Snake worship Snake worship Snake worship is devotion to serpent deities. The tradition is present in several ancient cultures, particularly in religion and mythology, where snakes were seen as entities of strength and renewal. In Africa the chief centre of serpent worship was Dahomey, but the cult of the python seems to have been of exotic origin, dating back to the first quarter of the 17th century. By the conquest of Whydah the Dahomeyans were brought in contact with a people of serpent worshippers, and ended by adopting from them the beliefs which they at first despised. At Whydah, the chief centre,
The Great Snake stood. The person's face is yellow too. "But what if we spoil these boys?", he asks Semyonich kindly. Semyonich defends the boys as humble, hard-working and not greedy. The man consents to his judgement, stating that he knows their father will not live long. He then tells the children to "watch for the trail" and dig along it. The man transforms into a giant serpent, and moves away leaving the trail behind. Semyonich explains that the man is Poloz the Great Snake (alternative translation: The Great Serpent), the lord of all that is gold. Next morning, the boys start digging