Serpentine Power in Greece and India
by F. Diez De Velasco

We have received the Internet version prepared by Prof. Francisco Diez De Velasco (Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Email: [email protected]) of his paper Serpentine Power in Greece and India.

It is published in English in the third volume of the review Yavanika (Indian Society of Greek and Roman Studies), India. The full version is in Spanish, in Los caminos de la muerte. Religion, rito e iconografia del paso al mas alla en la Grecia antigua, Madrid, 1995, editorial Trotta (ISBN 84-8164- 016-6), Fourth Chapter.

The essential role played by serpents in some mythical Greek episodes does not appear to be sufficiently clarified. In view of the impossibility to find decisive explanations in the Hellenic culture itself, we decided to use an instrument of historical-religious analysis, the comparative method, to find an extra-Hellenic example with a sufficient degree of relevancy to enlighten the religious "reality" that underlies these serpentine episodes. The country where the systematization of the symbolism of the serpent is accessible and with a suitable development for our purpose is India. In this multiform culture we will try to find an example that offers an explanatory linkage for the sparse information that survives in the Hellenic culture.

by E. Garzilli