User:21RowRowRoYourBoat89/Snakes in mythology
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Snakes are a common occurrence in myths of a multitude of cultures. The Hopi people of North America performed an annual snake dance to celebrate the union of Snake Youth (a Sky spirit) and Snake Girl (an Underworld spirit), and to renew fertility of Nature. During the dance, live snakes were handled and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. "The snake dance is a prayer to the spirits of the clouds, the thunder and lightning, that the rain may fall on the growing crops.." In other cultures[which?] snakes symbolized the umbilical cord, joining all humans to Mother Earth. The Great Goddess often had snakes as her familiars—sometimes twining around her sacred staff, as in ancient Crete—and they were worshipped as guardians of her mysteries of birth and regeneration. This was copied from [[Snakes in mythology]]. Although not entirely a snake, the plumed serpent, Quetzalcoatl, in Mesoamerican culture, particularly Mayan and Aztec, held a multitude of roles as a deity.[1] He was viewed as a twin entity which embodied that of god and man and equally man and serpent, yet was closely associated to fertility. In ancient Aztec mythology, Quetzalcoatl was the son of the fertility earth goddess, Cihuacoatl, and cloud serpent and hunting god, Mixcoatl. His roles took the form of everything from bringer of morning winds and bright daylight for healthy crops, to a sea god capable of bringing on great floods. Where there are images of the sky serpent with its tail in its mouth, it is believed to be a reverence to the sun, for which Quetzalcoatl was closely linked.[1]
Rituals
[edit]The Hopi people of North America performed an annual snake dance to celebrate the union of Snake Youth (a Sky spirit) and Snake Girl (an Underworld spirit), and to renew fertility of Nature. During the dance, live snakes were handled and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. "The snake dance is a prayer to the spirits of the clouds, the thunder and lightning, that the rain may fall on the growing crops.."[2] In the northwestern Indian city, Banaras, a festival called Naga Pancami is celebrated during the rainy season of Sravana (July/August) to pay homage to the supernatural snakes or deities. Thousands of people gather around snake pools called Naga kuan that are said to lead to Nagaloka, the lavish underwater world of these snake deities or Nagas. Worshippers bathe in and jump from the ledges into the pools as a way to honor them and ensure that they provide things like fertility of the land and its people, and protection from the poisons (wrath) of its bite. In this region, females are more numbered as the worshippers of Nagas, which most closely resemble religious ritual. [3]
Literary Symbolism Derived from Myth
[edit]Snakes taken from stories of mythology are expressed throughout the use of language.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Phillips, Charles (2006). The Mythology of the Aztec and Maya: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Gods, Myths, Legends of the Aztecs, Maya, and Other Peoples of Ancient Mexico and Central America, with over 200 Fine Art Illustrations and Photographs. London: Southwater. pp. 56–59. ISBN 9781844762361.
- ^ Monsen, Frederick. Festivals of the Hopi, and dancing and expression in all their national ceremonies (PDF).[permanent dead link]
- ^ Cozad, Laurie (2004). Sacred snakes : orthodox images of Indian snake worship. Aurora, Colo.: Davies Group Publishers. ISBN 978-1-888570-72-4. OCLC 123470022.