514 SNAKES. 



worship, The Serpent Myths of Ancient Egypt, by W. R. 

 Cooper, 1873 ; The Serpent Symbol^ by Squires, 185 1 ; Sun 

 and Serpejit Worship, by J. S. Phene ; and The Native Races 

 of the Pacific States of North America, by H. H. Bancroft, 

 are some of the many books that afford interesting matter. 

 These latter, however, allude more particularly to ancient 

 nations. Among many living and semi-barbarous tribes 

 serpent superstitions exist, though, perhaps, more strongly in 

 West Africa than elsewhere, excepting India at the present 

 time. In Africa, not the venomous so much as the large 

 constricting snakes are the objects of care and veneration. 

 In Dahomey and the Dahomcans, F. E. Forbes relates some 

 amusing instances of the sacred devotion of the Fetish 

 women, or guardians and slaves of the python deities at 

 Whydah. A Fetish house or temple devoted to the snakes 

 was built round a large cotton-tree, and in this a number of 

 pythons were permitted to roam about at their pleasure. 

 When they ventured beyond the precincts, their Fetish 

 attendants went in search of them, and by gentle persuasions 

 (probably in the form of poultry or other dietetic arguments) 

 induced them to go home : while all who met them bowed 

 down and kissed the dust of their path. Morning and 

 evening the devotees prostrated themselves before the 

 sacred abode of these ophidian deities, either to worship the 

 invisible god Seh, or his representatives in serpentine form. 



From frequent and gentle handling, snakes thus protected 

 naturally grow tame. The Fetish attendants become skilled 

 in managing their reptile gods, and are not slow in investing 

 themselves with especial powers for their office. And to 

 this may the origin of the so-called * charmers ' be traced ; 



