Why do Snakes represent Evil?
The snake has many meanings. Some consider it a totem, a spiritual guide, a symbol of healing, a symbol of divinity, others say that this reptile is a source of misfortune.
Indeed, this specimen represents both evil and good. But this article will rather look into the bad sides of the snake symbol. Specifically, the subject of this article is the reasons why the snake is considered evil, that is, the snake represents evil.
1. The snake: a dangerous animal
When we hear about a snake, we tend to think of a dangerous animal. On the one hand, a large man-eating snake comes to mind. This is often the case with the human vision of large specimens like the large green snake that is the giant anaconda or green anaconda, a large python snake like the Burmese python, the reticulated python, the python molurus. The title of man-eater gives a bad image of snakes which allows to say that the snake represents the evil.
On the other hand, it is difficult not to think of dangerous and toxic venom and bites when we hear about snakes. This vision of this animal is not in error because there are some snakes that are venomous. These species of snakes inject a neurotoxic poison when bitten.
Some of these venomous snakes are: the cobra, the asp viper, the mamba, the taipan, the Belcher snake, the rattlesnake or the crotalian.
A man, bitten by a venomous snake, presents severe symptoms a few hours after the injection, after which death follows if an anti-venom serum is not injected to the victim. These creatures are among the most dangerous animals in the world. Discover the 20 most poisonous snakes in the world!
2. The snake represents death
We have just seen that the snake represents danger. But this representation does not only stay on the danger, it goes far beyond and even death.
Most venomous snakes all inflict deadly bites. Indeed, for example, a drop of venom from the bite of the Belcher snake can kill 1000 adult men, so if this reptile feels in danger to bite a careless fisherman, because it is an aquatic snake more precisely marine, it is death assured.
We can also take as an example the black mamba which is the fastest snake in the world. Its attacks can reach a speed of 23 km/h. On top of that, even if its venom is not the most toxic in the world, it can inject from 250mg to 400mg of venom during a single bite.
Another example of a deadly venomous snake is the desert taipan which is the most venomous land snake in the world. Its venom acts in only one short hour to give death to its victim.
We can also find the giant snakes. The green anaconda is not very aggressive towards humans, it is rather fearful but if attacked, it can kill.
Being a constrictor snake, the snake wrapped around its victim can break the bones in a few minutes and cause a choking that kills its victim. And this beast can swallow a crocodile in one bite so swallowing a human is not a problem for him.
But among the big snakes of the planet, there are the pythons and especially the Burmese python and the python molurus which are quite aggressive towards humans. They are also constrictor snakes so they choke their prey to death before swallowing it.
Counts of fatal attacks in the forest show that snakes have a large percentage of mortality on their backs.
3. The Snake: From a Biblical Perspective
The snake is considered the symbol of knowledge, by which it has become the tempter of men who are in search of knowledge, wisdom and who advance more and more towards science.
It is said that Satan was transformed into a serpent and that he is responsible for Eve’s original sin by pushing her to eat the fruit of the tree of life which led to the fall of man. Most snakes are also deadly to man so he is evil incarnate.
The serpent is the most cunning of the animals that were conceived by God. He deceived Eve, the first woman conceived by God, into eating the forbidden fruit. In this context, the serpent represents Temptation. This evil led to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
In the book of “Numbers 21”, in the Old Testament, the children of Israel or Israelites complained to Moses and to God about the road on which Moses led them in the desert and that there was only bread to eat and no drink or other things to eat.
As a result of these complaints, God sent fiery serpents that killed many people and terrorized everyone. Hence the symbol of terror brought by the snake.
The snake is also a sign of lying. God called the liars as descendants of the serpent that deceived Eve. The serpent is also a representation of Satan and the latter is the guide of all demons, hence it is the sign of Evil.
In a few words, these biblical views have made it possible to evoke temptation, death, terror, lies, and the Satan that the serpent represents. All of this means that the serpent represents evil.
4. The Serpent: Symbol of the evolutionary cycle
The snake that bites its own tail or “Ouroboros” is a snake that bites its own tail. Thus, it symbolizes the cycle of evolution. As mentioned, it is a cycle so it closes on itself. This meaning of this snake represents self-fertilization, continuity.
Indeed, a self-fertilization refers to a cycle of evolution and especially to the assurance of the continuity of the species. But this article is of interest in certain representations where this snake is half white and half black signifying the union of two opposing principles such as good and evil, heaven and earth, Yang and Yin, day and night, and all the values that are opposed. It represents both evil and good.
At this time, we are at the end of a cycle of humanity to begin a new cycle free from the grip of the earthly serpent that is materialism which is a representation of evil. So this shows that humanity is evolving towards evil.
In short, the serpent is very representative of evil for the reasons that have been discussed in this article. The veracity of these considerations of the snakes is undeniable because it is under this representation of the evil that everyone sees the snake.
And the representation of death that the snake instituted a fear to humans, But the question that arises is that if the snake can also represent good, good things as it is mentioned in the biblical view that the snake means knowledge, wisdom, and in the last paragraph, the snake that bites its tail represents good as well as evil.
🐍 All about the Representation of the Serpent in the Bible 🐍
And most importantly to address the reasons why the snake can be said to represent good. In addition to these new topic perspectives, it is also interesting to discuss the meanings of these reptiles no matter if it is good or evil.