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While it may a dying profession, the mysterious ancient tradition of snake charming can still be found in remote corners of the earth, as charmers enchant savage and perilous snakes with the sweet, seductive melodies of their Makuti flutes into a hypnotic state at Vishnupur, Bankura in West Bengal.

A snake charmer handles a poisonous snake during Jhapan festival in Bishanupur,
honoring the Hindu snake goddess Manasha. Photo Reuters

Thousands of people come from far and wide to worship the goddess Manasha, daughter of lord Shiva — known as the goddess of snakes — every year for the Jhapan festival in Bishanupur, about 124 miles (200 kilometers) west of Kolkata.

According to Hindu mythology, people celebrate in worship of the goddess so that the fertility of the land increases with expectations of a good harvest, and stage shows with snakes and snake charmers abound.

A snake charmer handles a poisonous snake during Jhapan festival in Bishanupur.
Photo Reuters

A woman carries an idol of the Hindu snake goddess Manasha during the
Jhapan festival in Bishanupur. Photo Reuters

An Indian snake charmer holds a poisonous snake in his mouth during the Jhapan festival.
Photo Reuters

Snake charmers walk the streets carrying their serpents in baskets or pots covered with cloths hanging from a bamboo pole slung over the shoulder. The charmer sets up to perform cross-legged on the ground as his team of assistants or apprentices typically set his pots and baskets about him.

The lid is removed as the charmer begins playing a flute-like instrument made from a gourd — known as a been, pungi, or Makuti. The serpent slowly emerges swaying to and fro in time with the musician’s tune, apparently lulled and hypnotized by the skill of the performer’s magical melody.

The snake never strikes, and the charmer may even kiss the creature on the head. The charmer may handle his animals, daring his audience to touch them, but almost no one does. As if on cue, the snake slowly returns to its container, and the charmer replaces the lid.

A typical performance may also include handling the snakes or performing other seemingly dangerous acts, as well as other street performances such as juggling and sleight of hand.

Amazed onlookers throw coins to the successful practitioner, he gathers up his earnings, and moves on to perform somewhere else.

Sometimes charmers stage mock combats between their snakes and other animals, such as mongooses. North African snake charmers frequently set up loudspeakers which they advertise a wide array of charms, medicines, and healthcare pamphlets from, sometimes demanding exorbitant fees from hapless tourists who snap photos of them.

A woman snake charmer handles a poisonous snake during the Jhapan festival.
Photo Reuters

An Indian snake charmer kisses a poisonous snake during the “Jhapan” festival.
Photo Reuters

A snake charmer handles a poisonous snake during the “Jhapan” festival.
Photo Reuters

Snake Charming Mystery Revealed
The real truth of the matter is that standing erect and extending the hood is a normal defensive reaction for a cobra and simply indicates the reptile’s startled reaction to losing its darkened environment. Charmers may even wave their instrument over the opening in a manner to prompt the serpent to emerge while not arousing his audience’s attention to the action.

As for the snake’s swaying movement, it’s actually a reaction to the movement of the performer’s instrument and sometimes the tapping of his foot. The snake cannot actually hear the tune being played, though it may feel some of the sound vibrations and any tapping by the charmer.

Most snakes are actually timid in nature and prefer to scare off possible predators rather than fight them, which explains the creature’s reluctance to attack.

Snake charmers typically reduce the chances of being bitten by sitting just out of striking range, about one-third of a cobra’s body length. What may appear as a dangerous feat to kiss the creature on its head is in fact nearly harmless, as cobras are incapable of attacking anything above them.

Snake charmers learn to read their animals and can usually tell when they’re ready to strike, typically trained in rudimentary methods of treating snakebite should it ever occur.

Some claim that snake charmers drug the snakes, but this is very rare.

The creature’s container also plays a large part in subduing the animal, as it keeps the snake’s blood temperature down and makes it groggy.

The snake returns to its container simply by the snake charmer stopping his waving motion.

Snake charmers frequently supplement their performances with juggling, sleight of hand, and other tricks, such as “turning a rod into a serpent” — a ruse that goes back to Biblical times — said to be accomplished by putting pressure on a specific nerve behind the snake’s head which causes it to stiffen up.

An Indian snake charmer bites a snake during the “Jhapan” Hindu festival.
Photo Reuters

Snake charmer in Jaipur (India) in 2007. Photo Paris75000

Snake charmer in New Delhi (India) in 2006

Practice of Snake Charmers
Snake charmers traditionally acquire their serpents by going out into the wilderness and capturing them, which is none too difficult, as most South Asian and North African snakes tend to be slow movers. But today, more and more charmers buy their animals from snake dealers.

The species of serpents used varies by region — the cobra is preferred In India, though some charmers also use Russell’s vipers. Indian and Burmese pythons and Mangrove Snakes are sometimes used, but are not as popular. The Egyptian cobra, puff adder, carpet viper and horned desert viper commonly feature in performances in North Africa. With the exception of pythons, all are highly venomous.

