Conspiracy Forum

The following information will sound a little like an encyclopaedia. However, the information is vital to any serious investigator of our religious and cultural past. In short, I have discovered that a correct understanding of our own history cannot be fully comprehended without a firm knowledge of the worship of the serpent.
The snake, known in the language of Canaan variously as Aub, Ab; Oub, Ob; Oph, Op; Eph, Ev. In the Mayan language Can means serpent, as in Cuculcan the bird serpent, and just as in the Ancient Sumerian Acan and the Scottish Can for serpent (which is where we get the word canny like the wise snake.) Vulcan, the Roman god of fire comes from the Babylonian Can for serpent and Vul for fire, showing an etymological link across thousands of miles and oceans. Indeed even the very centre of the Christian world, the Vatican, comes from the words vatis for prophet and can for serpent, making the Vatican a place of serpent prophecy.
The oracle that the biblical king Saul appealed to for prophecy was called “one that hath Ob” or the priestess of Ob – the snake. The snake worshippers of Moses time and area were known as Hivites, derived from Hhivia or serpent – the root of Eve. Hivites became Ophites, the early Christian Gnostic serpent worshippers who claimed affinity with the Christians in the second century AD. Indeed, the very children of Israel intermarried with them and “served their gods.” They were also known as Baalim from Baal/Bel.
Baal was a solar god, thought by John Bathurst Deane in his, Worship of the Serpent Traced Throughout the World, to be an abbreviation of Ob-El – the serpent god or shining serpent. The ‘shining’ aspect of the serpent reveals a subtle clue. On the one hand the shining was the illumination believed to have been achieved when under altered states of consciousness and wherein one ‘sees’ serpents the world over. This is of course not true enlightenment, as our ancestors readily pointed out that true illumination derived from knowledge of ones own soul and knowledge of the greater work of the gods. This leads us to the other knowledge – the stars. In literal truth the serpent was indeed seen in the sky which shone down upon us. This is why in Egypt for instance we will see the sun (or Aten) wrapped with the snake and why the serpent was world-wide seen as a symbol of the sun.
Getting back to Baal, we find that the 20th century writer and historian Bryant, remarked that the Greeks called him Beliar, which was interpreted by Hesychius to mean “a dragon or great serpent.” Bel is the Assyrio-Babylonian version of the gods Enlil and Marduk – being the same as Baal – the same Baal seen throughout the Bible.
Could it be that Beltane should be rendered Bel-Tan, both words signifying the dragon/serpent? – And showing again, a cross-continent link to Europe. Remember that this was a time of year associated with the sun and the serpent is again here being linked to these astrotheological concepts.
In fact “Tan-it” or Tanit was the patron goddess of Carthage in Northern Africa, who was also associated with the ‘Tree of Life’ like Ishtar and Astarte.
Often the Tree is depicted with wavy lines said to represent serpents – a merging in symbolic form. The name Tanit means ‘Serpent Lady’ and she is found on many coins in Carthage associated with the Caduceus and symbolising the role of Tanit in life, death and rebirth. She is basically the same as the ‘Queen of Heaven’ – Astarte/Isis/Mary. Here the serpent is associated with the cycles of the moon as the Queen of Heaven, whereas the male serpent is the King of Heaven – the sun.
This relates the early Christian Gnostics right back to Babylonian beliefs of serpent worship, which in turn goes back to Egypt and Mesopotamia in general towards the African ancient serpent cults. Christianity then, is related to the most ancient serpent worship known and if it were not for the destructive covering up of huge amounts of historical data by the Christians, then this would have been all the more obvious, without such extreme measures of investigation. It is a fact that the Christians were ashamed of this link and did all they could to destroy it. Not least because it would reveal their own deity to be the sun itself.
A general term, used for early Christian Gnostics, was Ophites, although it is probably too strong to call them Christians in the modern sense. Epiphanius said:
“the Ophites sprung out of the Nicolatians and Gnostics, and were so called from the serpent which they worshipped.”
They “taught that the ruler of this world was of a dracontic form” and “The Ophites attribute all wisdom to the serpent of paradise, and say that he was the author of knowledge of men” – linking him to the Taautus of the Phoenicians.
“They keep a live serpent in a chest; and at the time of the mysteries entice him out by placing bread before him upon a table. Opening his door he comes out, and having ascended the table, folds himself about the bread. They not only break the bread and distribute this among the votaries, but whosoever will, may kiss the serpent. This, the wretched people call the Eucharist. They conclude the mysteries by singing a hymn through him to the supreme father.”
