The common myths that prevail among the two countries along with several other myths have been used by the recent writers in their works. Though they are not addicted to these myths, as writers they believe that they can inculcate certain aspects into the minds of people in order to understand the difference between the facts and the commonly prevailing fallacies, especially about snakes . They make complete use of them as they wish in their works to bring out some changes that are fruitful.
Some writers even share their experiences in their stories that need much more understanding to wipe out certain misconceptions about snakes. Indian writers like Girish Karnad, R.K.Narayan and Khushwanth Singh have tried their best to do it. Several Australian writers like Ida West and Daele Marie also have an equal part to come out of the fallacies from the people’s minds.
Girish Karnad in his play Nagamandala (1977) has pointed out some of the fallacies that are still believed by people. He has exploited these myths to present his social and psychological themes. He has used the symbols of guardianship, vengeance, sexuality, medicinal qualities, and a God to worship. Rani, the heroine of the play once pours a magical root mixed curry into the anthill which is licked by a king cobra.
The myth of snake drinking milk is well used for the development of the plot. Further, the king cobra is given a human form named Naga who comes in the form of Rani’s husband, Appanna. The King Cobra or Naga stands for sexuality. He visits Rani at nights in the absence of Appanna and asks her to be fresh when he comes, “Quite Right! From tomorrow I want you to be fresh and bright when I come home at night. I shall come home from every night from now on. May I?” (40).
Though snakes are represented as the symbol of sexuality, it is used in a positive sense by the author. Rani tells Naga that he is the one who made her understand everything about the relationship between a husband and a wife. She tells him that she has been a silly girl all the time and now has been turned into a woman which is because of him: “I was a stupid, ignorant girl when you brought me here. But now I am a woman, a wife and I am going to be a mother…I am not a parrot. Why don’t you take it on trust that I have a mind and explain this charade to me? Why do you play these games? Why do you change like a chameleon from day to night? Even if I understood little, a tiny-bit I could bear it.” (51)
People believe that Lord Shiva has a snake on his neck to denote that he has overcome all kinds of desires and feelings which the snake symbolises. This desire also includes the sensual pleasures. A snake as a symbol of sexuality commonly prevails all over the world, especially India. The use of this symbol in a positive sense suggests that this representation not only leads to physical pleasures but also in realising the reality of life. This has been the reason for Naga, to be used positively.
Rani once tells Naga that even the mention of the name of a snake during night will make it come into the house. She also tells him what her father used to tell about the power of a Cobra to catch its prey. She says: “The Cobra simply hooks the bird’s eyes with its own sight, if a bird looks at a cobra. The bird stares- and – stares unable to move its eyes. It doesn’t feel any fear either. It stands fascinated, watching the changing colours of the eyes of the cobra. It just stares, wings half-opened as though it was sculpted in the sunlight. (40)
This refers to Rani herself. After the arrival of Naga in her life, she seems to be attracted and caught by the sight of Naga. It is Rani who is fascinated and looks for the love and passion in the eyes of Naga, like the bird which is caught in the hold of a cobra. It suggests that the King cobra fulfills the Psychological needs of Rani who is a human being. Generally, there is a belief that snakes mesmerise birds. But a snake does not mesmerise its prey, rather the bird freezes in fear and does not move. This may appear to a viewer that the snake has hooked the bird’s eyes with its own sight (40) as Rani says. Such a fearful creature has been used as a satiating agent of Rani’s psychological desires.
Rani becomes conceived by the non-human agent, Naga. When her real husband Appanna comes to know of it, he drags her into the streets. Naga on seeing this tries to save her from being hurt and so he prevents Appanna from beating Rani by moving towards Rani, where he serves as a guardian of Rani. He asks her to choose the snake ordeal to prove her chastity in front of her husband and others.
Since Appanna has complained to the elders of the village about his wife, she is summoned to prove her innocence. Naga must save her and his unborn baby as well. As per his advice, Rani gathers all her courage and takes the King Cobra in her hand. “since coming to this village, I have held by this hand, only two…. My Husband and this cobra (58)”. Naga blesses Rani with a child and this concept has been taken from the myth of snakes representing fertility. He not only gives her a child but also acts as a saviour of her life from the cruel hands of her husband.
