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

Famous snake babies include Taylor Swift and J.K. Rowling. The reptile is revered or feared across global cultures.The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on January 29 this year. Also known as ...

Imagine a snake — coiled, elusive, and steeped in meaning — emerging from the depth of the world's cultural history to leave its mark on human imagination. Perhaps it's the rearing cobra, poised on ...

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 ...