My journey of discovery has transformed my perception of snakes from a limited understanding to a profound appreciation for these fascinating creatures. Through my expanded knowledge of various religions, cultures, and scientific exploration, I've come to see the beauty inherent in snakes, just as I do in all living things. It's incredible how learning and exploration can unveil the hidden beauty in things we once misunderstood. Snakes, with their unique characteristics and role in different cultures and ecosystems, have become a source of fascination and admiration for me, contributing to the rich tapestry of life on Earth.
The Christians' perception of snakes can vary among different denominations and individual believers. However, generally, Snakes are labelled reminders of evil, deception and everything bad, due to the popular bible story of the Garden of Eden where they were said to have deceived EVE into disobeying God, and ultimately leading to the fall of Humanity.
Snakes have carried on with this stigma for so long, and I only wish it emanates from the severity of the venom they carry (which is still not enough considering that it is a survival material for the reptile).
While I acknowledge and of course do not intend to argue these negative views, I think we should also explore a wider view of all the potentials of snakes, with more focus on the less talked about (in my opinion and geographical location) positive potentials attributed to it across different cultures, and scientific studies.
With regards to the symbolism of snakes, there is a positive converging traditional belief amongst different communities in Nigeria, Greek mythology, America, and India, where Snakes represent fertility, light, rebirth, healing, wisdom, supremacy, spiritual enlightenment, eternal life. It's remarkable how across continents and cultures, there's a shared reverence for these creatures, each attributing to them qualities that transcend geographical boundaries and echo the universal themes of renewal, enlightenment, and spiritual power.
Scientifically, snakes contribute to control pest populations, and maintain the balance of various ecosystems. Snakes prey on rodents, the primary hosts of ticks, thereby significantly reducing tick-borne infestations. Snakes are important agents of biotic seed dispersal, aiding the conservation of biodiversity. As a conditional fruit eater, it transports seeds that can withstand the digestive enzymes. Also, a research conducted by Mirzaei et al., 2021 shows that “the proteins isolated from snake venoms have shown promise as potential therapeutics in inducing cancer cell death”. Furthermore, Snakes serve as food to its predators.
There is so much to know about the universal importance of snakes but I won't bore you with all the details.
Finally, it has been proven that snakes don't attack if they don't feel threatened, or in search of food (that doesn’t sound to me like an animal actively seeking to do evil). This is why it is important to look beyond what we have been told about snakes and try to enlighten ourselves about them.
Hello, Let’s destigmatize snakes. Thank you.