#ophiolatry

[lilithsaintcrow]

"It’s one of the biggest concentrations of rock art in the world – rivalling others such as the French Dordogne region, Alpine northern Italy, Western Australia, and South Africa in terms of volume."

[furmity]

Snake worship

Are you a snake witch? A worshipper of ophio idols? A pagan reptile keeper?

I WANT YOU! If you or anyone you know falls into this category please let’s talk about The Mysterious Slithers.

[itsmadhvi]

The Sacred Nature of Snakes in Tradition and Mythology

There was an incident during my childhood that left a deep impression on me. I was playing with my sister, and suddenly, our ball fell inside a water tank. To our surprise, the ball was passed back to us. Confused but intrigued, we threw it again, and once more, the ball returned. This happened a few times until our mother came to check the tank. Upon looking inside, she discovered a snake.…

[adventism-atheism-orthodoxy-me]

@some-guy-on-the-web:

@adventism-atheism-orthodoxy-me Modern UFOlogists use modern terminology, I was addressing that. In ancient terminology, dragons were often symbols of the wild because they often took over the desolate places. These days we would probably refer to "weeds" instead of dragons. As for the serpent in the garden, that's based on the fact the the word used for serpent was "whisperer", it had a double meaning which most scholars overlook. It wasn't a literal snake, snakes don't talk, it was a "whisperer". It had a negative connotation similar to "gossip", "sneak" or "occultist" would today. Throughout human history, humans have always compared eachother to animals. Kung fu did it. Jesus did it. Nazis did it. People like symbols. Filthy pig, backbiting dog, sly fox, dirty rat, snake in the grass, cold-hearted snake. Not a literal snake.

Okay, your comment has been duly noted.

Believe it or not, I don't really hold much credence to "Ancient Aliens". We have mysteries. We have people that experience those mysteries. And we have people who try to make sense of those mysteries.

If you are concrete materialist, aliens, I suppose explain things. If you are more of a medievalist, demons fit the bill nicely. There's an author whose book I've been meaning to purchase and read (Books like these aren't in libraries for the most part) who draws connections between medieval changeling stories and and the modern "star child" stories.

There is nothing new under the sun.

It's just the same mythologies repackaged and carried forward.

The myth of evil technocrats, starting with Cain, has stubbornly persisted throughout the centuries. You talk of an isolated case of an encounter between a woman - Eve - and the snake - Satan; but the imagery persists in the oddest places.

First, there's the Protoevangelium:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." -- Genesis 3:15

This train of thought continues in Romans:

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. -- Romans 16:20

Then the Bible ends with Revelation 20 which recontextualizes the snake as a dragon, and finishes him off for good.

Your interpretation is valid, as far as it goes.

But why the persistence of an elite priesthood connected with serpentine imagery throughout history in so many myths? Why do conspiracy theorists latch on to this idea and integrate it into their cosmology?

Why the persistence of this archetype?

********************************************************************

Then there are the biblical stories that show the power of YHWH over the serpent.

Aaron's Rod -

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. -- Exodus 7:10-12

Why just Aaron's Rod? I'd forgotten that it was JUST Aaron's rod that devoured the other snakes until I looked it up.

The Bronze Serpent in the Desert -

First as a symbol of God's Mercy and provision in the desert (Numbers 21:9), it was later destroyed as it was becoming an object of misplaced veneration (2 Kings 18:4).

How does this snake symbol go from a position of divine authority and victory over the vipers in the desert to an object requiring destruction?

********************************************************************

Now you can look at these as isolated stories; Each, as an independent tale. I think a true Objectivist Atheist might do this. And it's much like how I look at the Edda's and Northern Mediterranean Mythology - though to be fair, I've never really been able to read anything from these groups that sought to put anything into a cohesive context.

I will finish with this essay from someone in Substack that I've started following.

[rhianna]

Python Worship

Williams, J. J. (Joseph John). (19331932).Voodoos and obeahs: phases of West India witchcraft. New York: L. MacVeagh, Dial press inc..

