Snake worship she sold herself to a man named Gonga no Tayu, who (unbeknownst to Sayohime) intended to sacrifice her to the snake deity of his village in place of his own daughter. When presented to the snake, Sayohime read from the Lotus sutra, enabling the deity to achieve enlightenment and shed its monstrous form. The deity then returned Sayohime to the care of her mother. In Australia, various Aboriginal mythologies tell of a huge python, known by a variety of names but universally referred to as the Rainbow Serpent, that was said to have created the landscape, embodied the spirit of
Serpent Trail Serpent Trail The Serpent Trail is a 64-mile long distance footpath. It runs from Haslemere to Petersfield, which are 11 miles apart in a straight line, by a route which is designed to join up the many heathland areas on greensand in the western Weald. The path takes its name both from its serpentine shape and from passing through habitat of all three British species of snake (adder, grass snake and smooth snake). From Haslemere High Street the trail goes south to Blackdown, then westward through Marley Common, Linchmere Common, Stanley Common and Chapel Common to Rake. South of Rake