5/29/12 Eric Gilston

The Ophidian Phenomenon

The existence of a complex dichotomy between snakes and humans is undeniable and

through my research I focused on ancient cultures relevance of the serpent in ancient symbols as

well as its cultural rendition in ceremony and other forms of art. This essay allowed for the

perplexing dichotomy between snakes and humans to unfold right before my very eyes, as I hope

you will find the same. The evidence to support my thesis derives from analyzing various ancient

cultures and their relation to snakes; drawing on the overarching theme of what I suggest is a

serpent phenomenon. I provide a detailed account of the serpent phenomenon in its many various

artistic forms - from ceremonies to rudimentary petroglyphs to hieroglyphs – all of which cuts

across cultures and transcends down through the ages.

In due course, this essay will attempt to highlight the inclusive nature of the serpent in its

various cultural and symbolic aspects. For it appears that the serpent’s iconoclastic nature

presents an intriguing arcane in relation to humans can be deemed nothing less than an existence

abound with a presagious task to give us in the labyrinth of human antiquity. The cultural symbol

of the serpent exists throughout history with such frequency, variety and reverberation that its

artistic renditions in ancient civilizations; which were geographically separated mind you, but at

the same time uniquely synonymous in their divination of the snake, presents what I term as the

“Ophidian phenomenon”. It will be shown the mystery of the serpent is truly a phenomenon that

should be taken into more serious thought and research.

The countless documented cases of evidence in which the serpentine has, historically

speaking, been an object of worship and adoration, not only abounds time and space, but this

ophiomorphic symbol in human antiquity provides the warrant with which to explore the

mystery of the serpent. And so, from Ourobors to the serpent of Eden, I propose in conjunction

with this “Ophidian phenomenon”, the complex dichotomy of man and serpent, and cosmos,

which also uncovers an unusual side to the esoteric divinity of human nature. Moreover, these

two interweaving dichotomies origins are procured in the myths and legends of these ancient

cultures, and by employing an axiological approach to try and delve into the mystery of serpents’

and its engraftation into culture and society. It might be possible to re-evaluate how we think in

terms of relation to others, the universe and ourselves.

These ancient cultures worshiped the serpent as a literal embodiment of nature’s divine

power. (Herring 11) The prevalence of various cultures, who partook in serpent worship, would

appear to suggest biological characteristics are central to the origins, yet this cannot suffice. I

provide an alternative answer to the origins of this perplexing dichotomy in an attempt to grasp

the mysterious accounts of this serpent phenomenon, as its symbolic representation captivates

various cultures through generation after generation. This essay, in its overall attempt to explain

the origins of the above-mentioned dichotomies, it must conjure the reader to be spiritually

optimistic in order to: completely understand the mystifying connection between man and

serpent.

The foremost historical case I draw upon will provide an in-depth analysis into the

mythical serpent in Hopi culture. Specifically in regards to its influence in the Ceremony of the

Snake and Antelope Fraternity, through Edward Curtis anthropological study of the Hopi Tribe.

The account of Hopi tribe’s serpent worship is an exemplary model of the serpent phenomenon

through its various rituals and symbolic variables. The ceremony is commonly more referred in

the United States today as “Hopi Snake Dance”, whereupon this alteration in discourse provides

some context of its influence over current Christian factions in the United States today. The

Hopi’s Tribe’s intricate relation to the snake is not based on the unique physical and biological

characteristics of the snake, rather it supports the argument of these mysterious myths being

central to understanding mans unique relationship with snakes. The snake myth acts as a Hopi

Tribe’s ceremony is largely a symbolic interpretation of the story; further exploration of its

various rituals and symbolic representations will allow me to support my overall argument.

The snake myth, portrayed through Hamilton’s Pueblo God’s and Myths, centers around

the young warrior named Ti’yo who wanders off in search of a new source of water because his

people are starving. When he meets spider woman she immediately brings Ti’yo to meet the

snake chief and his people, who live in the depths of the earth. The snake chief makes the warrior

pick up a snake to examine his true intentions in visiting the Snake Tribe. The snake chief gives

the warrior Ti’yo a special healing medicine and a snake maiden to take home as his wife,

whereby she will harness the creative forces of the earth to produce rain, which will in turn grow

the crops.