AFRICAN OPHIOLATRY 7

Again : " There are twounquestionable areas ofpython wor- ship , namelyWest Africa and a smallerregion in Uganda , but thereis no definite evidence ofsimilar institutions in thegreat extent of countrybetween the two centres .There are , however ,usages which may be theresidue of a decadentpython cult . . . Thefollowing factors arecommon to the East andWest African forms ofpython worship : ( 1 ) Thepython only , but no othersnake , is selected fordefinite worship . Thischoice may be due to theimpressive size of the largespecies of python . Thereptiles are tractable andnon - poisonous . Allobservers are agreed thatthe python rarely attacks ahuman being . ( 2 ) Hutstructures ( temples )contain internalarrangements for feedingthe reptiles . ( 3 ) Thepython embodies asuperhuman being , god ofwar , spirit of the water ,patron of agriculture , orgoddess of fertility . ( 4 )The king sends messengersand offerings . He asks forprosperity . ( 5 ) Sacredgroves are found in additionto temples . ( 6 ) Acts ofworship bring people whooffer sacrifice and makerequests . ( 7 ) Priests andpriestesses are employed ;the latter are wives of thepython . Both dancethemselves into ecstatictrance in which they makeoracular utterances whichare given in a language notunderstood by theworshippers . " 14

Hambly later returns

[autodaemonium]

tsəəɪərtəɛʌtsɛəesəzð

Pronounced: tsuhuhiuhrtuhayutsayuhesuhzth.

Pantheon of: inhumaneness.

Entities

Szlyndʒnɪkrnaɪtnəgnzrə

Pronounced: szlynjnikrnaitnuhgnzruh Inhumaneness: bestiality. Legends: kick in the butt, escape, ruffianism. Prophecies: construction, polity, overcast, popularization. Relations: ɪðtsɪənʌtəənemrdurəs (heirloom), təɑtdɑtrnlðtluəʌʌrpt (berkelium), toɛknəsðnoʃeəgneiəvy (colostrum), tftrprefətbəoðnfðætn (germanium).

Tftrprefətbəoðnfðætn

Pronounced: tftrprefuhtbuhothnfthatn Inhumaneness: mercilessness. Prophecies: piracy, systematism, royal road. Relations: toɛknəsðnoʃeəgneiəvy (joint).

Toɛknəsðnoʃeəgneiəvy

Pronounced: toayknuhsthnosheuhgneiuhvy Inhumaneness: mercilessness. Legends: modern ballet, misconduct, affirmation, traversal. Prophecies: renovation. Relations: ɪðtsɪənʌtəənemrdurəs (present), təɑtdɑtrnlðtluəʌʌrpt (frankincense).

Təɑtdɑtrnlðtluəʌʌrpt

Pronounced: tuhahtdahtrnlthtluuhuurpt Inhumaneness: bestiality. Legends: checkmate, excitation, subscription, stowage, slave trade. Relations: szlyndʒnɪkrnaɪtnəgnzrə (limestone), ɪðtsɪənʌtəənemrdurəs (pyridine).

Æaɪitktðriɑwnəɪrɛmitb

Pronounced: aaiitktthriahwnuhiraymitb Inhumaneness: atrocity. Legends: pitch, chalk talk, sideswipe, ophiolatry, implosion. Relations: tftrprefətbəoðnfðætn (tobacco).

Ɪðtsɪənʌtəənemrdurəs

Pronounced: ithtsiuhnutuhuhnemrduruhs Inhumaneness: atrocity. Legends: comb, royal road, frying. Prophecies: squandermania, cabinetwork, pursuance, call up, self-fulfillment. Relations: təɑtdɑtrnlðtluəʌʌrpt (senora).

[monriatitans]

WORD OF THE DAY Mon, Aug 23, 2021 OED Word of the Day: ophiolatry, n. The worship of serpents.

"The Gombe peoples were not the only ones to go in for ophiolatry." - 1992, F. McLynn Hearts of Darkness iii. xiii. 294

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See the original post on Instagram! Watch WGS on Twitch and YouTube!

[tillyssilkalchemy]

#ophiolatry in plane site - always... everywhere.. .1 of 2 Beautiful panels flanking a store in Paris. though the store was selling soft furnishings or some such unremarkable content. Perfect photo for my next article 😉 . #snakes #serpentine #paris #tillycampbellallen #silkalchemy #healing #herbology #apothecary #serpent #alchemy #buddhistdoor # (at Le Voltigeur)

[techitytechtech]

Ophiolatry - Psychodemonic Mentalities (2002)

[ivy-kissobryos]