An amazing declaration, which speaks volumes. It tells us that, like the ancient Egyptians, the serpent was symbolic of the sun and must be constantly enticed to rise. Kissing the bread is the simple revelation that the sun indeed feeds us by giving life to our agricultural world.
The Eucharist mediator is the serpent, as Christ was the mediator on the cross, a symbol and act more ancient than Christ and rooted itself in serpent worship. The serpent was itself sacrificed on the ‘sacred tree’ or Asherah. This also relates to the rites of Bacchus, where snakes were carried in baskets of cakes and bread, the food then being given to the votaries. In these Bacchanalian rites there was also the consecrated wine, which was handed around. Remarkably, this ritual used a special chalice or grail object called the Cup of the Agathodaemon, meaning simply ‘good serpent.’ This serpent-consecrated cup of wine was handed around after supper just like at the ‘Last Supper of Christ’ and was received with much shouting and joyousness. The hymn sung via the serpent to the supreme father was just the same as the one sung in the memory of the Python at Delphi on the seventh day of the week. Now thousands of years later, Christians still take the Cup of Christ (called the ‘good serpent’ by the Gnostics) and eat the consecrated bread. This modern ritual is none other than the original, but renamed, ‘Cup of the Sacred Serpent,’ which gives the body, and blood of our oldest god.
A 3rd Century Persian teacher, known as Manes, who said that Christianity had got things wrong and he was here to put it right, attempted to revive these old ways. Regardless of the Christian attempts to kill off Manichaeism it survived until the 13th century. He is said to have revived Ophiolatreia (serpent worship), where he taught that Christ was an incarnation of the ‘great serpent,’ “who glided over the cradle of the Virgin Mary, when she was asleep, at the age of a year and a half.” But, the worship of the serpent was much more ancient than even Manes stated.
The chief title of the British serpent god was Hu the dragon ruler of the world, the title probably deriving Huas or Hyas, a name for Bacchus. The druid was known as ‘a nadder’ (now known as adder, having dropped the ‘n’) as the adder was the symbol of the god Hu and Deane believed that the Druids were “Ophites of the original stock.” They worshipped also Beli.
A Bardic poem cited by Deane:
“With solemn festivity round the two lakes;
With the lake next my side;
With my side moving round the sanctuary;
While the sanctuary is earnestly invoking;
The gliding king, before whom the fair one, Retreats, upon the veil that covers the huge stones;
Whilst the dragon moves round over;
The places which contain the vessels of drink offering;
Whilst the drink offering is in the golden horns;
Whilst the golden horns are in the hand;
Whilst the knife is upon the chief victim; Sincerely I implore thee, O victorious Bel . . .”
Moving around like the serpent, sacred stones – all this sounds remarkably like the Avebury Serpent passage, and what is at the end, but a golden horn, a chalice offering. In all the research on the serpent worshippers there are some things we cannot deny – they were very real, they existed across the globe and they built huge stone structures everywhere. The Omphalos is an example of this.
According to Herodotus a sacred serpent was fed honey cakes once a month at the Acropolis in Athens. These honey cakes were marked with the Omphalos.
The superstition of the Omphalos was widespread like the serpent belief from India to Greece. It is a boss or orb with spiral lines (see Article Signs of the Serpent) thought to represent serpents coiled. There are similar markings on ancient stone monuments across the world – especially at Newgrange in Ireland. Quintus Curtius also pointed out that in Africa there were such stones with spiral lines drawn, said to be a symbol of the serpent deity.
To the Etruscans the Omphalos was seen as a route to the Underworld. It was placed in a trench called a mundus (earth) and the first fruits offered into the trench, which was then covered by a huge stone. The entire city was centred on this spot with all roads leading to and from it.
Probably the most famous Omphalos is the one now in the museum at Delphi. In Greek history the Delphic Oracle was called Pytho (Python – snake) and she was active for over 1,000 years, getting involved in anything from mundane day-to-day prophecies to matters of state. Nobody really has any ideas how the Oracle managed to do her business.
There are suggestions that volcanic vents issued hallucinogenic drugs up into the chamber and suggestions that sacred mushrooms were used. One strange vase however may give the clue. A 4th century Vulci Cup shows King Aigeus before Pythia (Themis) who holds a bowl and stares intently into it.
