244 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIV. 



well as the war of the Giants against the Gods, in 

 Greek mythology.* 



By the serpent the Jews also typified the enemy 

 of mankind. And such is the aversion entertained 

 for snakes by the Moslems, that they hold in ab- 

 horrence every thing which bears a resemblance to 

 them ; and a superstitious fancy induces them to 

 break in two every hair that accidentally falls 

 from their beards, lest it should turn to one of 

 these hateful reptiles. 



The notion mentioned by Pliny t, of snakes 

 being produced from the marrow of the human 

 spine, is not less ridiculous and unaccountable ; 

 and no animal has enjoyed so large a share of the 

 marvellous as the snake, which, from the earliest 

 times, excited the wonder, the respect, or the 

 abhorrence of mankind. 



Some venerated it with imbounded horrors : it 

 was an emblem of the world, which Eusebius says 

 was sometimes described by a circle intersected by 

 a serpent passing horizontally through it : some 

 Gods were accompanied by it as a type of wisdom ; 

 and several religions considered it emblematic both 

 of a good and bad Deity. The Hindoo serpent 

 Caliya, slain by Vishnoo, in his incarnation of 

 Crishna (which corresponded to the Python and 

 Aphophis of the Greek and Egyptian mythologies), 

 was tljc enemy of the Gods, though still looked upon 

 with a religious feeling ; the Mexicans and Scandi- 



* Vide siijmi. Vol. I. (2d Scries) p. 435. 



-f- Plin. X. GG. ^lian, i. 51. ^lian sccids to consider snakes the 

 food of the stag, as asses of tlic wolf, bees of the nierops, and cicadas 

 of the swallow (viii. G. and ii. 9.). 