Naga worship or ophiolatry (snake worship) apparently played a significant role in the lives of ancient Khmer kings. Whent the Chinese emmisary Zhou Daguan visited the Khmer capital in 1296, he was told that a golden tower inside the palace (identified by modern scholars as the Phimeanakas) was the abode of the spirit of a nine-headed snake (nagaraja) that owned all of the land of the kingdom. Every night the nagaraja materialized as a woman (nagi) with whom the king slept during the first quarter of the night. If the king failed to come just one night calamity would befall him. [...] The Hidden Passageway in the Terrace of the Leper King, lined for its entire length with bas-reliefs of nagi and large nine-headed nagas, presumably was related to the naga cult of the Phimeanakas. The nagi are recognizable as such due to their head-dress in the form of a multi-headed naga or naka. That they are nagi is also indicated by their footless snake-like lower extremity. They are usually depicted in sitting position with the tail discretely folded beneath them.

— Tyson R Roberts

[themonsterblogofmonsters]

Hestia’s Hearthsnake

Reportedly originally found in the eternal flame of the temples of Hestia and Vesta, Hestia’s Hearthsnake was considered, by Roman Wixes, an example of the strong bond between the protective spirit of the snake and the hearth-and-home Vesta. In recent years, it’s been proven that Hestia’s Hearthsnakes are likely an origin of Ashwinders, being born of the magic- and intent-filled offerings made to the flames, as well as magical incenses and potions. These creatures come in widely varying forms depending on where they are, what has been sacrificed and so on, and remain in various wixen-run temples of Vesta and Hestia the world over. While wixen religion does usually shift to somewhat resemble that of nearby muggles, or having no such faith at all, some wixen lines are known to cling to older faiths, especially if they claim to be descended of one god or another.

Hestia’s Hearthsnakes usually grow no more that two feet in length, and have variable forms. Rattler-esque ones are common in America, while Cobralike forms are found in North Africa. In Greece and Italy the snakes again tend to take on the form of local snakes, usually also venomous, due to the historical ophiolatry sometimes practiced. Young girls would be bitten by a young venomous snake; if they survived they would have a lasting immunity to snake venom and often became priestesses to a snake god(dess) or served at a temple of Vesta, who was a counterpart, in Roman house-shrines to the protective snake.

(Image One, Image Two)

(Image One is of the Cindersnake from Pathfinder’s Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign. Image Two is the Fire Snake from Pathfinder’s Legacy of Fire campaign. You can read about Ophiolatry around the world Here - not the OP because OP’s theme is unreadable. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR THE CAPTION.)

[muffinekjagodowy]

10 random songs

Considered myself tagged by @nu-davaj ;*

Rage - Invisible Horizons

Fortíð - Nornir

Aborted - Ophiolatry On a Hemocite Platter

Nirvana - All Apologies

Ufomammut - Alcool

Powerwolf - Phanoton of the Funeral

Soundgarden - The Day I Tried To Live

Аркона - Катится Коло

Church of Misery - One Blind Mice

Korpiklaani - Man can go even through the grey stone

I tag:  @slav-reject, @padawanminimilka, @davna-minulost, @taulun, @thenightavl, @autonomous-dog, @tardigradedeathposture, @taki-random, @queerksilver, @the-goddess-of-the-red-flame

[adventism-atheism-orthodoxy-me]

Judaism and Ophiolatry

I was listening to a podcast recently when another reference popped up of a secret cabal, a "Lizard priesthood", that was pulling strings behind the scenes against the backdrop of human history. The podcast went on to talk about this group as being behind the Prussian Junkers, NAZI Germany, and the United States space program in general, and the US Military Industrial Complex in particular.

I say another reference, because a similar claim was made on an earlier podcast that I heard awhile ago. It was a book report on, "The Gods of Eden", where a "serpentine priesthood" was established -- the overlords in this case were specifically "Ancient Aliens", according to the text.

Humans are great model builders. We can be given a set of facts and spin the wildest stories to connect the dots. Sometimes we don't even need facts. We build maps of the terrain we think we see, and once drawn out, can't bear to bring out the eraser to correct the mistakes we've made when we find errors. The map becomes OUR reality, and we avoid the terrain that interferes with it.

Someone commented on something I wrote once -

As for thinking of gid(sp.) in terms of lightning bolts and ego, you literally described a story about magic fruit and talking snakes, if you believe that story true in ANY sense then you are also believing in god in terms of lightning bolts and commandments.

The ancient world is well known for it's worship of the serpent, and that the Bible mentions serpents is without question.