Charmers usually keep their snakes in containers such as baskets, boxes, pots, or sacks, and must train them before bringing them out into public. If they don’t de-fang the reptiles, this may include introducing the snake to a hard object similar to the punji — the snake eventually learns that striking the object only causes pain.

Photo Particlem

Photo Quatro Sinko

Photo Diametrik

Performing snakes are frequently given poor care. They’re routinely de-fanged, or have had their venom glands removed. Some go to lengths of sewing the serpent’s mouth shut, leaving only a small opening through which its tongue may flick in and out which can be removed for periodic feedings. Worse yet, an even more extreme method is total removal of the creature’s jawbone and the venom glands with it which often causes infection and leads to the animal’s death.

Feeding procedures are typically no better. While some claim it to be a myth, a number of snake charmers only give their animals milk which the snakes are said to be incapable of digesting. Various charmers feed them leaves and herbs thought to cause the snakes to become lethargic and confused, while others simply don’t feed them at all and find replacements once they die.

Steve Irwin had also stated much the same, claiming that the snakes slowly die after their fangs are ripped, and told his viewers to “Never stop and pay money to these people.”

A typical charmer goes through about 7 animals every year, with animal-rights groups reporting an average lifespan of 6 months for a performing snake.

There are however a few snake charmers that treat their animals quite well, feeding them properly and not maiming them in any way. Some performers even appear to have an uncanny rapport with their snakes, with the reptiles seeming nearly tame, and may even learn rudimentary veterinary medicine.

The practice is most common in India, though other Asian nations such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and the North African countries of Egypt, Morocco and Tunisiaare are also home to performers.

Photo Laertes

Photo Moujemouje

Photo Natemeg2006

Snake Charmer’s Lifestyle
Snake charming is typically an inherited profession, with most learning the practice at a young age from their fathers. Many performers live a wandering existence, visiting towns and villages.

Entire settlements of snake charmers and their families exist in some parts of India and neighboring countries. In Bangladesh, snake charmers are typically members of the Bedey ethnic group which often live by rivers to be able to boat to different towns on market days and during festivals. North African charmers usually set up in open-air markets and souks for their performances, frequently working in resort towns and near large hotels to target the tourist market.

Snake charming was often the performer’s only source of income in previous eras, but today many scavenge, scrounge, sell items such as amulets and jewelry, or perform at private parties to make ends meet.

They’re often regarded as traditional healers and magicians, especially in rural areas, concocting and selling all manner of potions and ointments that they claim do anything from curing the common cold to raising the dead. They may also act as a form of pest control, as residents call on them to rid homes of snakes — though some accuse them of releasing their own serpents in order to receive money for simply catching them again.

Photo Balwant

Photo BtotheK

History
The earliest evidence for snake charming comes from Ancient Egyptian sources where they mainly acted as magicians and healers. As literate and high-status men, part of their studies involved learning the various types of snakes, the gods to whom they were sacred, and how to treat those who were bitten. Entertainment was also part of their gamut, and they knew how to handle the serpents and charm them for their patrons.

Hinduism has long held serpents to be sacred, with many gods pictured under the protection of the cobra. Indians consequently considered snake charmers to be holy men who were influenced by the gods.

The earliest snake charmers were likely traditional healers by trade. Baba Gulabgir — or Gulabgarnath — became their Guru, since his legend states that he taught people to revere the snakes rather than fear them.

The early 20th century was a golden age for the charmers, with governments promoting the practice to draw tourism, and charmers were often sent overseas to perform at cultural festivals and for private patrons.

Photo Abhraaich

Photo Zak

But today, snake charming is dying profession for numerous reasons — the rise of documentaries have dispelled much of the fear and revulsion once felt toward the creatures and demystified the practice.

Animal-rights groups have made an impact by citing the abuse of a number of endangered species — India passed the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972 which originally aimed at preventing the export of snakeskins with a 7-year prison term for owning or selling them, and in the late 1990’s, animal-rights groups convinced the government to enforce the law on snake charmers as well.

Urbanization and deforestation have also made the snakes upon which the charmers rely increasingly rare, which is said to be to the single most important reason snake charming is declining in India.

The trade is no longer a profitable one, and many performers must supplement their income by begging, scavenging, or working as day laborers. Children of snake charmers increasingly decide to leave the profession to pursue higher-paying work.

In retaliation, snake charmers have organized in recent years, protesting the loss of their only means of livelihood, so the Indian government has made some overtures to them, and various animal-rights groups have now acknowledged the problem.

Some suggest possibilities to train the performers to be snake caretakers and educators, and in return they could sell their traditional medicines as souvenirs. Another proposal would attempt to focus attention on the snake charmer’s music as street musicians. The Indian government has also begun allowing a limited number of snake charmers to perform at specified tourist sites.

Source: Wikipedia

Tags:animal animals bizarre customs odd reptiles serpents snake snake charmers snake charming snakes tradition unusual

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