Draft 1

Alaina Clement
Enc 1102-Fall 2014
Professor Yolanda Franklin
24 October 2013

From Genesis to the South: How the Snake Slithered from Creation to Merica

The snake has played a very significant role in the shaping of our universe. The serpent is one of the few
animals mentioned in the Bible. Even so, the serpent is the only animal to have carried the weight of the
world on its shoulders. The very first introduction of the snake to mankind was religiously significant and
highly skeptical. From this introduction between man and snake there has been tension between the
serpent and the human since time evolved. As humanity progressed the fear and respect for the snake
turned many people and cultures to embrace the clever beast in effort to become feared and respected
themselves; almost to become god-like and worthy in the eyes of all who fear the slithering reptile.
I want research how the snake has effected these following four religious culture: Christianity, Egyptian,
Greek and the United States southern culture. I will attempt to answer the overall question, what does
the snake really symbolize? I will research where the serpentine symbol arose from. I will research
what those symbols mean and how they correlate to the modern America southern culture.
In the beginning. Are the first three words that resound all the creation for believers around
the globe but the word that represented the snake in Christian beliefs is, deception. The snake
deceived the woman. The definition of deception according to Merriam Webster online dictionary is an
act or statement intended to make people believe something that is not true it is the act of making
someone believe something is not true (Webster)
In the tale of the Garden of Eden, the manipulation and trickery on the part of the serpent was
that caused the fall of mankind into this world of hatred and evil. Ironically, that hatred and evil is what
categorizes the feelings that people have toward snakes today. I know, my grandmother who was raised
in Arkansas has two fears: cotton worms and snakes. The fear of snakes and the fear of worms likely go
hand in hand because the shape and locomotion is very similar. Is the fear of snakes closer to the fear of
creepy crawlies or closer to damnation of mankind? Well, to answer that there are two types of snake
that live in the minds of most people: poisonous and nonpoisonous. When coming into contact with a
live snake in the wild most people would panic and run for their lives. The fear of snakes in my opinion
has been instilled by generations before us who have taken the negative religious bias and have avoided
snakes which was passed to the later generations who have vexed the serpent paranoia that lives in the
hearts of mist humans by making shows and movies that showcase the danger, the violence and the evil
intent supposedly all snakes in the wild have.
In Ancient Egypt Pharaoh wore a crown that was domed with the blue.and and finally a golden
serpent was mounted in the middle (what was the Egyptian headdress made out of). The snake

Draft 1
represented the divinity of pharaoh. Understand, understand pharaoh so to the people of Egypt and to
himself was more than just a king. He was good king. If the phrase god king sounds familiar the term was
originally associated with king Xerxes the king of the Persian Empire. The snake influenced these
cultures in the same way because these kings thought they were gods, they were believed to be
immortal. The symbol of the serpent was carried through the generations and through different cultures
but all ended up meaning the same thing. It is no coincidence that, dare I say, the same snake seems to
have slithered though completely different cultures at completely different times and cause the same
result which was the trick these mighty kings into believing that they were gods, just as the snake
deceived the woman into believing that she too would be like God, knowing good and evil If she
would bow down to his manipulative wishes and eat the forbidden fruit. The repercussions of mankind
bowing to their serpent gods has always been destruction of civilization or the world as they knew it.
Adam and Eve ware banned from the Garden and were cursed to wok and pain for the rest of their lives,
Egypt suffered plagues and ultimately swept into the depths of the sea in an attempt to chasing their
Israelite slaves, and finally, the Persian Empire fell to the Greeks. For example, in the exodus of the
Israelites from Egypt God gave Moses a serpent staff. The first things that Moses did when he saw the
snake was to flee. So when Moses went before pharaoh, the arrogant god king, who had a cobra on the
forefront of hos high headdress and demanded that pharaoh lets Gods people go. After pharaoh
declined, Moses showed the Egyptian the first sign from god that proved that Moses was really a
spokesman for god almighty. The first sign was Moses staff turning into a serpent. This wonder baffled
the Egyptians but pharaohs magician copied the same trick with black magic. Now, why was gods first
sign to pharaoh a snake? It was a snake because pharaoh was believed to be this ultimate god like ruler
but god wanted to show pharaoh that only he was the ultimate ruler of the universe so he used a snake,
the symbol of a god to the Egyptians to outshine pharaoh and all his majesty. The snake is a symbol. It is
some much of a symbol that even god himself used it to show off his power. In fact, another time in the
bible, god used the snake for symbolism. Back to the Garden of Eden, after the fall of mankind in the
garden, god cursed the snake by putting enmity between you and the woman. Even more symbolic
here regarding the birth of Jesus through Mary, the woman her seed will bruise your head talking
about how Jesus would ultimately defeat Satan in the taking back the salvation of humanity. Twice god
used a serpent to get his point across. God cursed the snake to crawl on his belly and to eat dust for the
rest of eternity.
The snake has slithered thought humanity in its creepy S pattern with each curving touching the
remnants of completely different cultures at completely different times and destroying whoever it bites
in very similar ways.
Why are people so afraid of snakes? Is that people are afraid of snakes or do we just hate snakes for no
other reason than the fact that their snakes and they have a mysterious evil look about them. Even of a
snake is nonpoisonous most people are afraid of snakes.
Now the south has strong ties to Christianity which is probably why they dont sympathize too much
with the killings of snakes. Florida especially has an overpopulation of snakes with schools having snakes
mascots and bounties being put on snakes in the everglades. The southern part of the Untied States
seems to not have much sympathy for the snake. When Floridians kill snakes and serpents are they
killing away symbolism? Or are they killing the snake in the hopes of obtaining the symbolic prejudices
discussed such wealth, respect, or power which all bring fame that is a god like quality. Snake skin shoes
are a sign of wealth because the skin on a snake exotic leather in the everglades it is legal to kill

Draft 1
anacondas because of their overpopulation. How does this relate to the southern sympathy with snakes
in relation to Christianity?
Put in later drafts?

Wearing snake skin a symbol of wealth, snakes symbolize medicine the caduceus represents the
pharmaceutical companies which make billions of dollars a year. Explore how the
pharmaceutical companies are evil and corrupt. Exploiting the sick to get money.
Versace snake (medusa head) symbolism symbolizes wealth and prosperity
What is Americas serpent?
The south has ties to Europe and how both cultures value exotic leather.