As long as humans have walked the earth their path has been intertwined and connected to those of other animals. However, few other creatures have had more influence on human religion and culture than have the reptiles.
Alligators and Crocodiles as Deities and Urban Legends
In Native American and African American folklore, the alligator is revered, especially the teeth, which can be worn as a charm against witchcraft and poison.
Urban legend has it that full-grown alligators exist in the sewers of cities like New York City. As the story goes, people buy baby alligators as pets eventually flushing them down the toilet to get rid of them. In such a situation, alligators could not survive, however, because without UV rays from sunlight, alligators cannot properly metabolize calcium (which they would get from the sewer rats that myth states is their food source), resulting in metabolic bone disease and eventually death.
The ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods among them was Sobek. With a human body and a crocodile head, Sobek was an attempt to pacify crocodiles so as to reduce the danger they posed. He later came to represent the fertility of the Nile and a cult complete with temples arose in his name. As testament to his importance, mummified crocodiles have been found in the tombs of members of the Egyptian hierarchy.
Small released alligators and caimans, though, are occasionally found in northern lakes. In fact, abandoned alligators turned up in California, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Oregon in June, 2005 alone.
Snakes Make Strong Symbols
Although Satan is depicted as a serpent in the biblical account of the Creation and snakes are regarded as symbols of paganism and evil in Judeo-Christian belief, snakes are revered by most societies. Serpent worship is one of the earliest form of veneration, with some carving dating to 10,000 BC.
Snakes were venerated in ancient Egypt, and many gods were represented by snakes, such as the cobra goddess Neith, founder of the universe. Quetzacoatl, the mythical “plumed serpent” was worshipped as the “Master of Life” by the ancient Aztecs of Central America. Some African cultures worshipped rock pythons and considered the killing of one to be a serious crime. In Australia, the Aborigines associated a giant rainbow serpent with the creation of life.
Other cultures have associated snakes with medicinal powers or rebirth. In India, cobras were regarded as reincarnations of important people called Nagas. Our modern medical symbol of two snakes wrapped around a staff, or “caduceus,” come from ancient Greek mythology. According to the Greeks, Aesculapius discovered medicine by watching as one snake used herbs to bring another snake back to life.
Owing to ignorance, a vast global compendium of superstitions and mythologies about snakes has sprung up. Many stem from the biological peculiarities of snakes; its ability to shed the skin is associated with immortality; the ever-open eyes represent omniscience; their propensity for sudden appearance and disappearance embodies procreative powers; and the ability to kill with a single bite engenders primal fears.
Dinosaurs are Popular Reptiles
The most popular reptiles of modern times must surely be the dinosaurs of ancient times. Perhaps no other group of animals stirs our imagination, tickles our curiosity, and so fascinates young and old alike as do dinosaurs, and as paleontologists learn ever more about them and the world they lived in, this allure continues to grow. As a result, dinosaurs have been and continue to be honored and even viewed with affection in many ways from toys to books and from amusement park rides to feature films.
Reptiles have been the subject of folklore and story since the dawn of mankind. From ancient cave paintings to the Bible, stories abound worldwide about reptiles that talk, jump, dance, and tempt. Recently movie producers have attempted to frighten audiences with everything from airplanes full of snakes to monstrously gigantic crocodiles in an east coast lake.
Whether one fears or reveres them, reptiles have an enduring place in the biological psyche of humans.
Dennis Holley - Looking back, it's clear that I have been a science nerd my entire life. A simple, almost toy-quality microscope my poor parents scraped ...