This is no vented drug or mushroom, this is the ‘Sacred Cup’ of the Agathodaemon in another form – the prophetic snake yet again. It may also be that this was a unique way of seeing the reflection of the sky.
What probably is in this bowl though are the entrails of the snake, or some secret mixture of the snake. However, we have discovered a profound importance to this element of serpent worship, which links it directly to a scientific explanation of what exactly God is (see The Serpent Grail).
As throughout the history of the mystical serpent it has been associated with powers of ‘future sight’ – known to us today as ‘Precognition.’ Around the decoration of this cup are the familiar spirals (movements of the sun and stars, spiralling because of precession) of the snake and Pythia herself is seated upon the tripod, sacred to the sight. Another indication that the serpent is associated strongly with prophecy is the stark fact that the words for ‘divination’ in Hebrew, Arabic and Greek all mean ‘serpent’ also. This alone indicates that Hebrew, Arabic and Greek are following the same beliefs, over a vast period of time.
According to Fergusson, the 19th century writer:
“when we first meet with serpent worship, either in the wilderness of Sinai, the groves of Epidaurus, or in the Sarmatian huts, the serpent is always the Agathodaemon, which in ancient Egypt presided over the affairs of men as the guardian spirit of their houses, was the Asp of Ranno, the snake headed goddess who is represented as nursing the young princes. [Note: as Mary.] That the idea of health was intimately associated with the serpent is shown by the crown formed of the asp, or sacred Thermuthis, having been given particularly to Isis, a goddess of life and healing, and according to Hargrave Jennings in Ophiolatreia, these were “no doubt intended to symbolise eternal life.”
It was the symbol of other deities with likewise attributes. In The Serpent and Siva Worship, C. Staniland Wake remarks about the:
“Moslem saint of Upper Egypt is still thought to appear under the form of a serpent, and to cure the diseases which afflict the pilgrims of his shrine.”
In the same book we hear of Ramahavaly one of the four idols of Madagascar, whose emissaries are serpents. He is regarded as a Physician and thought to expel epidemic diseases, much akin to Aesculapius:
“as god, sacred, powerful, and almighty; who kills and makes alive; who heals the sick, and prevents diseases and pestilence; who can cause thunder and lightning to strike their victims or prevent their fatality; can cause rain in abundance when wanted, or can withhold it so as to ruin the crops of rice. He is also celebrated for his knowledge of the past and future, and for his capacity of discovering whatever is healed or concealed.”
Ramahavaly has basically all the elements of the Agathodaemon, the sacred serpent, in one god. He is like many other serpent deities in charge of the weather, he has knowledge and wisdom, and above all he can heal, resurrect and disperse disease.
In the Epigraphic records of cures from Epidaurus there are many cures connected with healing. The 17th for instance states:
“A man had his toe healed by a serpent. He, suffering dreadfully from a malignant sore on his toe, during the daytime was taken outside by the servants of the Temple and set upon a seat. When sleep came upon him, then a snake issued from the Abaton and healed the toe with its tongue, and thereafter went back again to the Abaton.” (Ab = serpent)
Valerius Maximus (1.8.2) also tells of a serpent which:
“through his arrival he dispelled the plague for the cure of which he had been summoned.”
It is highly likely that these stories may relate to the healers and sages of the serpent worshipping cults and not the serpent itself, although it is likely that a snake was used in many cases for the cures.
In Islam the snake is always seen as being closely associated with life. In fact the word el-hayyah (related to Eve) meaning ‘snake’ is close to el-hyat meaning the ‘life giving principle’. The Prophet Mohammed is said to have spoken of the Jinn (from where we get Genie) as being of three kinds, one of which was as a serpent. Muslims are thought to hold the opinion that Mohammed was sent not just for the people, but also for the Jinn (the words of Abu-Tha’labah al-Khushani Al-Khushati as related by Al-Tabarani.) Indeed the white Jinn are said to be formed from the irises of the serpent, Sakatimuna’s eyes. The king of the Jinn was Jamshid who just happens to be famous for having a beautiful cup of Elixir. A golden cup full of the elixir of life, hidden by the Jinn and said to have been discovered while digging the foundations of Persepolis, which was Jamshid’s capital.
“I know too where the genii hid The jewelled cup of their king Jamshid, With life’s elixir sparkling high.” Thomas Moore: Paradise and the Peri.
