St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
Serpent Worship.
PROMINENT PART PLAYED BY THE REPTILE
IN THE FAITH OF MILLIONS.

PROMINENT PART PLAYED BY THE REPTILE
IN THE FAITH OF MILLIONS.
That the serpent was prominent in the
religious faiths of the Americans is beyond
question, and that, to certain extent, In
combination with phallic and solar wor-
ship. it extended from Central America to
Peru and Mexico, cannot be doubted,
whatever it's origin. It's existence in 1u-
catan is shown, as in Cambodia, by sculp-
lures on the ruined buildings which can
only be properly designated as temples.
We know from history and art that this
form of worship existed in Mexico down
to the time of the Spanish invasion and
CONQUEST, and that i6 still survives in the
rites of the Zunis and Moquis, and proba-
bly other of the Pueblo tribes.
To this Southwestern region, with its
many Asiatic features of art and faith, We
are constantly forced by our Investigations
as we look for the source of the builders
of the older works of the Ohio valley.
With these considerations in mind, and
with the knowledge that structures similar
to this in Ohio existed in the Old World,
where the serpent and other early faiths
had their greatest development, will it be
forcing the facts to argue-unlesS all
religious symbolism is merely coincident,
vague and meaningless, which seems al
absurd position to hold-that in the oval
embankment, with its entrsl pile of burnt
stones. in combination with the serpent,
we have the three symbols everywhere
regarded in the Old World as emblems of
those primitive faiths7 Here we find the
linga-in- yoni of India, or the reciprocal
principles of nature guarded by the SER
pent-or life, power, knowledge and eter-
nifty.
Moreover, it's position, East and West,
indicates the nourishing source of fertility
the first sun god whose first rays fall
upon the altar of stones in the center of
the oval. So that here we have associated
the several symptoms which in Asia
would be accepted without question as
showing the place to be a phallo-solar
shrine combined with the serpent faith.
Its very position on the high cliff termina-
ting in the rough overhanging rocks,
washed by the spring torrents and near
the three forks of the river, is to be con-
sidered when comparisons are made.
This combination of natural features
probably could not be found again IN any
part of the great route along which the
people must have journeyed from the Mex
lean gulf Is this all to be taken as mere
coincidence in the development of faith
in America and in the Old World. There
seems to be too much here to admit of such
| theory; and when other facts, in other
lines, point in the same direction, it is
playing false with our reason to be too
skeptical.
Agreements, nay, identities, would then
mean nothing in science, and comparative
studies would be useless. Ferguson, in
his "Tree and Serpent Worship" makes
| mention of the existence of serpent wor-
ship on some of tie Pacific islands, and
says that if it is ever proved that this wor-
ship is indigenous to the New World, we
are thrown back on the doctrine that
human nature is alike everywhere and that
man in like circumstances and with like
degree of civilization does always the
| same things ard Celebrates the same be-
liefs It may be so, but confess it ap'
| pears to me that at present the evidence
dependencies the other way. When this
careful author thus expressed his views,
he was not acquainted with the details
now pointed out in the combinations of the
Ohio serpent shrine.-Prof. r. W. Put
ndm's 1.-THE Serpent Grounds Of Ohio"