Cultural Jargun...

         In this paper I will be discussing how different cultures depict Snakes. How this connotations attached to it shows it as a god in culture and how it is believed to be satanic in other. 

          Starting with Naga; in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, the nāga is divine, semi-divine deity, or a semi-divine race of half-human half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala) and can occasionally take human form. They are principally depicted in three forms: wholly human with snakes on the heads and necks; common serpents, or as half-human half-snake beings. A female naga is a nagini. Nagaraja is seen as the king of nāgas and nāginis. They are common and hold cultural significance in the mythological traditions of many South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures.

          Similarly we have Bakunawa who is a serpent-like dragon in Philippine mythology. It is believed to be the cause of eclipses, earthquakes, rains, and wind. The movements of the bakunawa served as a geomantic calendar system for ancient Filipinos and were part of the shamanistic rituals of the babaylan. It is usually depicted with a characteristically looped tail and was variously believed to inhabit the sea, the sky, or the underworld. While reading about Bakunawa, I was reminded of Rainbow Serpent from Australia. Rainbow Snake is a common deity also known as Wagyl or Wuagyl often seen as a creator god and a common motif in the art and religion of Aboriginal Australia. It is named for the identification between the shape of a rainbow and that of a snake. Some scholars believe that the link between snake and rainbow suggests the cycle of the seasons, for example blue (winter), red (summer), yellow (spring) and orange (autumn), and the importance of water in human life. When the rainbow is seen in the sky, it is said to be the Rainbow Serpent moving from one waterhole to another, and the divine concept explained why some waterholes never dried up when drought struck.

          There are innumerable names and stories associated with the serpent, all of which communicate the significance and power of this being within Aboriginal traditions. It is viewed as a giver of life, through its association with water, but can be a destructive force if angry. The Rainbow Serpent is one of the most common and well known Aboriginal stories, and is of great importance to Aboriginal society. The Rainbow Serpent is one of the oldest continuing religious beliefs in the world and continues to be a cultural influence today.

          But we get to see a different depictions or connotations attached to Snakes in Jew and Greek culture. Lamia in ancient Greek mythology was a woman who became a child-eating monster after her children were destroyed by Hera. Hera also afflicted Lamia with sleeplessness so she would anguish constantly, but Zeus gave her the ability to remove her own eyes. In later traditions and storytelling, the Lamiai became a type of phantom, synonymous with the empusai which seduced youths to satisfy their sexual appetite and fed on their flesh afterward. The Lamia has been ascribed serpent-like qualities; these include the half-woman, half-snake beasts of the "Libyan myth" told by Dio Chrysostom. At times is often portrayed as Lilith is often portrayed as a dangerous demon of the night, who is sexually wanton, and who steals babies in the darkness. Lilith may be linked in part to a historically earlier class of female demons in ancient Mesopotamian religion.

          Here one can see how in Asian Culture Snake is considered as demi god and he is the creator of the world, giver of life and is responsible for the natural phenomenon .Snake is also considered guard who protects his devotees and other gods from demons .Whereas in the Greek and Abrahamic Culture snake has more of evil connotation like who Satan came in the form of snake, or "Jinn" who's most considered to disguise himself in the from of Snake. By this I want my readers to understand that a thing that is considered evil may not hold similar vibes or idea in another religious or culture, hence to understand some concepts of certain culture we need to look in to it's back ground of it . As judging ones believe is very easy but to spare sometime and to look in to it's history is what brings two different ideas together.

          Finally I would like to conclude by quoting Trevor Noah "I learned about how Christianity works :If you’re Native American and you pray to the wolves ,you’re a savage .If you’re African and you pray to your ancestors ,you’re a primitive .But when white people pray to a guy who turns water into wine ,well ,that ’ s just commonsense."