Statistical surveys about the preferences of people show that the snake is extremely unpopular animal. It was named the most maloimyschim being the maximum number of respondents - 27%. Against the spider, who took second place, spoke to 9.5% of the respondents. When all the hatred that people have to the snakes cannot fail to impress that reptiles were a sacred symbol of many ancient civilizations.

For what such a dislike?

Dislike of reptiles Christians may be understandable: after all, God cursed the serpent-tempter, having had eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil that had to mankind fatal consequences. The curse that was recorded in the Bible, which was brought up many, many people that also had fatal consequences for the serpent race.

However, some scientists believe that the aversion to the snakes lies, rather, in human psychology than in a variety of beliefs. And due to total absence of snakes anthropomorphic features. The worst enemy is called a snake in the grass, poisonous or creeping Gad, Viper, and so on. And nevertheless...

Wherever you look at them.

In Iraq - the ancient cradle of civilization is near the town of Sheikh ADI is the temple of Yesimov where on the door there is a picture of a snake. It settled the center of pilgrimage of thousands of nomadic Asadov. Because Yezidi think snakes are the most powerful force in the world - bearers of good as well as evil.

The aborigines of Australia kept the legend about snakes in his "myths of dreams", which tells about the creation of the world. In the Central areas of Australia and now you can find images of the great goddess - Snake-Rainbow that many centuries ago crept from the North coast, along the way creating rivers, mountains and people.

The East to the snakes special relationship. In Tibet, for example, sacred pipe monks decorated with images of reptiles, and in Nepal, in the area called Budhanilkantha, a mysterious statue of the God Vishnu, sleep in the pool on a bed of snakes.

The ancient Egyptians considered it to be a sacred animal. Before we got the image of a pair of snakes, topped with two Royal crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. Pharaohs often depicted with a snake on his forehead, one of the sacred symbols was a picture of two snakes on the background of the disk, presumably solar.

As big honor enjoyed the snake and in neighboring Egypt country Kush. Cushite king, and the Queen depicted usually crowned with the emblem of the kings - Cobra. Potters made pottery which was decorated by the symbol of the winged serpent.

In the myths of the Aztecs describes scenes of the creation of man feathered serpent of Quetzalcoatl, who helped the Woman-snake Cihuacoatl. In the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico) sacred places are decorated with the heads of feathery serpent, and the entrance into the temple of Quetzalcoatl is guarded by a stone giant snake's head with his mouth gaping open. Such images Aztec serpents prevail in many other sacred places, for example, in Teochiu-Akane in Mexico.

The ancient Maya also worshipped perneta snake, who was named Cocuklar. Throughout Central America in the settlements of the Aztecs, the Mayans, Tate Cove find drawings depicting reptiles.

In India there is still a cult Naga - powerful creatures with a snake's body and one or more human heads. In the Indian sources Naga called "divine snakes", they are devoted to an extensive series of myths in the first book of the Mahabharata. With the root of "naked" involves a large number of Indian place names.

Nezinote with pedestal

Enumeration of the ancient slabakov, which our forefathers worshiped in various parts of the globe, you can continue, but even without that, it is seen that no being attracted more attention than snakes. Hardly all these serpent cults arose independently from each other, rather, they have a common origin. According to one version, seebohm worshipped by the inhabitants of Atlantis disappeared, according to others, he was elected as its symbol aliens... But why ancient deity was nezinote from the pedestal and cursed?

On flags, coats of arms and coins

Trample the serpent became a good tradition - let's remember the bronze horseman, whose powerful horse here's the third century presses bronze reptile. But the horse is a special case: the snake tearing, trampled and crushed by all and Sundry. Most often, the eagle, Falcon, hawk - depending on what predatory birds found in different parts of the world. Remember the famous sculpture "eagle with a snake" in Caucasian Mineral Waters...

Personal emblem Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan coin: pathology eagle holding in its paws the two-headed snake-Canicola.

The state emblem of modern Mexico - eagle, rending talons snake.

In San Agostino, in Central Colombia, the largest statue is a bird that snake bite.

Sign of Special Manchurian unit, established by the ataman G.M. Semenov, was copper miserabley double-headed eagle without a crown, holding in its paws the snake.

Where did this symbolism?

Ivan III (1462-1505) inherited from his father, the great Prince of Moscow Vasily II Vasilyevich (1425-1462), printing (octal gem), which depicts the lion, writhing snake. The scene of the massacre with a snake frequent in the Russian princely scholars, for example, on the coins Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod-St Duchy of her tormented Griffin, and on the coins of verey Duke Mikhail Andreevich - the eagle. Of course, this can be attributed to Christian tradition, the reference to Saint George amazing with a spear of a dragon or serpent.

However, lidskij coins (Elis-region in the North West of peloponese) also minted eagle, writhing snake. In Scythian art "animal style" reduced plot is the Falcon and the reptile in its beak.

Egyptian myths Mountains - deity in the form of a Falcon, or a man with a Falcon's head, fighting with Seth and winning it. Moreover, in some myths Set is identified with the evil serpent of APOP.

On the famous frieze of the Pergamon altar depicts the battle of the gods with zmeenogoy giants. One of the labours of Hercules was a victory over Larnakoy Hydra, and the Perseus - over sleeveless the Gorgon Medusa.

In the Vedic tradition of the eagle is known as a divine messenger, and he is often represented in the form of a bird Garuda, the offensive on the snake.

In Aztec legend about the war of the gods, Huitzilopochtli and his supporters won Quetzalcoatl. The "feathered serpent" left Central America, sailed together with a group of his followers on the Yucatan on "a raft of reptiles". Then in the new Aztec capital Tenochtitlan were built two majestic statues guarding the Temple Orlov. They represent a terrible man-birds, angry faces which look out from under beaks giant eagles. Besides them archaeologists found a lot of images flying gods terrifying new rulers of the world.

Eagle defeated the snake

Due to the war between the gods, in which people participated on the side of "snakes"and on the side of "eagle"? There are different versions, but none of them does not look convincing enough. Anyway, the new gods won everywhere!

It remains to recall about Quetzalcoatl, which, according to the myths, brought to Mexico writing and calendar, discovered the secrets of healing, masonry, mathematics, metallurgy and astronomy. He taught people to grow corn, and revered. The "feathered serpent" banned human sacrifice, and when, after his departure bloody ritual revived, people yearn for the days of his reign.

Over time, Quetzalcoatl and other teebagy were consigned to oblivion, because history is written by the winners.