Snake (Reaktion Books - Animal)

218 Pages·2005·1.98 MB·English

by  Drake Stutesman

S
nake
Drake stutesman
Animal series

Snake
Animal
Serieseditor:JonathanBurt
Alreadypublished
Crow Ant
BoriaSax CharlotteSleigh
Tortoise Dog
PeterYoung SusanMcHugh
Cockroach Oyster
MarionCopeland RebeccaStott
Forthcoming
Rat Tiger
JonathanBurt SusieGreen
Parrot Fox
PaulCarter MartinWallen
Snake Crocodile
DrakeStutesman RichardFreeman
Whale Cat
JoeRoman KatharineM.Rogers
Falcon Spider
HelenMacdonald KatjaandSergiuszMichalski
Bee Duck
ClairePreston VictoriadeRijke
Hare Peacock
SimonCarnell ChristineJackson
Moose Salmon
KevinJackson PeterCoates
Fly Wolf
StevenConnor GarryMarvin
Snake
DrakeStutesman
reaktion books
TothebeautifulS-lineandF
Publishedby
reaktionbooksltd
79FarringdonRoad
Londonec1m3ju,uk
www.reaktionbooks.co.uk
Firstpublished2005
Copyright©DrakeStutesman2005
Allrightsreserved
Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrieval
systemortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,
mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwisewithouttheprior
permissionofthepublishers.
PrintedandboundinChinabyC&COffsetPrintingCo.,Ltd
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
Stutesman,Drake
Snake.–(Animal)
1.Snakes 2.Animalsandcivilization
I.Title
597.9'6
isbn186189239x
Contents
Introduction 7
1 LivingSnake 17
2 MythicSnake 33
3 VenomousSnake 94
4 EdibleSnake 120
5 PetSnake 131
6 VogueSnake 138
Timeline 188
References 191
Bibliography 195
RecipesandCocktails 202
Associations 207
Websites 208
Acknowledgements 209
PhotoAcknowledgements 210
Index 212

Introduction
Ssssssssssssssssssss.
Doyouhearasnake’shiss?Ifso,it’slikelythatasuddeninvol-
untary feeling rushes you because everyone has an opinion
aboutsnakes.EmilyDickinsonmayhaveadmittedsomething
forallwhen,inherpoemaboutaharmlessgartersnake,she
says:
Butnevermetthisfellow,
Attendedoralone,
Withoutatighterbreathing,
Andzeroatthebone.
Comparethattoayoungpetowner’senthusiastic‘Mysnake
makesmehappy’orthewordsofacontemporaryAppalachian
snakehandlerontheexperienceofholdingoneinchurch,‘it’s
fullofjoy.IfeellikeI’mwalkinginanotherworld.’1
Thesnakeisverymuchaliveintoday’scultures.Sootheyour-
selfwithaChineserheumaticsnakeremedy,spiceyourvirility
withaswigofsnake’sbloodorboostyourimmunesystemwith
asnake’sgallbladder.Showoffafangedserpenttattoo.Walk
throughtheannualTexasRattlesnakeRoundupandseethou-
sandsoftrappedrattlerskilledandturnedintosouvenirs.Visit
India’sCobraFestival,inJodhpur,theNaagPanchami,where,
7
Aschoolgirlwith
petsnakes,1927.
for three days, handlers believe cobra venom has no effect.
Listen to Australian Aboriginal warnings of languid pools
guardedbygiantwatersnakes.Seewomendancingwithboa
constrictorsorpythonsontheInternetortelevisionorinclubs
inBerlin,ManilaandLasVegas.GotoanAmericanHoliness
ChurchofSignsFollowingandwatchpeopleprayingwithlive
copperheadsintheirhands,attendtheFestivalofSnakesinItaly
wheresnakesareparadedinthenameofChristorwatchHopi
priestsholdrattlesnakesbetweentheirteethanddanceinaday-
longrainceremony.
Theseareallcontemporaryevents,eachwithancientroots,
someobvious,someobscured.It’sstrangethatsnakesmeanso
muchyetit’seasytoseewhy.Theyareexotic:theirpatternsare
8