Tuesday, November 27, 2007

5. The Serpent Was a Phallic Symbol
The serpent has been a universal phallic symbol throughout history in almost every country. Serpents are found in Egypt on many of the headdresses of their gods. The Chinese dragon on their porcelain and flag doubles as a symbol of a serpent. Snakes are still worshipped in Africa among many tribes. Hooded snakes are venerated in India. Enormous stone carvings have been found in Central America, with serpents carved in various forms.Scandinavians worshipped snakes, as did the druids of Britain. Serpent worship is usually a form of sex worship among primitive societies. Numerous theories have been suggested as to why this is so.

Why Were Serpents Worshiped As Phallic Symbols?
The similarity between the snake and the male sex organ is, of course, fairly obvious. Other reasons include the snake's tenacity of life, as well as its seemingly magical power of regeneration when casting its skin.According to Hargrave Jennings, the serpent was possibly added to the male and female symbols to represent desire. This explains why Hindu women carry the lingam in procession between two serpents. Also, in the sacred procession of Bacchus, the Greeks carried a serpent in a sacred casket, along with an egg and a phallus. In Greek mythology, rays were added to the head of a serpent. The serpent was associated with Apollo, their sun god.