The snake myth is culturally relevant to my discussion; the reason being it is one of the

first accounts of the Hopi people’s creation thus providing the context in which the Hopi Tribe

derives certain beliefs surrounding their cultural. Another essential factor in the snake myth is

the actual dance and various rituals of the ceremony given to Ti’yo via the snake chief, with

intention to provide the Hopi people with a bounty of food.(Hamilton 220-245) The serpents

symbolic nature, in this particular Hopi legend, consist primarily of fertility, regeneration of life,

earth goddess and the potential creative powers of our cosmos; the reasons being derived from

the snake chief’s ability to produce water and the location of his kingdom. (Marder 45) The

serpent is symbolic to the female womb and the hall of the chief snake, in which he created

water, illustrates the mythical prevalence to the dichotomy between man and serpent, and the

natural world and the spiritual world. The words of one Hopi shaman articulate the allegorical

role of the serpent in the Hopi snake dance,

“Now our Father, Water, Bullsnake, have pity on us. Water Bullsnake, we are your people. For them let

there be here abundance. [sic] Now our father pacify the rattlesnakes, so that none will be angry. That will be well.

It will rain. One their account good will come. So be it”. (Curtis 140)

The shedding of skin, while a biological attribute, may be directly linked to the serpents

symbolic regeneration of life, yet the correlation of water cannot be articulated in the same

manner without the presence of myths. The example of this biological feature and its symbolic

representation, project no falsities in my essays overall assumptions, because the serpent-worship

is based on the worship of nature itself, existing beyond the apparent biological characteristics

and into the spiritual realm. (Herring 9)

The symbolic link between the serpent and water (the source of life), only grazes’ the

surface of the origins of this complex dichotomy, and will be delineated later by exploring what

other culture’ myths and symbols have to say about the serpent. This serves to edify and support

the argument of two intertwining dichotomies that tends to become very difficult to grasp at

times, particularly without previous knowledge of religion. Nevertheless, this symbolic link

between serpents and water not only contributes to the origins of our primordial existence that

once was, and is, but the fact that the serpent myth, in relation to the complex dichotomy

between man and snake, and cosmos is also intricately entwined to the earth below and the sky

above, and the rain that connects the two which suggests that an ecclesiastical law of universe is

indeed inextricably bound into the ophidian phenomenon.

So as the Hopi Tribe begins to prepare for the dance, an interesting ritual appears,

shedding light on another symbolic representation of the serpent. While the Hopi dance in a

circle holding snakes, they cover their bodies with “Man-Medicine”, which protects them from

the dangerous fertile powers of snakes that which is much similar, in context, to the widely held

cultural belief surrounding female’s menstruation as potentially contaminating their male

counterpart. (Curtis 154) The cultural implications of medicine are yet another valuable asset in

understanding this serpent phenomena and it is the Hopi belief that certain remedies or rather

symbolic acts in the ritual itself will exert control over the divine forces of nature allowing them

to conjure up the rains needed to irrigate their newly planted crops. (Curtis 202)

While the biological characteristics of the serpent may create fear in mans eyes, it is not

the key in solving the symbolic origins surrounding serpent worship; rather this notion of fear

directly corresponds to the larger notion of “awe at the mysterious and unknown”. This

perspective offers further clarification, for the Hopi attempts to explain the unexplainable, by

creating a symbolic replication of the various inner workings in our cosmos, basically a

microcosmic model of sorts that which enables them to influence the natural laws that govern the

universe. Thus we see why the Hopi Tribes worship the serpent’s power, which clearly allows

them to create rain through the myth of Ti’Yo. (Herring 58)

This essay could maintain its fundamental arguments by solely relying on the

significance of serpent worship in the Hopi culture, yet this brief overview provides an

exemplary model of serpent worship based on myth. According to President Roosevelt’s account

of the Hopi ceremony the mysterious and influential aspect of the Hopi Tribes serpent worship,

is outlined by the snake’s tranquil response in being held in snake handler’s mouths. The visual

and auditory aspects would be an overwhelming experience to the observer, picture the members

of the two clans in full ceremonial dress dancing in circles around the “Kisi” (snake shrine), as

the rhythm from the drums and the chanting fill personify mother natures soundtrack. (Mardar

140)

The Hopi snake handlers, then, release the snakes back into the wild, for as the symbolic

significance being in this instance is to send the serpents with the message of rain back to the

mythic snake chief- who lives in an underground cave layer with his snake people and has the

power to control the waters flow on the surface of the earth. In the end of the ceremony they

wash themselves with water, thus becoming pure in spirit. The symbolic purpose, while also

being to create rain, is to call fourth the masculine and feminine divinities of nature by the ritual

consummation, which imitates the delicate balance of the universe and arbitrate its dualistic

nature. (Marder 137) The myth of Ti’yo provides the symbolic framework of the ceremony that

is truly, in its essence – a theatrically esthetic rendition of the ecclesiastical laws of the cosmos,

and perfectly deplores these intertwining dichotomies between the serpent and man, and universe

and mythological symbolism.

