In Religion
Snakes are basically long bodied, limb-reduced reptiles moved down from lizards that live in majority of the temperate and tropical regions of the world.
The proper biological classification of snakes is within a group of animals called as squamates that also consists of animals such as lizards, Caecilians, and Amphisbaenians. Serpent is a most common synonym used for snake and the scientific order of snakes is called as Serpentes.
In some cultures snakes are highly considered and represent the ability to go beyond higher levels of perception or into areas of knowledge that live outside perceived space and time. In the pre-Christian days, snakes were believed to be the symbols of fertility, nurturing and healing. In post Adam and Eve, snakes are habitually regarded as the symbols of evil and temptation, envy and anger.
Snakes usually eat small animals like lizards, small mammals, other snakes, birds, fish, eggs, insects or snails. As snakes cannot tear or bite their food into pieces, a snake swallows its prey wholly. The size of body of a snake has a main influence on its habits of eating.
Snakes are considered as a main part of Hindu worship. A festival called as Nag Panchami is celebrated every year on snakes. Most of the images of Lord Shiva show snake around his neck. Puranas have different stories related to snakes.
In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold every planet of the world on his hoods and to continuously sing the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths. He is at times referred to as Ananta-Shesha which basically means Endless Sheshsa. Other famous snakes in Hinduism are Vasuki, Ananta, Taxak, Pingala and Karkotaka.
Snakes have also been revered extensively like in ancient Greece, where the serpent was mostly seen as a healer, and Asclepius carried two intertwined on his stick, a sign which is seen nowadays on many ambulances. In Judaism, the brass snake is also a sign of healing, of one’s life being saved from about to happen death. In Christianity, Christ’s redemptive work is evaluated with saving one’s life by means of beholding the brass serpent.
However, more usually in Christianity, the serpent was observed as a representative of sly plotting and evil, which can be noticed in the description of Genesis Chap 3 of a snake in the Garden of Eden tempting Eve.
In Wicca and Neo-Paganism, the snake is glimpsed as a symbol of knowledge and wisdom.
This entry was posted on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 6:36 am and is filed under Interactions with Humans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.