The Resplendent Jam, as he was known, was the first to organise society and was one of the first legendary and possibly mythical rulers if Iran (Persia). Wine and sugar were made for the first time. He was the first to construct roads and build ships, and he established the New Year’s Day festival known as Ruz on the vernal equinox, which is still celebrated in Iran.
During his long reign, Jamshid received a warning that in three severe winters heavy snowfalls would cover the earth and all creation would be destroyed, very much like the flood of Noah. Jamshid followed the divine order and constructed a var, which is a fortress, into which he took the best men, women, animals and plants to reproduce and replenish the earth after the snows had melted.
His reign was remembered for its great prosperity but also his pride. He became a sinner and he was defeated and killed by the serpent-king, Zohak. A later king of this dynasty, Fereidun, in turn killed the serpent-king. Fereidun is also credited with the discovery of the art of medicine and healing. It could be that Jamshid and Key-Khosrow from the 2nd millennium BC were mixed up, as Khosrow is often seen as a precursor to King Arthur, especially as he held the cup or grail of life. The whole story of Zohak and Jamshid is the struggle between the culture of Persia and the invading serpent cult from Syria, which was seen as the evil. I had hoped to be able to balance out this one sided history, but I could find no reference to an alternative story from the side of the serpent cult.
Snake Stones
There are peculiar things known as ‘snake stones,’ which were said to impart healing and good luck. Called gleinen nadroeth, they are said to be small rings formed by snakes that join together; hiss; form a kind of bubble, which they blow on, and which then hardens resembling a glass ring. Quite often these ‘snake stones’ are said to be green in colour like the Philosophers Stone.
In Cornwall it was said that any beast bitten by a snake could be cured from the water infused by one of these ‘snake stones.’ Some of these ancient bead stones were found on Hakpen (snake head) Hill in Avebury – thought today to be for purely ornamental purposes. In India the Brahmins convinced the Malabarians that they took these Pedra del Cobra from the actual hoods of snakes and this must surely be the same ‘snake stone’ spoken of by Pliny where he says of the Eastern Kings:
“It must be cut out of the brain of a living serpent, where it grows; for if the serpent die, the stone dissolves. The natives therefore, first charm the serpent to sleep with herbs; and when he is lulled, make a sudden incision in his head, and cut out the stone.”
Adam and Eve
Now we move onto the progenitors of the whole of the human race. Remarkably I found that both were related to serpent worship from their Sumerian origins.
Clemens Alexandrius said that Heviah – the root of Eve – means ‘female serpent,’ “If we pay attention to the strict sense of the Hebrew, the name Evia aspirated signifies a female, serpent.”
It is connected to the same Arabic root which means both ‘life’ and ‘serpent.’
The Persians even called the constellation, “Serpens,” “the little Ava” or “Eve.”
In old Akkadian, Ad signifies “father,” and according to C. Staniland Wake in The Origin of Serpent Worship, Adam was closely associated in legend with Seth, Saturn, Thoth or Taautus, who were all associated strongly as serpents.
Hercules, himself a serpent deity, is titled Sandan or Adanos. Adonis and Osiris were Azar and Adar – and even St. John’s devilish, Abaddon, includes the term. No wonder that Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, means ‘serpent shining’ and that Cain was thought to be of serpent descent. The other and important point to note is that Adam and Eve were initially immortal and Eve gained her wisdom via the serpent on the Tree of Knowledge/Life.
As for Cain and Abel: According to Hyde Clarke and C. Staniland Wake in Serpent and Siva Worship, Abel (Mbale) and Cain (Kane) are names given to elder and younger brothers.
Abel resolves into Ab (Snake) and El (God/shining) and therefore he is a ‘snake god’ or ‘shining snake.’
According to Rabbinical tradition Cain was not the son of Adam at all, but rather the son of Asmodeus, the ‘serpent spirit’ who is Ahriman in Persian Zoroastrianism.
Astronomy
The motion of the planets was seen as serpentine by many cultures and Crichton Miller’s unique astronomical insights later in the book will deal with this in much more depth and with some incredible revelations.
Calendars from Eurasia show representations of the celestial pathway with cycloid movements and serpentine features. The eclipses are shown as one serpent eating another. (Snake Patterns in Eurasia/Japan and Their Implications, a 2001 paper by Szaniszlo Berczi, Osamu Sano and Ryuji Takaki from Eotvos University and Tokyo University of Agriculture)
Similar serpent formations for the celestial pathways are shown across the world and so it is not surprising to see the serpent represented on the ancient stone monuments of the world, which are aligned to various celestial motions such as Midsummer and Midwinter.
In Greek legend the father of Aesculapius, Apollo – the sun god, asked his sacred crow (or raven) named Corvus, to go to earth and bring him a cup of fresh spring water. Corvus flew down with a chalice in-order to follow his master’s instructions.
However, by the edge of the water grew a fig tree. The fig is thought to be the tree from the Garden of Eden.
The temptation was too much for Corvus to eat the fruit. But it was not ripe and so the bird waited. When the fruit was ripe Corvus ate his full until the last of the figs had gone. Then he remembered why he was on the earth in the first place and quickly filled his goblet. However he suddenly had a thought, that he would need an excuse for taking so long. He grabbed a water snake and together with the cup flew back to Apollo.
He told Apollo that the water snake had attacked him, but Apollo saw the tiny snake and refused to believe the bird. He punished Corvus by turning him black (hence sent him into night time), where he had once been a beautiful silvery white. He gave the bird a raucous crow and then threw Corvus, the snake and the cup into the sky.
Now we can see the cup as Crater and the snake as Hydra in the stars. The snake was told to keep the cup on his back and never to let Corvus near it – the snake becoming the protector of the cup of the waters of the gods.
Ophiucus stretches from east of the head of Hercules to Scorpio and is partly in the Milky Way and divided by the celestial equator. Ophiucus, the ‘snake handler’ and Serpens the snake are seen together – the handler holding the snake. The classicists see Ophiucus as Aesculapius the healer.
To others, Ophiucus is one of the Libyan Psylli who were noted for their skills in curing snakebites and to still others he is Aaron or Moses with their serpent staffs or St. Paul with his Maltese Viper.
Again, the word Ophiucus comes from Ophis for snake and cheiro-o for ‘to handle’ – sounding remarkably like Chi-Ro, a supposed name for Christ, but a symbol which has much older origins.
There is a legend regarding Orion and Scorpius, which involves this snake handler. Orion in a fit of anger swears to kill all the animals on the Earth, but Gaia, the Earth’s Goddess is angered and sends Scorpius after him. Orion falls wounded from the sting of Scorpius, who sets in the west and rises in the east to gloat over his victim. But along comes Ophiucus who is above Scorpius and tramples on him. Then, using his Elixir of life, Ophiucus restores Orion to life and he is seen again once more on the horizon. This story is similar to the ancient Egyptian, Osiris, (Orion) Set, (Serpens) and Horus, (Ophiucus) myth.
Serpens however is the most unusual constellation in the sky. It is the only one that is split into two parts. The two parts themselves are very telling as they reveal a distinction between the tail or body and the head of the serpent.
Serpens Caput is the head of the serpent and Serpens Cauda is the tail of the serpent. Even though the two are separated, they are still, and uniquely, classed as one. The other important point to remember, is that Ophiucus and Serpens thousands of years ago were actually much larger in the sky than they are today – they had more importance to the ancients than we realise. It is a springtime constellation – it is therefore the constellation of new life!
American Snake Tribe
This American indigenous people call the snake anida wehi or ‘supernatural.’
They possess influence of the rain and thunder gods, over other animals and plant tribes – much like the ‘Horned Man’ from the Gundestrup Cauldron, who appears to be of the snake tribe and has rule over animals.
The most revered snake is the Rattlesnake, called utsa nati (“he who has a bell.”) However, all snakes are treated with respect, fear and awe.
The Rattlesnake was, according to legend, once a man – alluding to the ancient, incoming serpent worshippers of antiquity. This man was transformed into a Rattlesnake in-order to bring salvation to the human race and save him from the power of the sun. Even the Cherokee Indians are afraid of killing the Rattlesnake and will ask for pardon from the snake’s ghost should they do so.
The snake is said to be afraid of a plant called Silene stellata or ‘Rattlesnakes Master,’ which is used by medicine men to counteract the venom. The teeth, skin, flesh and oil of the Rattlesnake are greatly revered for their medicinal value, although pardons from the ghosts of the snakes have to be sought by the medicine man for their use. This of course leaves the secret of the preparation to the power of the priesthood, who therefore earn a living from it.