In my research I stumbled upon the Serpent Mound, and again this convinced me that a

ophidian phenomenon actually existed and continues to exist and that the prevalence of serpent

worship and/or symbolism originated from something more celestially inclined then we are so

unable to do. The scientific debate over who were responsible for constructing the geogylph

recently ended due to carbon dating, which places the Serpent Mound around 1070 A.D.

(Saraceni). This date corresponds to the North American culture of the Fort Ancient who lived

in the Ohio River Valley. The date also proposes that the astronomical events coincide, such as

Halley’s Comet and the light from the Crab Nebula. (Saraceni)

The Serpent Mound is directly linked to the Fort Ancients religion because of other concrete

astrological evidence that links four examples; most notably it aligns with the summer solstice.

(Hamilton 14-15) The spiral in the serpent’s tail is a prevalent symbol in the ancient world, and

refers to the divine forces of nature. (Hayes) This divine worship of the serpent parallels many

aspects that have been shown in the Hopi Snake Dance; could they have possibly influenced the

Hopi’s religious ceremonies as well? The Mississippian culture, who existed circa 800-1500

A.D, is believed to have influenced the Fort Ancient culture. (Ricardo) While I looked further

into this possibility of linking cultures I could only find shell gorget carvings of snakes and no

archaeological evidence, yet there are similar serpent mounds in other parts of the world.

Archaeologists, in 2007, unearthed another great find in the English countryside which has

been dubbed the Rotherwas Serpent Mound in England. It is believed this sacred mound was

once used as a ceremonial crematory and roughly dating around 4,000 years ago. (Collins) Or

consider the serpent mound of Loch Nell in Scotland, where it is observed to be as “a circle of

stones supposed to be emblematic of the solar disc”. (Collins) The worshiper stands in this circle

looking to the east towards the mountains of Ben Cruachah where it is associated with the

legends of Cailleach Bheur, a serpent goddess. (Collins)

This cross-cultural comparison partly unfolds the past, while also informing us of the

mysterious dichotomy between man and snake. I infer from these examples the evidence of this

so-called ophidian phenomenon and that the origins of serpent worship through symbols must be

taken into serious account, and not just dismissed a mere superstition and folklore. While there is

no archeological evidence to suggest a link between Mesoamerican myth influencing Native

Americans culture, similarities do exist. Nevertheless the next analysis offers yet another

example of serpent worship in ancient cultures.

The astrological alignment in the Mayan Temple of Kukulkan is, to a certain extent and

variable, in coincidence with various cultures of the world, particularly through the structures

dependence on astrological as well as symbolic adulation of the ancient serpent/sun god

Kukulkan (Aveni 279) While human sacrifice lies at the surface of these Mesoamerican temples,

we must become familiar with the chief deity Kukulkan, who later becomes the Aztec

Quetzalcoatl (Littleton 797) The cosmic architect Kukulkan, is associated with resurrection,

reincarnation, fertility and water. And so does not seem too far off from the other cultural

examples.(Littleton 799) The extent of serpent worship in this temple fascinated me, when I

learned of its astrological alignments. During the sunset of the two equinoxes the shadows and

sunlight of the temple produce a symbolic serpent that runs down the length of the pyramid’s

stairsi. (Littleton)

Could this pre-Columbian era serpent be associated with Ouroboros of Egyptian, Greek, and

other Western religious traditions? If this does not explain the extent of ophidian phenomenon,

in accordance with previous examples, this may just be dismissed as another new age hoopla,

and maybe it is, but consider that ancient people were clearly fascinated by the serpent and it

clearly meant much more than just an odd looking creature. Before I get any farther sidetracked

these cases studies here are only a tiny section of the serpent mythological and symbolic forms it

has taken since the dawn of man. In order to more clearly hit the head on the nail with such

insatiably dogmatic cases studies, it would be in good taste to see what Carl Jung had to say

about all this.

