Superstitions and belief systems can cause so much misery and harm. "They also worship live cobras, often brought in by snake handlers to be blessed and venerated", so in order to fulfil the superstitions of the audience the handler will remove the fangs, sow the mouth shut and dehydrate the poor snake to force it to drink milk in desperation? They can keep their venerations and blessings it really is quite shocking but thank you for a fascinating article.
I don't like snakes. In addition to being occasionally dangerous, they lack the mammalian (and breastfeeding-related) inclination toward oxytocin via snuggling.
So any argument for "snakes are wonderful, actually" feels like a stretch to me. But here's the one that makes a little sense to me:
"In our earliest days as ancient humans and Neanderthals, we lived in caves, in their safe and cool darkness, womb-like and near. There, snakes both real and mythic still dwell, in the dark of those mysteries."
Snakes were connected to caves, and thence to cthonic symbolism as well as psychoactive gases like at Delphi. More speculatively, perhaps snake venom can induce altered states of mind. Any psychoactive substance is likely to be revered as a bearer of knowledge.
I wrote about this back in 2018. Fascinating topic https://survivethejive.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-milk-drinking-serpent.html
Great minds...
Superstitions and belief systems can cause so much misery and harm. "They also worship live cobras, often brought in by snake handlers to be blessed and venerated", so in order to fulfil the superstitions of the audience the handler will remove the fangs, sow the mouth shut and dehydrate the poor snake to force it to drink milk in desperation? They can keep their venerations and blessings it really is quite shocking but thank you for a fascinating article.
I have big ideas. I'm probably going to restack with a short article of my own. Extremely interesting.
I forgot. I need to do this.
So what you’re telling me is if I can get a snake wrapped around my wrist I might be able to a golden breast? Win-win
So much for 'Sapiens Sapiens'! Man's folly seems always more conspicuous than his wisdom. LOL!!!
Witches in Baltic mythology were known to transform into snakes and steal milk from a cow's udder, which they would later regurgitate.
I don't like snakes. In addition to being occasionally dangerous, they lack the mammalian (and breastfeeding-related) inclination toward oxytocin via snuggling.
So any argument for "snakes are wonderful, actually" feels like a stretch to me. But here's the one that makes a little sense to me:
"In our earliest days as ancient humans and Neanderthals, we lived in caves, in their safe and cool darkness, womb-like and near. There, snakes both real and mythic still dwell, in the dark of those mysteries."
Snakes were connected to caves, and thence to cthonic symbolism as well as psychoactive gases like at Delphi. More speculatively, perhaps snake venom can induce altered states of mind. Any psychoactive substance is likely to be revered as a bearer of knowledge.
More in this essay:
http://theindigovat.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-return-of-snake.html