Whether we find them beautiful and beneficial or frightening, snakes hold a certain fascination for most people.
History bears out the strong relationship between humans and snakes.
For example, ancient Greeks thought snakes had mythical healing powers. Thus, the Caduceus, the symbol of medicine, contains two snakes coiled around a winged staff. Pharaohs in ancient Egypt wore the likeness of a poisonous asp on their headdresses in the belief that it would protect them. The snake clan of the Hopi Indians of Arizona still celebrate snakes and their kinship with the earth in a traditional dance. Snakes have also been mythical figures of evil, like the snake which tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden.