I’m convinced that a deep fear of snakes is programmed into our brains. It’s an instinctual reaction that suggests we vacate the premises— a trait that we share with other members of the animal kingdom. I was playing with my cat Rasputin in Africa once when I rolled a spring from our screen door at him. I thought he would view the spring as a toy and pounce on it. Instead he jumped four feet into the air and ended up six feet away. Liberians view all snakes as poisonous and Rasputin was 100% Liberian when it came to snakes. He had quickly determined that the spring was a snake and leapt into action— literally.
I’ve pulled a Rasputin myself a few times— especially when I am out in the woods and hear the distinctive buzz of a rattlesnake that I can’t see. It’s guaranteed to increase your heart rate. Once I stepped on a log and it started buzzing. I ended up 30 feet down the trail in one prodigious leap. (Slight exaggeration.) Rasputin would have been proud of me. Had a track coach seen me, I would have been entered in the Olympics.
Our Christian heritage in the West added to our instinctual dislike of our slithery brethren. Everyone knows the Biblical tale of how Eve was seduced into sneaking a snack from a snake and ended up being banned from Eden forever along with her significant other, Adam. The snake has had a bad rap ever since. Eve and Adam didn’t come out all that well either, especially Eve. I’ve always thought that God overacted when they broke his commandment that ignorance is bliss. A little knowledge and out came the fig leaf, okay, but was the flaming sword really necessary.
Ancient cultures have had a different perspective on snakes. The fact that they shed their skin annually suggested immortality. Your old body isn’t working quite the way it should? Fine. Get a new one. (This is particularly attractive to newly-turned 77-year olds.) As a result, snakes were considered sacred. If you’ve visited ancient sites in Mexico and Central America, the odds are you are familiar with Quetzalcóatl, the plumed serpent, the Toltec/Aztec/Mayan god of the wind and lots of other things.
Given his importance to these cultures, it isn’t surprising that Quetzalcoatl made his way north and became part of the mythology of early people living in the Southwest. We found a number of petroglyph serpents crawling over the rocks of Three Rivers. I should point out here that the snakes weren’t just any old snakes. They were rattlesnakes! I’d also like to report that Peggy was quite pleased that we didn’t find any live representatives of the clan among the rocks.
NEXT POSTS: Not exactly sure what I will focus on, but it will be petroglyphs for another week.
Wandering through Time and Place 
Don’t care for snakes, never have – never will. Too quiet and sneaky.
Grin. I meant to quote you on my post, G, but forgot. 🙂 –Curt
I married a guy with 3 snakes as pets- nothing big or venomous but still- driving cross country post wedding when “Frank got out of his carrier was EXCITING! Thanks for taking us along on another journey with your great pictures!
Ha, I can imagine it getting a little exciting. “Here, sweetie, let me introduce you to my friends…” 🙂 Of course he waited till you said, “I do.” Laughing. Glad to have you along! –Curt
I do agree with you, Curt, it seems as if are programmed with fear of snakes.
I certainly would pull a face like Peggy or a frozen statue. Haven’t been in proper
snake country.
The petroglyphs are fascinating and I find Peggy’s and your photos with comments very fascinating.
Have you recovered from birthday celebrations yet. 😊
Laughing. Rarely am I out of proper snake country, or so it seems. They even hang out around our house. Fun birthday escape. Florence, Or. is a lovely little town on the coast and the weather was superb. Of course I gained a couple of pounds from eating out… But it was fun. Thanks. –Curt
As always, Curt, like the way this is put together – the personal broadening out to the public, as it were – like a snake threading through grass into the clearing. How’s that for a comparison? Amazing how fear can lead to reverence (placation) – thought this deserved a bit of Emily Dickinson, hope you’ll forgive …
A narrow Fellow in the Grass
A narrow Fellow in the Grass
Occasionally rides –
You may have met him? Did you not
His notice instant is –
The Grass divides as with a Comb,
A spotted Shaft is seen,
And then it closes at your Feet
And opens further on –
He likes a Boggy Acre –
A Floor too cool for Corn –
But when a Boy and Barefoot
I more than once at Noon
Have passed I thought a Whip Lash
Unbraiding in the Sun
When stooping to secure it
It wrinkled And was gone –
Several of Nature’s People
I know, and they know me
I feel for them a transport
Of Cordiality
But never met this Fellow
Attended or alone
Without a tighter Breathing
And Zero at the Bone.
Excellent, Dave. Emily captured it well. “A tighter breathing.” For sure. Once I see a rattlesnake, my curiosity overcomes my innate fear. But still, I am cautious. Thanks. –Curt
I laughed out loud at your entrance into Olympic sprint or perhaps long jump courtesy of a snake visit.
Amazing what adrenaline and do, Sue. 🙂
I kinda agree with you regarding the fear. I feel like as I have grown, I have slowly developed a fear of mice and it might be because of some books and movies I have seen!
Great post! (^_^)
The experience of stepping on a snake hidden in the grass remains vivid, and certainly gave new meaning to the old saying. My best advice when it comes to dealing with snakes is, “Don’t leave your root beer sitting around.”
In Liberia it was “keep your machete handy.” 🙂 Funny song, Linda. How do you come up with them. Someone who is afraid of snakes might have a nightmare from the photos, though.
In Archer City, Texas, they have another warning. Look before you sit down on the toilet. Peggy and I were in the town museum when we spotted a long snake skin, about six feet long, on display. Of course we had to ask. The woman explained that she had gone to sit down on the museums toilet and found a six-foot black snake coiled up there! 🙂 It sounded a bit like a Texas tall tale but it was for real.