As people celebrate the beginning of the new Chinese lunar year, the Year of the Snake, what do snakes symbolize in mythology?

Child: What about this snake one? Ancient Egyptian person: You mean ‘Mehen’? It’s named after a god in the form of a snake. Oh yes! That’s very popular. Though I’m not keen on snakes myself.

a terrifying snake deity who would dare to challenge Ra, the Sun God, into the dark, dangerous Underworld. These cats are not just animals; they are warriors of the night. Egyptian’s belief of ...

Another equally prominent snake deity is Renenutet, the goddess of nourishment and harvest depicted as a woman with the head of a cobra who would watch over granaries. Central to Egyptian royal ...