Obviously the person who wrote that was talking about one of the most famous examples in Genesis 3, but that's not the only one. And while many references to serpents are negative, in other cases the role of the serpent is somewhat ambiguous - where one serpent in the hands of YHWH dominates another - such as Moses's and Aaron's staffs in Pharaoh's Court, or as the Bronze serpent in the desert.

After starting this comment, I found a whole article on Wikipedia about this topic. But that article didn't really explore any dynamics that might exist between faith in the God of Israel and any of the various snake worshiping cultures that might have influenced it, either contentiously or as assimilated or integrated.

Things to ponder.

[shithole-world]

The Naga cult

The Naga cult or Serpent worship ( also known as Ophiolatry ) is among the oldest and most widespread forms of religious practices in that the world. In the minds of the early men there were a fear of the nature, and powerful animals, a feeling that they were stronger and wiser than him, or in short uncanny. This was specially true of the snake or serpent because of its swift, mysterious, yet…

[autodaemonium]

tɑnrɑɪtfðtəlləsdezrl

Pronounced: tahnrahitfthtuhlluhsdezrl.

Pantheon of: eidos, occidentalism, chemical phenomenon, utility, positivity, base, popularity.

Entities

Knkrrərzdhkrəaɪeəlŋrm

Pronounced: knkrruhrzdhkruhaieuhlngrm Chemical Phenomenon: valency. Popularity: hot stuff. Positivity: assertiveness. Utility: detergency. Prophecies: self-assertion, algometry, sitting, extracapsular surgery, good time. Relations: ədaɪɪurɪɪɪəɛsnrzdbʊaɪm (rochelle salt).

Rflɪŋntælæɒgdemɑdɪzv

Pronounced: rflingntalaougdemahdizv Chemical Phenomenon: state of matter. Popularity: hot stuff. Positivity: assertiveness. Utility: helpfulness. Legends: chess, terrain flight, spontaneous abortion, phase iii clinical trial. Prophecies: failing, toot, whitewash, robotic telesurgery. Relations: ədsrzəɛnəʒrpwɪpvflzn (proenzyme).

Ədaɪɪurɪɪɪəɛsnrzdbʊaɪm

Pronounced: uhdaiiuriiiuhaysnrzdbooaim Chemical Phenomenon: crystallization. Popularity: hot stuff. Positivity: assertiveness. Utility: practicality. Legends: leap. Prophecies: escape, busywork, myringoplasty. Relations: rflɪŋntælæɒgdemɑdɪzv (mocha), ədsrzəɛnəʒrpwɪpvflzn (amphibole).

Ədsrzəɛnəʒrpwɪpvflzn

Pronounced: uhdsrzuhaynuhzrpwipvflzn Chemical Phenomenon: allotropy. Popularity: hot stuff. Positivity: assertiveness. Utility: function. Legends: batrachomyomachia, great care, post-rotational nystagmus, meshugaas, adjournment. Prophecies: polity, pratfall, dash, disclaimer, aim. Relations: ɪfərɪsɛsnwfrɪtnɛlzti (music paper), ədaɪɪurɪɪɪəɛsnrzdbʊaɪm (kaolinite), rflɪŋntælæɒgdemɑdɪzv (nucleic acid), knkrrərzdhkrəaɪeəlŋrm (worldly possessions).

Ɪfərɪsɛsnwfrɪtnɛlzti

Pronounced: ifuhrisaysnwfritnaylzti Chemical Phenomenon: allotropy. Popularity: hot stuff. Positivity: assertiveness. Utility: practicality. Prophecies: banking game, prayer, ophiolatry, thrashing, dogfight. Relations: knkrrərzdhkrəaɪeəlŋrm (paper profit), ədsrzəɛnəʒrpwɪpvflzn (lighterage), ədaɪɪurɪɪɪəɛsnrzdbʊaɪm (primary health care).

[zambianobserver]

What PF Would Have Done Had Hichilema Eaten A Snake

WHAT PF WOULD HAVE DONE HAD THE MOST CRUCIFIED AND SCRUTINISED, PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT IN ZAMBIA Hakainde Hichilema EATEN A SNAKE

1. Every ZNBC news bulletin would start with a slogan “say no to snake eaters”

2. Sunday Chanda would write essays and essays on snake worshiping and Satanism. He would become an instant researcher of ophiolatry and connect HH to this practice.

3. Goodfridah would come…