Serpents in the Garden

Snakes have always played a featured role in the lore and culture of the South.  Perhaps it's due to the fact that virtually all venomous snake species found in the United States have habitats in parts or whole swaths of the South.  Maybe the role of the serpent in the Bible and how it was taught in Sunday School classes throughout the Bible Belt caused many folks to look upon all snakes as a danger, a symbol of temptation and an emblem of original sin.  Regardless of the various means that the snake has made its way into our collective culture, respect must be paid to this ancient creature.  Personally, my favorite serpent story in the Bible was when Aaron tossed his staff to the floor and it turned into a snake.  What made it even more exciting to a young boy was when Pharaoh's magicians did the same and Aaron's snake ate theirs all up. Add to that a plague of frogs and water turned to blood and a young boy would almost beg to come to class next Sunday just to see what new would befall old Pharaoh.

Reading the local paper yesterday, there was a large article about the proliferation of non-venomous water snakes throughout the James River.  These snakes, while completely harmless to people, can be intimidating when you realize that you are sharing a swimming hole with a four foot long specimen that pops up just a few feet from where you are treading water.  The article also shared that these encounters often resulted in an unplanned release of untreated waste water into the river by the swimmer and the snake having a future life-span measured in minutes.  The article continues with an overview of how to tell the difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes as well as the need to respect and allow them to live in peace in their river home.  I completely support this line of thought, however I will admit my first reaction to anytime I see a snake is to immediately lose control of my reflexes and jump further than a man of my size typically can aspire to.

My personal relationship with snakes has moderated somewhat over the years.  Where I used to see them as a pest or vermin, now I see an active player in the ecosystem of my yard.  My yard is a little bit of wilderness in a subdivision (much to my neighbor's chagrin) and as a result each year I run across several garter snakes that make their home among the undergrowth and rocks that surround the small frog pond I installed years ago.  The biggest issue I personally have with these snakes is that I know they are eating the frogs in my pond, so trying to maintain a balance has been difficult.  I have noticed that we haven't had any mice in the house since the snakes have shown up, so I reckon it's a fair trade off.

These days, snakes tend to pop up in the news in a couple of ways:  the takeover of the Everglades by non-native pythons and the occasional death of a clergyman in a snakehandling congregation.  While the pythons appear to have found their ideal habitat and are taking over south central Florida, the population of snakehandling clergy and their congregations continues to decrease.  Just this past February, the Pastor of a snakehandling congregation in Kentucky died from a bite.  To its adherents, handling serpents is a direct connection to their interpretation of Mark 16: 17-18 which states: "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not harm them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover".   Based on this passage, during services you'll see venomous snakes handled, strychnine ingested, unknown tongues spoken and even flames from kerosene lamps passed over unaffected skin.  The culture and beliefs of snakehandling are so rich that the subject deserves its own future post, but for now I would recommend two books to anyone that is interested in learning more:  Salvation on Sand Mountain by Dennis Covington and The Serpent Handlers by Fred W. Brown.  Both are excellent in their depiction of the beliefs and practices of this typically Appalachian centered faith.

Unlike in generations past, venomous snakebites are rarely fatal with proper medical attention.  We don't need to necessarily embrace them, but we should respect the snakes place in creation.  Most times, we tend to come into their habitat rather than the opposite and unless endangered, we really shouldn't insert ourselves into the role of serpent slayer.  I know this is more easily said that done, especially when taken by surprise by one.....but we can always hope.