent who tempts Eve to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament, the serpent is analogous to Satan (see this Wikipedia site to learn more). In Abrahamic religions, the serpent is largely associated with deceit. Snakes can also be guardians and in Buddhism, a snake shielded the meditating Buddha from the elements.

In the play, Brother Wolf, written by Greensboro's own Preston Lane (Triad Stage) with original music by Greensboro resident Laurelyn Dossett, Rattler Man, spreads terror with his box of serpents. Rattler Man is a foil to the charismatic traveling preacher in this Beowulf-inspired play. While snake-handling exists in Appalachia, we don't know of any snake-handling religions in Greensboro. According to our internet "research" North Carolina has laws restricting the practice. As you pause and reflect, what does the serpent represent to you?

Comments

[Dina]

Wow, what a headless coil of bright green!
I'm glad NC has laws against it, because even just hearing about snake handling creeps me out.
Funny, just a few days ago blogger VP posted about the snake symbols of pharmacy and medicine, with some fascinating links:
http://livornodailyphoto.blogspot.com/2010/10/bowl-of-hygieia.html .

I don't know about modern religion, but the ancient Greeks has this idea about the snake (from Wiki about the bowl of Hygieia):

"Many statues and monuments depict the Greek goddess Hygieia holding a patera (medicine bowl) with a snake tamely coiling around her and about to eat from the bowl. Some view the bowl of hygieia and her snake as a symbol of living in harmony with mother earth. The snake may symbolize the patient and that he or she chooses whether or not to partake of the medicine to help himself or herself. Hence taking the control over their own well-being by making correct choices. The snake that is depicted about to partake from the bowl is also linked to ancient beliefs that snakes have wisdom and healing. The ancient idea was that the dead went into the ground to dwell in Hades a dreamlike land neither good nor bad. Snakes had contact with the dead and might even have carried the souls of the ancestors returning to help the living. Hence the idea was, that snakes carried great wisdom as they carried the souls of wise ancestors."

[Greensboro Daily Photo]

Wow, thanks Dina! I'm off to Vogen Poet's blog to see what he said about snakes. Thanks for sharing the information about the Ancient Greeks.

[Jacob]

A beautiful photo and a very interesting post. You probably wouldn't have wanted to live in Florida 50 years ago because air conditioning was not as prevalent then...can't imagine anyone living here without air conditioning!

[Irina]

I did not like the photo. Reason? It looks so alive. And green. Not sure I am afraid of snakes, they just make me dumbfounded, completely.
So interesting post.

[robert]

Green - colour of hope, winding around, holding on tight.

[Kate]

It is so realistic that I feel that I could reach out and touch this one. Interesting how you posted it for Sacred Sunday. The association with Adam and Eve is about the closest I could have come to including it. It's a beauty.

[Greensboro Daily Photo]

By the way.........

........... the snake IS real. He just wouldn't cooperate and look at the camera!!!

[VP]

Thank you for this interesting post, I'm 'handling' (symbolic) snakes as related to pharmacy, medicine and commerce, but you just added another perspective.

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