Whats ur oppinion on the symbolic significance of snakes

The poll is silly, yes, but I appreciate this thread in bringing up the symbolism of snakes, as it's something I think about sometimes.

My favorite snake symbolism is in Australian Aboriginal mythology. There was a time long ago called the "Dreamtime" in which everything was created. Geographical features were often told to be created by animals migrating across the land. For example, here is some mythology behind Uluru or Ayers Rock...

From: http://www.religious-tourism.com/other_pilgrimages.htm

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Aborigines believe that the path leading up Uluru is marked with `footprints` of the mala or Rufus hare wallaby, the kuniya - female python and other creatures from their Dreamtime. In fact the whole vast continent of Australia is criss-crossed by tracks of the `Dreamings`: walking, slithering, crawling, chasing, hunting, dying, giving birth, performing rituals and establishing links between one place and another. Such places are sacred sites, at times visible as rock art and engravings but largely invisible to all but aborigines such as the local Pitjantjatjara who still find their way from place to place guided by spiritual `song lines`.

In Aboriginal mythology Uluru is the Intelligent Snake from the `higher spirit realms` who conjured up a great rainbow down which it slithered to earth. To them the snake symbolises fertility, the lower part of the "U" filled with eggs being considered the `father and mother` of all living creatures.

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Sigh... isn't that beautiful? I want to visit it some day...

I follow an Earth-based religion that looks to find wisdom in all the different philosophies and religious thought throughout human history. What I've found is that far more civilizations revered--or at least respected--snakes than reviled them. The serpent is a powerful symbol of rebirth (shedding its skin), wisdom (the unblinking eye), and the cycle of life (coiling into spirals). One of the coolest images I've ever seen is this goddess of ancient Crete (warning! artistic nudity): http://www.hartzler.org/cc307/minoan/images/co.jpg

That said, I attach no "good" or "evil" to my snakes. That would be silly. NoPed is shy, Valentine is bold, and Petra is quirky. None of them are good or evil.

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Originally Posted by Wh00h0069

The Bible says that the Devil used a snake to tempt Eve into eating fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which was the only thing that God told her not to do. For this reason, Christians believe that snakes are evil creatures.

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unfair blanket statement. i am christian and there is no biblical or doctrinal basis for the belief that snakes are evil. i don't think i've even MET a christian who thought snakes were evil. also, the snake has "good" imagery in the bible. the israelites in the desert were healed by the power of God through the brazen serpent created by moses.

I vote neither, they are animals and all animals are neither. Good and Evil only applies to humans, we are the only species that kills for matters unrelated to survival. Im an aussie and i was brought up to run at the first sight of a snake, but ever since i first held a carpet python i have loved snakes.

People are regarded as good or evil. Snakes are like any other animal. In the Bible, snakes where represented as both. Garden of Eden serpeant = Bad or Moses putting a flaming serpeant on a pole as a cure to death = good.

Neither. They're just another chain in an extensive food chain.

For symbolism, neither.

As a Christian, I don't believe that any animal can be good or evil in and of itself. Snake are in the Bible as tools for one side or the other. Their will is not their own. Satan took possession of a serpent (with legs) to trick Adam and Eve. God had Moses use a snake for various miracles and plagues in the Exodus.

In reality, people's perceptions of snakes are based mostly on their culture and first hand experience. Same with any animal really. If Mom and Dad say snakes are bad and child never has an experience, then that's all they have to go by. If a child has a negative encounter with a snake then they make fear them solely based on that.

I knew a guy in college you was deathly afraid of dogs because he got bit bad as a child. Another guy I knew was scared of roosters because one pecked him on the head as a child.

Symbalism is just that: A symbal.