The Sacred Tradition of Snake worship

By Vijai Singhal

Snake worship, devotion to serpent deities, is a nearly universal tradition in religions and mythologies of ancient cultures, where snakes were seen as the holders of knowledge, strength, and renewal.

Chinese New Year 2025 fell on January 29th and is the Year of the Snake, signifying good luck, auspiciousness, and prosperity. Those born in the Year of the Snake are wise and charming, but also mysterious and cunning. President Xi Jinping, a “Snake” born in 1953, is guiding his country to prosperity, though filled with uncertainty and turbulent relationships.

Australian Aboriginal mythology holds the Rainbow Serpent as a vital and enduring symbol of interconnectedness between the physical world and the spiritual realm. Its presence in creation stories, ceremonies, dreams, and oral traditions underscores its profound significance to the First Nation people.

Hindu mythology holds great significance for snake worship in many ways. Hindu god Vishnu is shown lying on Sheshnag, a serpent god. Vasuki, another serpent god, is depicted coiled around the neck of Lord Shiva. In Bhagavat Puran, Lord Krishna is shown dancing on the head of Kaliya, a venomous serpent, forcing it to leave the river Yamuna to free it from its venom.

Naga Panchami is an important Hindu festival associated with snake worship to gain knowledge, wealth, and fame. It falls on the fifth day of the Hindu month Shravana (July-August).

Ancient Mesopotamian and Semitic beliefs held that snakes were immortal. The Sumerians worshiped a serpent god named Ningishzida, the Lord of Good Trees or the Deity of Vegetation. In the 6th century Babylon, a pair of bronze serpents flanked each of the four doorways of the temple of Esagila, dedicated to the protector god of Babylon. The Maya deity Kukulkan and the Aztec Quetzalcoatl (both meaning “feathered serpent”) figured prominently in their respective cultures.

In ancient Egyptian mythology, snake worship in the form of some deities was prevalent. Meretseger was a cobra-goddess in charge of guarding the Valley of Kings. She was regarded with both veneration and fear. Wadjet was another goddess associated with the Nile Delta region, closely linked to Pharaohs as a protective deity. Nehebkau, originally considered an evil spirit, later functioned as a funerary god associated with the afterlife.

In Greek religion, the snake was often considered divine. Among the Greek Dionysian cults, it signified wisdom and was a symbol of fertility. The Greek god Apollo is closely associated with snake worship, and the original name of his temple at Delphi was Pytho, after the snake Python.

In Christian faith, snakes are generally portrayed negatively in the Bible, symbolizing temptation, sin, and evil, often associated with Satan, stemming from the Garden of Eden narrative. In the New Testament, Jesus refers to serpents as a symbol of Satan’s deception and the need for spiritual vigilance.

There is a lot of literature available on snake worship on the Internet.