There are sacred preparations, which we can only see in part, as the secrecy is closely guarded. We do know that firstly the snake’s head has to be cut off. The teeth are used basically as a visual device to scare the patient into believing. The rattles are worn about the head and the flesh eaten to make warriors “angry.” The most important part is the lower body and the oil, which is held in great estimation by the Snake Tribes and the early white settlers for its effect upon joint problems.
In seasons of epidemic a roasted snake was hung in the house for the father of the family to bite off a small amount each day. He would chew it, mixed with water and then spit it upon the other members of the family to protect them from disease. The gule gi or blacksnake was used to prevent toothache and there is indeed a tradition that if the snake is hung on a tree for three days it will bring rain . . . remarkably similar to the Christian tale and even a link with Yahweh the rain god.
Circumcision
There is a peculiar practice, which links the worship of the serpent with the Hebrew nation of old – circumcision. Still today, Jewish boys are circumcised – that is, they have their foreskin removed from their penis. Why? And how does this strange practice link with serpent worship?
There are wall carvings in Egypt showing circumcision being practised. The Egyptians held the belief that when the snake shed its skin it had undergone rebirth, it was symbolical of attaining new life . . . of being born again.
The Egyptian priest in a mock ritual of the ‘serpent shedding his skin’ therefore removed the foreskin of the male. This practice then spread to the Semitic peoples, Arabs and Jews in later times – most probably via the emerging serpent worshippers. There is some thought that this practice may even go back to ancient Sumeria.
Glaukos
“O Glaukos, guiding the revolutions of innumerable years, if it be lawful leave the abyss of the barren sea, and show me the life-sufficing plant, show that which you tasted once with your lips, and now enjoy life incorruptible, circling with the course of time.” Dionysiaca 35:72.
Two generations before the Trojan War a child named Anthedon was born to King Minos of Crete, who had come from Scythia. This is the same Scythia from where I traced the influence of the serpent and dragon aspects into Britain during the period of King Arthur and thereby into the legends of the Grail.
Anthedon crept into a cave used for storing mead and drank himself to death. Minos sent for the seers who informed him that whoever could describe his sacred cow the best would be able to restore the child. The problem was that the cow changed colours every four hours, like to periods of the day. From black of night, to white of day, then red of sunset and back to black again. The only one who could describe the cow was Poluidos (“much knowing”) who said it was like a mulberry ripening, which went through similar colour changes. Poluidos was the son of Koiranso, the son of Abos who was the son of Melampous the Egyptian. He was the most famous “iatromantis” (like a shaman) in Greece and was said to know the language of snakes.
Poluidos found the boy and brought him back to Minos who refused to be satisfied, as he wanted the boy alive as promised by his seers. Poluidos and the boy were locked into a beehive-shaped tomb and were refused escape until the boy lived again. Poluidos was unable to do Minos’ bidding but prayed to the gods for help. Soon, after growing accustomed to the dark he saw a snake approaching the corpse – presumably to enact the gods will. However, terrified, Poluidos killed the snake – only for a second one to emerge.
This second snake saw the dead remains of the first and slithered off to fetch a twig of an herb (called the Flower of Zeus), which it used to bring the first snake back to life. Poluidos took the hint and stole the twig using it to resurrect the boy. A blue-gray scar emerged on the boy where the twig had touched him and from that day forth he was known as Glaukos meaning “blue-grey.” He was also known as Antitheos or god-like and with his fashioned serpent staff he had power over serpents until the end of time. His hair and beard turned green after becoming Glaukos or “old man of the sea” and there are tales of him acting very similar to the Quinotaur. Glaukos helped Jason build the Argo, so that he may find the ‘Golden Fleece’ and it is believed his myth came to the British shores under the guise of Gathelos, the husband of Skotia, whom he had married after helping the Pharaoh (possibly Akhenaton) in battle against the Ethiopians.
The myth goes that Gathelos (Glaukos) travelled to Europe and brought the Druid faith with him. On the way they visited Carthage, found a colony in Galicia, Spain, called Brigantia after the goddess Bridgid and then went on to Ireland.
Gathelos became king and Skotia his queen. The tribe took on the name skotioi and eventually moved to Caledonia giving their name to Scotland (“dark land.”) Glaukos then moved back into the sea and the people of Scotland still call his descendants blue men (Na Fir Ghorm.) All of this is wonderful folktale, and yet it hides the distinct belief that serpentine tribes and Egyptian type religions did indeed come to the islands of Britain.