Immediately the snake moves to her neck and garlands her. From that time, Rani is seen as a Goddess by the villagers. The snake here is considered sacred by the people and it makes the woman a Goddess by garlanding her as it is garlanding Lord Shiva. The symbol of a snake being worshipped as a God is used completely by the author. Naga blesses Rani with a happy life for which she has been longing.
After a few months, Naga the non-human agent visits Rani’s house and stares at her sleeping next to her son and Appanna. He feels jealous and possessive to have Rani for himself. He becomes vengeful and wants to kill her. But sooner changes his mind and decides to kill himself on the long dark hair of Rani which he calls his dark black princess. There is a belief among people that snakes take revenge over its offender. Though some specialists have denied such a myth, it still prevails among most of the people. Such a myth has been utilised by the author in his work.
This Naga, basically a King Cobra plays several other roles in the life of Rani. He transforms her from a silly village girl into a woman and a mother. Philosophically and mythologically, he has caused Rani’s integration at different levels, the physical, emotional, spiritual and the intellectual. Further, he is the remedy for all the problems of Rani, who has even saved her from the snake-ordeal. He heals her ailments from her heart through his love and affection which symbolises his representation of medicinal qualities.
The Naga King Vasuki churned the elixir; likewise, this King Cobra churns the life of Rani to get away with her sorrows and to bring elixir into her life. Shesha holds the world and this Cobra holds the life of Rani with care and the Naga deities who represent fertility are used in the text in the same context by the author. All these mythical creations denote the positive side of life. In this way, the cobra created by the author is used for a good purpose by saving the life of an innocent woman. The King Cobra teaches her life and everything that surrounds it, blesses her with fertility, and protects her from harm as a guardian. It even takes her to the extent of being worshipped. He also mentions the tension that prevails between the beliefs and a person’s thoughts that lead to such kind of disbelief.
Thus, many of the common myths are used by the author to add flavour to the story. Karnad’s use of both, the positive and negative symbols do not create an aversion for snakes. Instead, a positive approach is developed, and he allows looking at snakes as a co-existing creation of God, that is harmless until they are disturbed.
In Khushwant Singh’s “The Mark of Vishnu” (1950), the character named Gunga Ram, a servant believes that Kala Nag, a six feet cobra living in a hole to be God. He believes that Kala Nag is sacred. He is a devotee of Lord Vishnu and smears his head with a V- mark. He keeps milk in a saucer every night near the hole where Kala Nag lives. He further believes that the milk is taken by the snake. The myth of snake drinking milk is used here which suggests that the myth is still in use. The point which Gunga Ram wanted to prove was not clear. He just proved it by leaving the saucer full of milk by the snake hole every night and finding it gone in the morning. (1)
The boys of the house tease him for his superstition and when they get a chance, they attack the cobra and take it to the science teacher to keep it in the lab. The furious snake not yet killed, jumps out of the tin when it is opened by the teacher to escape from everyone. At that time Gunga Ram enters the scene to repent for what has been done. The Cobra in anger strikes his head to get rid of the danger and leaves the place.
As soon as he saw Kala Nag come up he went down on his knees. He poured the milk into the saucer and placed near the threshold. With hands folded in prayer he bowed his head to the ground craving forgiveness. In desperate fury, the Cobra hissed and spat and bit Gunga Ram all over the head, then with great effort dragged himself into a gutter and wriggled out of view. (3)
Jonathan W. Stanley in his “Snakes: Objects of Religion, Far and Myth” has pointed out that Indians believe cobras to be the incarnations of Gods and hence Gunga Ram opposes to kill Kala Nag whom he considers and worships to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The science teacher wipes the drop of blood underneath the V-mark where the fangs of Kala Nag are dug. Now dead Gunga Ram, a devoted servant of Lord Vishnu, according to him, has been blessed. The author tries to bring the consequences of disbelief. The writers use myths in their works and through that they create an impact on people regarding these beliefs, that tie them strong enough with fear of anything that is dangerous.
Australian writers also come out with the same views. Further, they try to make it general rather than to their own country. In the introduction to The Penguin Century of Australian Stories, Kerryn Goldsworthy says, that is becoming clearer in Australian writing – as in so many other things-as the century ends is a shift in focus: a shift away from the idea of the national, and towards the dynamic between the local and the global (XXVII)”. Hence, the writers write for the whole world. They write about their country not only for their whole nation but for the others to know more about their land and people. Some of them write their own experiences like Daele Healy and Ida West. They have narrated their encounters with snakes that are exciting.