Carl Jung seemed to believe in this dichotomy - between serpent and man, for in his

ophiography of Ouroboros he clearly perceived the meaning of the serpent as a mythological

symbol, as he supposed that this particular symbol held within it an allegory that was the indeed

an “archetypical” association with the “human psyche.”(Castaño y Alcocer)ii This is principle, in

and of itself, is truly fascinating, particularly in that it connects this cosmic serpent (i.e.Ourboros)

to the human psyche. And he further articulates this notion of archaic symbols having a platonic

implication with which to provide an “archetypical” glimpse into humans’ ontological existence

in relation to the universe, as he states,

“The psychological mechanism thattransforms energy is the symbol.’ But, in addition, he appears to give a differentmeaning to the archetype, linking it strictly with the structure of the psyche,when he distinguishes it from the symbol in so far as its ontic significance goes.To clarify this, let us quote some of Jung’s own observations: ‘The archetypesare the numinous, structural elements of the psyche and possess a certain au-tonomy and specific energy which enables them to attract, out of the consciousmind, those contents which are best suited to themselves. The symbols act astransformers, their function being to convert libido from a “lower” into a “higher”form. . . . It was manifestly not a question of inherited ideas, but of an inborndisposition to produce parallel images, or rather of identical psychic structurescommon to all men, which I later called the archetypes of the collective uncon-scious. They correspond to the concept of the “pattern of behaviour” in biology’. ‘The archetypes do not represent anything external, non-psychic, althoughthey do of course owe the concreteness of their imagery to impressions receivedfrom without. Rather, independently of, and sometimes in direct contrast to, theoutward forms they may take, they represent the life and essence of a non-individual psyche’. That is to say, there is an intermediate realm between theoneness of the individual soul and its solitude, and the variety of the universe:between the res cogitans and the res extensa of Descartes, and that realm is theimage of the world in the soul and of the soul in the world, in other words, the‘place’ of symbolism ‘working’ in areas prepared by the archetypes—eternallypresent, the ‘problem being whether the consciousness perceives them or not.”

When the words of Jung indeed point to this Ophidian phenomenon - which appears to hold

some divine truth to the universe – as well as possessing a degree of truth that may guide humans

into a new ambit of esoteric epistemology that which encompasses each and everyone of our

existences; and points directly to the cosmic serpent that appears in the oldest of fables and

legends from all lands. It is almost inconceivable to even consider such illusions of grandeur, but

after removing our pre-conceived notions about the reality of life, and live as though we were

just infants born with a certain innate curiousness of the way the world is. Then, and only then,

will the iconology of the serpent help to provide a possible link between humanity and the

cosmos, which could even be scientifically quantifiable- who knows what possibilities are ahead

if live and breath our lives knowing such esoteric knowledge that the ancients appeared to know

and use.

Moreover, the symbolic and mythological serpent provides this link, and it becomes the

means by which – tapping into its divine power that is intrinsic to the symbol or other form of

veneration - to open the doors of perception to a whole new reality and existence. And so, after

deconstructing complex facets, which surround the ophidian phenomenon, the briefly mentioned

symbolic nature of the serpents was used by ancients to superimpose the creatures numenic

functioning into various religio-cultural forms. And so the symbol that it comes to be associated

with, is one that is not only a clear portent to human primordial evolution, but also one that is

perplexingly embedded and encoded on the walls of the temples of the most famed ancient

civilizations. The list goes on, so much so that when the ophidian phenomena is boiled down to

the bare bone – in all it esthetic forms that I can be found - and again, after deconstructing the

symbolism of the serpent. The symbol of the serpent undoubtedly links humanity to a new

epistemological existence one that at its very least is platonic, but at the most, it is clearly

emblematic to man and universe, and may hold within its depths one of the keys to explaining

human existence, or perhaps even one of the puzzle pieces to the ultimate question: what is

meaning of life?

The almost frightening similarities between these cultures that worshiped the serpent

have created much speculation and mystery in this essay. And so, why not delve further into

antiquity to see what might surface, and of course there is no better way than with the following

quote from the Mayan creation myth from Popuh Vol, as translated by Eric Thompson, and

follows: “With the men and trees and gods they raised the sky with its stars as it now is. When

the sky was raised Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl walked across it and made the road which

appears in the sky, and they were there and ever after are there with their abode there.” (33) The

Mayan creation myth is very mysterious indeed, yet could there be analogous examples of these

two gods - known as plumped serpents - in related myths found throughout the world?