A similar tale of snakes bringing the elixir is found in the story told by Nonnos. When a venomous serpent killed the Lydian, Tylos, his sister Moria requested help from a giant called Damason. This giant killed the serpent with a tree. However, the serpent’s wife brought a herb known as the ‘flower of Zeus,’ put it to the nostrils (like the Ankh) and brought the dead husband back to life. Moria then picked the same herb to bring her brother back to life. Firstly, note how the serpent is killed or sacrificed with a tree. Secondly, note how the “herb” is placed to the nostrils. This is the same process when using the Egyptian Ankh, the life giver and the Ankh is made up of the symbol of the tree and the snake. It is the symbol of ultimate treasure.
Minoan Snake Goddess
According to Dr Alena Trckova-Flamee Ph.D. the snake goddess of the Minoan culture is closely associated with the more general snake culture of the period (approx. 1,600 BC). It was Sir Arthur Evans who linked this goddess with the Egyptian goddess of the Nile, Wadjet.
From Evans point of view the snake was a form of ‘underworld spirit’ with a domestic and friendly aspect. She was the Mother Goddess, although some doubt is now being cast upon the assertions of Evans and his archaeological validity. There are various representations of the Minoan Snake Goddess, mostly supposedly found in temples, although some are said to have been found amongst grave goods. The most famous however are the two faience snake goddesses from Knossos and from around 1,600 BC. Simply they are bare breasted, female figures, holding aloft snakes. The snake is found in Crete also and is believed to emerge from this Minoan aspect, which itself came from Egyptian influence. This influence can be seen when we consider that Mut (mother) in Egyptian texts is the ‘mother of mothers’ “who gives birth to every god; the wonderful snake who wounds herself around her father Re and placed him on earth as Khons.” (Hathor Rising: The Serpent Power of Ancient Egypt by Alison Roberts.) The Minoan Snake Goddess symbolises rebirth, resurrection and the renewal of life – the very aspects of the serpent we have been discovering in pure form. In fact, the tale of Glaukos we have just seen, is a Cretan myth.
Panchatantra
Five books of animal and magical tales and one of India’s most influential contributions to world culture. Said to have been compiled between the 3rd and 5th century AD, however it is believed, not without reason, that they were already very ancient by then. These stories substantially influenced Western Europe via Arabic translations and oral trade. In it we can see the links between the Brahman culture and the idea of serpent descent for the royal families. Devasarman, a Brahman, lived in Radschagriha and had a childless wife who wept constantly for children. This indicates the sterile nature of the Brahman at this stage, much like the lack of fertility in the Arthurian Fisher King tales. One day Devasarman said to his wife “Stop your grieving. Behold, I was offering a sacrifice for the birth of a son when an invisible being said to me in the clearest words, ‘Brahman, you shall be granted this son, and he shall surpass all men in beauty and virtue, and good fortune shall be his.’” The Brahmans wife was overjoyed at this tale, however in the course of time she gave birth to a snake. All her servants cried, “throw it away”. However, the doting mother picked it up and cared for it lovingly.
One day she got upset when watching the wedding of a young couple, saying to her husband, “You treat me with contempt, because you are not making any effort at all to arrange a wedding for my dear child.” The Brahman replied “I would have to go to the depths of hell and beseech Pasuki, the King of Snakes, for who else, you fool, would give his daughter in marriage to a snake?” But wives can be very convincing sometimes and the Brahman ended up travelling far and wide to seek out a bride, ending up in a place called Kukutanagara (note Naga in the name). He spent the night there and in the morning told his host why he had come. Amazingly the host had the perfect daughter and the Brahman returned home gleefully with the girl and her servants. After an initial shock at the thought of marrying the snake the girl eventually came around and promised to marry the snake. She showed the snake respect during the early days, serving him milk and food. But one night the snake left his basket and a crept into bed, but the girl thought it was man and she was terrified, until she realised it really was her husband who had changed shape. The Brahman had seen everything and early in the morning before the snake could creep back into his snakeskin he stole it and burned it and never again could the son take the form of a snake. This is a tale indicating the descent of the Brahman; there are hundreds more like it across the world, relating to the descent from serpents. There is little wonder when these serpent tribes were spreading their belief around the world before Egypt had even been thought of.