Daele Marie is basically from an army family. “The Snake and the Cowgirl” (2007) is a story about the writer’s experience. On a summer day, she took a bath and has come out of the bathroom to step on a snake. “I walk out of the bathroom and straight into what I now know is the unmistakable s-shaped slither of six-foot snake.” She got scared, screamed and hides herself in the kitchen. Being in a confused state whom to seek help, she decides to call the hotel publican, an mental health professional in her life.
The man asks her the colour of it and feels relieved when her descriptions match a blacksnake which is harmless. He further says it keeps the brown snake away. He sends Jill, a local cowgirl for Daele’s rescue. Jill calls three local little girls behind her to look at it. She holds it and says, “so, that’s a black snake”, Jill instructs them.” You are not meant to kill them. He’s just escaping the heat.”
She comes in through the window, since the doors are closed and goes away taking the snake with her. The writer tries to persuade not to harm the creepers when people are not harmed. And further she informs everyone to call for the snake handlers and the experts to handle them without any harm done to them and to the persons in fright. Though she fears it she does not harm it anyway. Rather tries to help it to go out of her house with the help of a snake handler.
Ida West in her “Snakes” (2000) talks about her childhood experiences with variety of snakes. When they were children, they used to watch the fights between snakes and blue-tongued goannas. Most of the time, the snakes would bite them, and these goannas would try to save themselves but fail at times. The way in which they would go to school was full of snakes. Once the writer and her brother saw a dozen of baby snakes. Most of the time, they had seen snakes crawling on roads. In the same way, they had to encounter a female snake. They had thrown a big stone on it cruelly. The baby snakes came out of its stomach. “Another time a female snake took us. We found a big stone and hit her with it. It was just as well we did, but it was a cruel way to do it. We jabbed her stomach and all the baby snakes came out- some of the stuff got on my arm straight away. Dad told us we were never to be cruel. We, like all the children, had to carry a stick.” (661)
This part reminds the reader of the story of Taipan, where the Rainbow Serpent is killed by Wala, the blue-tongued lizard. Goanna killing the Rainbow Serpent contrasts with the part which the author ha narrated. Because in the dream stories, Taipan the Rainbow Serpent, has offended the law by seizing another person’s wife. Thus, the law breaker is killed by the follower of laws. But snakes and goannas fight with each other and either of them will achieve victory.
Flinders Island is a place with lots of snakes and the writer stayed at Killiecrankie where numerous snakes were seen. The copperhead snakes would hide themselves would hide themselves in the toilet at the backyard and they had to put sulphur to make snakes come out of the pit. The writer’s father dug pits for well and whenever they had dug pits and filled with water, there would be a red bellied snake seen on the very next day.
They also had to manage tiger snakes, grass snakes and whip snakes. Once, the writer had watched Harry Butler talking about goannas that are confused to be death adders. But she had once seen a death adder with a thick skin and a rat like tail which resembled a goanna. Her father had objected it, but she was sure of what she witnessed. The people there worked on Chappell Island which is a place where more dangerous snakes are found.”( The ‘ Barking Brilla ‘ is the name for the snake–infested saltbush (barilla) on chappell Island- the snakes making a warning noise when you get to close. (662).”
She says that this place is populated with more snakes than in Flinders Island. The author shares the experiences to the people all over to handle snakes without attacking them. Only if they are hurt, they try to attack the intruders. The children are advised to take a long stick with them to get away from the fearful but interesting creatures. The writers make people understand the basic truth that these wildlife creatures are seen even in gardens and houses. Yet, they do not have an intention in striking anyone other than their preys. They only bite the persons if they find them to be their offenders. These stories make the point clear that even
Now the “dreamtime” belief of treating animals equal to man is followed despite threat. Thus, the recent writers make it a constant point that these creatures are not created to attack or destroy humankind. Rather it is human beings who offend them out of fear and horror. They further denote that these snakes are used as symbols that represent many qualities. Such stories are created only for the welfare of the people to live a virtuous life and not to glorify or degrade them. They talk about all the possibilities of getting hold of certain disbelief that the researchers prove to be wrong to make everyone understand the real worth of the earlier created stories.