As Mundkur (at "The Cult of the Serpent" - the following is quoted from "The Serpent Symbol in the Ancient Near East", page 12) puts it:
"From the immemorial man's imagination has turned the animal into a creature of Fantasy, including hybrids that caricature its real ophidian qualities. These include the bearded Serpents of ancient Egyptian and Greek religion; the human-bodied Cobras with multiple fused hoods; The Nagas of Hindu mythology; the horned, winged, hairy, feathered, or Fire-spiting species of fables and legend; the basilisk; the Dragon; the anthropomorph emblematized by no more than a bifid tongue, Serpent's tail, scales, or behavioral traits that are allegedly ophidian [?] All these are Serpents".
And Banerjee determines, that "Of all the forms of Animal-Worship, the worship of Serpents became most popular throughout the length and breadth of the Ancient World. The wide diffusion of Serpent Worship, or the Naga Cult, is explicable by the fact, that Serpents occur in every part of the World"? ("Early Indian Religions", Chapter Four, page 94).
And Augustus Barth mentions, that "the Serpent-Religions of India form a complex whole and as such is not accounted for viewing it as a simple worship of deprecation. We can distinguish from : (i) the direct Adoration of the animal, the most formidable and mysterious of all the enemies of men; (ii) worship of the Deities of the Waters, Springs, and Rivers, symbolized by the waving form of the Serpent; (iii) conceptions of the same kind as that of Vedic Ahi and connected clearly with the great myth of the storm and the struggle of light with darkness". (Augustus Barth, "Religions of India", page 166 ff. - quoted @ P. Banerjee, "Early Indian Religions", Chapter Four: "The Naga Cult", page 97)
All throughout the World, we can still find evidence of this Faith - remains of which have even survived, little here little there, up until our own modernistic time. From the Great Nagas of India and Burma to Ancient Celtic designs in the British Isles. From Chinese fearsome Dragons to the Goddess `Hathor, Grand Protector of the Ancient Egyptian Pharoes. From the Serafim at early Biblical Jerusalem to Quetzalkoatl, the bearded Human-Snake God of the Aztecs in 1500 AD's Meso-America, from pre-Shintoistic Japan to Ancient Mesopotamia - the Serpent Worship and symbolism is present just about everywhere there is any kind whatsoever of human life present.
One of the Bible's first Stories, of course, is about the Serpent at the Garden of `Eden. The Story in its known, familiar form, is anti-Serpent-worship but it would not be unfounded to assume, that it was actually an adaptation of earlier Story - which painfully had not prevailed - and which was representing a somewhat different approach. It is also interesting to see, how the Bible bothers especially to make it "clear and obvious", that the Snake had been created, among with all other being, by the biblical god, yehovah. Same approach it uses against "ha-taninnim ha-gdholim" ("the large crocodiles"), which are known to represent a different Divinity - the one of the Mesopotamian Tiameth. Also, the name of the Woman at the Garden of `Eden Story - `Hava - apparently does not mean - as the Bible unsuccessfully tries to persuade us - that she was "Em kol `hay" ("The Mother of all that is alive", but rather from the root, of the Aramaic word for Serpent: "`hivya".
We do also know of the very widely practiced Israeli and Judaic Serpent Worship by the brief mention of `Hizkiyahu's action, at around 700 BC, who destroyed the copper-made icon of the Serpent, supposedly made by Moses in the desert, since up till that time, the People of Israel had been making offering to Him - which, of course, contradicted the newly arising jewish monotheistic faith - which was starting to take root just about that time, and which had claimed yehovah to be "the one and only real god". However, the notion of Serpent-worship, apparently, persisted for centuries more, in the form of the Serafim - which, as it seems, were no else, than Flying Snakes, enhanced with four legs and two wings = Serpents which are Angels, which the High Priest sees at the holiest of holly, the most sacrosanct and secretive place inside the Temple in Jerusalem, in the holiest and most sacred of days: Yom ha-Kippurim ("The Day of Pardons"). And such, apparently, are the Angels seen by the Great Prophet Yesha`ayahu, who claimes they have no less, than "six wings each". In Tel-Dan, at Israel's Northern tip, sacred Menorahs (Seven Wicks Lamps), decorated with images of Serpents, were found, and the Serpent-Symbolism is well known to be connected with the worship of the Cana`anite High Goddess and God: Ashera and Ba`al.