Indeed there is, and I would first like to look at the Rig Veda creation myth, which tells

the story of the serpent Vritra slain by the Hindu deity Indra who cuts him open to release the

seven rivers (Rig Veda II. 11-12; III. 30. 8-9). There is also the almost identical aboriginal creation

myth, which describes the hero Guthi-Guthi wandering the dry lands in search for water. He

discovers the snake Weowi-Weowie trapped in mount Minara, and upon splitting the mountain

upon the serpent spreads water through the dry land. (Creation Story) These similar examples

infer a ophidian phenomenon which truly exists in the ancient world, and possibly today.

Furthermore these stories and the prevalence of the serpent in these myths offer a superior

perspective of the dichotomy between man and snake, which I can only begin to explain here

because this phenomenon is everywhere, not just the ancient world.

The perplexing dichotomy between man and serpent cannot be exclusively based on the

snake’s physical features. For as it has been shown the origins of this intriguing dichotomy

derive from the mysterious myths and legends, which create the nexus between serpent worship

and veneration in its various cultural and esthetic renditions. From antiquity up until today, these

cross-cultural cases formulate the warrant behind the existence of the Ophidian phenomenon.

The novelty of my conclusion brings nothing astonishing to the light; needless to say, it is for the

intertwining dichotomies’ that were argued here between man and serpent, and cosmos, for it is

the above-mentioned ophidian iconology that appears to tap into the system that governs the

known universe.

Furthermore, not only must we consider how the world may be, as we perceive it to be, but

also humanities place in the big scheme of things. In the not so distant past people from all walks

of life, and periods of times, adulated this mythological symbol that mysteriously yields a divine

power of the serpent, it seems that this quote sums up my argument with precision and

simplicity,” How could a legend be kept alive and per-petuated [sic] if each generation had not

“intimate reasons” for believing in it?’ The symbolist meaning of a phenomenon helps to explain

these ‘intimate reasons’, since it links the instrumental with the spiritual, the human with the

cosmic, the casual with the causal, disorder with order, and since it justifies a word like universe

which, without these wider implications, would be meaningless, a dis-membered [sic] and

chaotic pluralism; and finally, because it always points to the transcendental.” (Pg. 15

Dictionary of Symbols)

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Mexico. New York: University of Texas, 2001. Print.

http://www.belgeler.com/blg/2hk5/dictionary-of-symbols

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Learning Experience." Diss. Centro De Física Aplicada Y Tecnología Avanzada

Universidad Nacional Autónoma De México. Abstract. Web. 29 May 2012.

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Official Andrew Collins Website. 7 July 2007. Thurs. 12 Feb. 2010.

<http://www.andrewcollins.com/page/news/Rotherwas.htm>.

"Creation Story - Australian Museum." Australian Museum - nature, culture, discover -

Australian Museum. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.

<http://australianmuseum.net.au/movie/Creation-Story>.

Edward, Curtis S. "The Hopi." The North American Indian 12 (1922): 140+. Print.

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sacred sites, religious sites, sacred places. Thurs. 12 Feb. 2010. <http://www.sacred-

destinations.com/usa/serpent-mound>.

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University, 1907. Print.

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Littleton, Scott C. Gods, goddesses, and mythology. Vol. 6. New York: Marshall Cavendish,

2005. Print.

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Service - Experience Your America. Thurs. 12 Feb. 2010.

<http://www.nps.gov/history/seac/misslate.htm>.

Saraceni, Jessica E. "Redating the Serpent Mound." Archaeology 6th ser. 49 (1996).

Archaeological Institute of America. Thurs. 12 Feb. 2010.

<http://www.archaeology.org/9611/newsbriefs/serpentmound.html>.

"Serpent Mound - Ohio, USA." Sacred Sites at Sacred Destinations - Explore sacred sites,

religious sites, sacred places. Thurs. 12 Feb. 2010. <http://www.sacred-

destinations.com/usa/serpent-mound>.

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York: University of Oklahoma, 1984. Print.

http://victorcastano.net/resources/The+aesthetic+side+of+materials+science+1.pdf

i The mathematical architecture used to construct the pyramid of the sun was used in built in such a precise manner as to align with astrological calculations such as the summer and winter equinox is a phenomenon of its own. I highly suggest doing your own research on pre-Columbian civilizations, for it has been in my own research that much of their culture and religion is strangely connected and even parralel to that of the early Egyptians, Assyrians, and many other esthetics found in the cradle of humanity (i.e. Mesopotamia). ii