why are snakes worshipped?

[satyaroop]

1)a simple shrine dedicated to snakes is often seen, mostly near temples or right beside the main temple shrine
a way of paying respect and recognising that we share this earth with other beings, beings which aren't governed by man-made laws which dictates to us to whom a particular piece/plot of land belongs
snakes and other creatures have equal right to this earth as much as we do, they probably have deep and complex lives and we are inconsequential to them
but why shrines dedicated specifically to snakes, why not some creature, like a bear or lion or whatever? I'm not sure, probably because snakes live underground, even though we don't usually see them, we recognise that they are around we also recognise that we share this earth with them,(not that we see bears or lions on a regular basis,maybe someone can help me out here)
often when buying new land, snake puja is done, probably for the same reasons mentioned

2) snakes.......... maybe people worship them because they represent vitality, potency......they have venom......precious venom.......people probably worship them to try to imbibe these qualities
snakes represent life, a life without "venom" would be dull and lacklustre...lifeless

reasons 3 and 4 seem weak to me, but I'll mention them since I've come across them

3)coiled energy at base chakra

4)the analogy, just as snakes shed skin, we shed bodies, we are souls blah blah

any other reasons you know of/can think of?

snakes can be pretty majestic especially when they become aggressive, they sit up straight and hiss and go into their defensive posture, you know they mean business. In my opinion "awesome" would be the right adjective to describe a fierce snake in such an aggressive mood
I watched this on tv once, discovery channel, austin stevens looking for a king cobra, I think this is the clip -

 

[Bunyip]

Could it be related to rebirth and reincarnation as it is in the West? Snakes shed their skins and appear reborn and renewed.

 

[Aupmanyav]

This post is not suited here. Take it to some other forum where it is relevant, perhaps comparative Religions. We consider it balderdash and Hinduism is a Blue Dir.

 

[Ingledsva]

*
Snakes are interesting. I've noticed that in a lot of the serpent stories around the world - that the Serpent represents knowledge.

I believe they also represent growth through knowledge. As they grow they shed the old skin, for new.

They also represent healing. They were placed in pits around healing, and dream centers.

They show up often in the dreams of Shaman.

And of course they represent the Kundalini. I've had that move, so I know it is real.

I've also seen it used to represent the milky way. The Ouroboros - the Serpent circled round eating its own tail - representing the eternal cycles of life, death. and rebirth.

Obviously they represent fertility, when upright.

As the Mesopotamian Tiamat she is the creatrix through a Sacred Marriage. She represents Primordial Chaos.

*

 

[Poeticus]

In the Garden of Eden Satan appeared to Eve (the first ever woman) as a snake or serpent. That Snake was hell-bent on taking the whole human race into hell where he is eventually headed to suffer forever. Satan was named Lucifer while he was in the presence of his Creator God. Satan wanted to be higher than his Creator and the Creator not tolerating rebellion in heaven cast Lucifer down to earth. On earth he came to be known, not as Lucifer the most powerful angel, but Satan, the arch enemy of Almighty God.

Almighty God required all His intelligent creatures who knew to choose right from wrong to worship Him and Him alone. But Satan wants worship also so he could be equal to God. Satan turned up in the Garden of Eden to the first human beings as a serpent and they both respected and believed his words, rebelling against thier Maker-God's Words. By respecting and obeying Satan's words, Adam and Eve were worshiping Satan. That's how Snake worship began.

Btw, cow-worship also happened first among the Hebrews when they worshipped the Golden Calf of Exodus chap. 32 in the Holy Bible.

... blah blah blah.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

In the Garden of Eden Satan appeared to Eve (the first ever woman) as a snake or serpent. That Snake was hell-bent on taking the whole human race into hell where he is eventually headed to suffer forever. Satan was named Lucifer while he was in the presence of his Creator God. Satan wanted to be higher than his Creator and the Creator not tolerating rebellion in heaven cast Lucifer down to earth. On earth he came to be known, not as Lucifer the most powerful angel, but Satan, the arch enemy of Almighty God.

Almighty God required all His intelligent creatures who knew to choose right from wrong to worship Him and Him alone. But Satan wants worship also so he could be equal to God. Satan turned up in the Garden of Eden to the first human beings as a serpent and they both respected and believed his words, rebelling against thier Maker-God's Words. By respecting and obeying Satan's words, Adam and Eve were worshiping Satan. That's how Snake worship began.

Btw, cow-worship also happened first among the Hebrews when they worshipped the Golden Calf of Exodus chap. 32 in the Holy Bible.

Hi Andy,
This post is more suited to the Abrahamic religions forum or the Comparative Religions forum. This thread is only for Hindus and Hindu related topics. Can a mod please move this?

 

[Maya3]

I thought snakes were representing kundalini movement.

Maya

 

[Yogi1054]

For me snakes or Nagas are important for giving humans wisdom - such at Patanjali who gave use the Yoga Sutras

 

[SomeRandom]

It depends on how you view a snake, I suppose.

Judaism and Christianity (generally speaking, of course) view snakes or "serpents" as evil or at least unclean.

Many others view snakes as powerful and virile. Many may even go out of their way to respect them, in a way, acknowledging that they could kill a human with no more than a bite.