From the man-eating Yamata no Orochi to slithering gods, snakes have been a part of Japan’s culture and belief system since ancient times. An expert on Japanese mythology looks at how serpents ...

In both Hinduism and Buddhism, the snake or Naga, Sanskrit for “serpent”, is often depicted as a divine or semidivine being with spiritual and physical powers. In Southeast Asian countries ...

Nüwa, the mother goddess credited with creating humanity in Chinese mythology, is often depicted with a human head and serpent-like body, reflecting the snake’s association with reproduction ...

Myths throughout history have been littered with tales of snakes, and they are still utilized in storytelling to this day.

Chinese New Year is a cultural phenomenon in China. In fact, the National Museum of Asian Art indicates Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China, where a ...

Emblem of life Aesculapius is the Greek god of medicine who wields a staff with a snake wrapped around it. The serpent here ...

Hirafuji Kikuko Professor, Faculty of Shintō Studies, Kokugakuin University. Born in 1972. Specializes in mythology. Head of Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics at the same university.