Clear signs of a serpent-worship can be found elsewhere. For example, the Egyptians had worshipped the Goddess `Hathor, whose correlative animal has been the Snake, and a Serpent had decorated the Pharaos' Crown. There had been only a brief stop to that, of course, under the monotheistic reform of Akhenaton's rule, after which the Old Faith had been restored, stronger and probably more vital than ever. On a completely different part of the World, in Japan, one of the most ancient origins of the Japanese people, the Isumo Tribe, had an agricultural Religion, which one of the main symbles had been the Snake. Far away again, in Ancient Attica, Greece, the syncretic Cult of Zeus Melichios had represented the powerful King of Gods as a Serpent - maybe of the Underworld? - and also Athena had been, at least for a while, identified with the benevolent Power of the Serpent. The Greek Cult of the Dead had adopted the Snake as Both a symble for Fertility - and for death (a duality, by the way, which is an recurring notion, throughout this entire Universe of Serpent-worship throughout the Entire World). Also the Oracle in Delphi, had originally been in the possession of a Serpent-Goddess, before Apollo slained her and claimed it for his own.
But probably the most prominent case of Serpent-worship, are the Indian Nagas - which arrived, among other places, also to Burma. It is foremost in India, after all, where the notion of Nalla Pambu = a Good Snake - has always been most prominent.
Evidence of Serpent-worship can already be found at the Ancient, Dravidian(?) civilization, an Animistic civilization, that had worshipped various aspects of Nature, as well as the Mother Goddess, and which had flourished and prospered by the Indus river's Valley, at approximately the later half of the third millenium BC. But there, the Serpent Lord Himself appears, sometimes, to be a devotee - may be to a Higher Naga? His Parent, perhaps? Could there have been an Entire Pantheon of Serpent-Divinities, on a certain stage in the Past?
In India, the Serpent symble was connected also with Trees, that had grown intertwined. Is it possible, somehow, that there is a connection here with the myth of the Garden of `Eden and the Tree of Knowledge?
Then, as the Aryans swept from the North, the fight between them, and the Native population of India, can be seen, reflected, at the various tales about the fight for Universal-domination between the Gods, the "Devas", and the resident Nagas. (An interesting point would be to mention, that their notion had been to identify the Nagas with Asuras - which, according to the Vedas, are the "Anti-Gods" and daemons. Now, coming to check the Persian Zoroastrian faith, the "real God" is Ahura Mazda - while the Devas are the daemons, the "pishacas", the "Anti-God". Could there then be link, between Naga and Ahura Mazda, or is it just some sort of a co-incidence?) But, however, the more the two Peoples had resided next to each other, just like the arriving Aryans have innevitably become more and more dark-skinned, the more the Naga Serpents have entered their belief-system as well - and in the Rigveda-Samhita, the two voices are being heard - both of that, who opposed the Lord (which tells of indra's fight, against ahi-vritra - a Symbol, probably, to the great war, between the aryan invaders, who worshipped their pantheon of "Devas" and the local, Dravida inhabitants, who worshipped Nagas), and that, which views the Naga properly, as a Good, Benevolent God, at the Ahi-Budhnya - which was created, perhaps, by some Enlightened Brahmin, or one, which had worked towards a recouncilment of these both faiths into One?
Anyway, whatever may be the case, the One Cult, which has influenced most significantly Neo-Brahminic Religion, was the Cult of Naga.
A Beautiful expression of this (later?) Brahminic View can be found at the Maitrayani Samhita 2.7.15 (translated as it is at "Religions in Various Cultures - Studies in Religion and Culture", page 96): "Homage be to the Snakes which so ever move along the Earth, which are in the Sky and in Heaven; homage be to those Snakes, which are the arrows of sorcerers and of Tree-Spirits which lie in holes; homage be to those Snakes which are in the Brightness of Heaven, which are in the Rays of the Sun, which have made their abodes in the Water, homage be to those Snakes".
Shiva wears Snakes, upon his head and all over his arms. Vishnu sometimes appears as fighting Snakes - as, when as Krishna, he helps Arjuna to put fire to the Khandava Forest, Home to the Naga Takshaka and his Son, Ashvasena), sometimes is their Ally (like with She`sha - The Celectial Seven-headed Snake, supporting the World from below, by the grace of Brahma, helping Vi`sh`nu to create and recreate it and is curling around Vi`sh`nu to protect and assist him, just as he appears cyrcling and protecting the buddha. Krishna's Brother, Balaraama, is HIS Incarnation), sometimes - their Creator (Udakeyshaya), and sometimes - he is even even one of them himself (Naaraayana)!! This same Duality, so it seems, in the human view of Snakes and their worship, runs through the Entire Naga-related Literature, Prays etc., both in India's Cultural Sphere and all around the Globe.
