Books Reviews

SSSS: Snake Art & Allegory – Book Review

By Angela Youngman Jul 6, 2010, 12:53 GMT

An unusual combination of art and allegory, this stunning hand-printed book invokes the fascinating world of Indian snake mythology. These evocative fables about real and imagined serpents show the snake to be as much a creature of the human mind and imagination, as it is of earth and water. A handsome museum edition, SSSS: Snake Art & Allegory has been co-published with the Musee Du Quai Branly, France. Greek artist ...more

You like them, fear them or hate them - but you cannot be indifferent to snakes.  Snakes are an essential part of mythology and mystery worldwide, playing a role in every culture.
 
This hand-printed book focuses on the beauty and terror of Hindu and Buddhist snake lore telling the numerous stories of gods and goddesses and their involvement with snakes. 

Many of the stories are little known in the west such as the tales of Nagaraja, the King of Snakes and the ketaki flowers, Ulupi snake princess and her love for the warrior Arjuna and Jimutavahana and the how he helped sorrowful snakes survive  the clutches of ferocious eagles.     

The Buddha's Blessing is a lovely story explaining how the cobra has eyespots on its hood after it sheltered the Buddha throughout a long day mediating in the sun. The drawings are minimalistic, and have less appeal than the stories. 

This is a book which would make a nice gift for anyone interested in the mythology of the Far East.