By the Classic Sanskrit era (around 500 BC - the time of Mahavira and Buddha), the Naga-worship has become so accepted and common that the Kings of the Ganga's two most important and powerful Kingdom - Magadha and Koshala - along with their Kshatriya (warrior) clans - claimed to be the descendants of Nagas and to be protected by them; and, when it comes to Buddhism, Nagas receive an Honourable place: It is a Naga Himself, who protects Buddha and defends him, by hugging him from all his sides - in an Asana not unlike Vishnu's, sitting upon the Great World Serpent Shesha - and the High King of the West - one of the Four Lokapala ("Kings of Directions"), residing at the Marvellous Pardessim by the Slopes of Mount Meru - is no other than Virupak`sha, the Red King of the Nagas. Although, all these facts did not stop Anorahta, the king who introduced Buddhism into Burma by the 11th Century AD, from persecuting the Naga-Cult into an extinction, as "non-Buddhist".
In an apparently old Story, Naga Padmanaabha is the most Perfect and Gracious Scholar, gifted with all the Best of possible Virtues, such as Generousity, Wisdom, Caring for other people's Wellbeing, Love of Knowledge, Truthfulness, Honesty and Visible Grace. And, having achieved this Great state of Sanctity, a Great Brahmin, sick of the World's unhonourable affairs, comes to learn his Way and to become like him. An interesting point here - which does, probably, point out his antiquity - is Naga Padmanaabha's Alliance with the Sun-God, who lends him his Chariot - a point which deserves a most special look at it.
In later Indian and Burmese folk-tales, the Sun and the Serpent are swore enemies: the Sun is above, the Serpent is underneath - so, what could be more further away - and thus, according to some, remote and hostile?
But yet, in Ancient traditions throughout the World, the relation between the Two is quite different. In fact, many Mythologies identify the Sun With the Serpent, as One, Single, extremely Powerful and Benevolent, Life-giving Force = the Sun, which sends her Loving Serpents-Hands (rays) to carress the Earth and its inhabitants and to bless it all with Life. In the "Sun and Serpent Lore of Bengal", for example, Mr. Bhattacharyya writes, that "Though the Sun and the Serpent are the different Objects of Nature of diverse characters yet it will be seen that there are some common qualities between both of them according to popular belief. Both are considered the producers of Rain [?] both confer upon boon of a son to barren women. Both of them offer boon to the maids to have good husbands and happy Homes after their marriages. Both of them are cure-Deities". (there, pp. 126-127)
So, as we can see, from all the above data, we can begin to carefully craft out a still somewhat-vague, but yet clearer and clearer picture:
At Humanity's Early dawn - probably as early as before our Ancestors' migration from Africa, approximately 70,000 years ago - worshipped our Ancestors to many Deities, but most prominent among them, had been the Sun above and the Serpent below, sometimes merged into One Single identity = the Great SunSerpent Goddess, Gracious giver of Life and the Grand maintainance, of all the order of Creation as a Whole.
A paper made by © Danniel-Oded Qedem, Jerusalem, 2006
For the Course "Shamanism and Folk-Rituals in Burma", of Dr. Alla Burman
September 2006
Bibliography:
"The Bible": Book of "Genesys" and Book of "Kings" B. (Hebrew)
"A Variety of Opinions and Aspects Regarding the Snake in Paradise", (Hebrew)
"Religion in Various Cultures - Studies in Religion and Culture", by Horace L. Friess & Herbert W. Schneider, Department of Philosophy, Columbia University, Published by Henry Bolt & Co., New-York, in 1932, 1937
"The Serpent Symbol in the Ancient Near East", by Leslie S. Wilson, Published by University Press of America, Inc., in 2001
"Early Indian Religions", by P. Banerjee, Published by Vikas Publishing-House PVT LTD, in 1973 - SBN 7069-0181-9 - Chapter 4: "The Naga Cult"
"The Sun and Serpent Lore of Bengal", by © Asutosh Bhattacharyya, published in Calcutta in 1977, by Firma KLM Publishing House
סופר, משורר, עורך, הוגה-דעות, פובליציסט, אינטלקטואל, מתרגם, רעיונאי ("קופירייטר"), מעצב והומוריסטן רחובותי מקורי ביותר, בעל עמדות שמאלניות אולטרא-רדיקאליות בכל נושא ונושא. בשנים 2005-2007 למדתי, באוניברסיטה העברית - הר הצופים (לימודי הודו, בורמה, רוסיה, פולין ואוקראינה, לשון עברית ומעט בלשנות כללית). יליד-רחובות (1975) והתגוררתי גם בתל-אביב (1998-1999 ו-2001), בבודאפשט (1998), בחיפה (2004-2005) ובירושלים (2005-2007). מרקסיסט, אנארכיסט, נודיסט, דאואיסט, רומנטי מאד, מחבק-עצים ומבטל-מגדר. מאמין בדת הפרדס.
