Gwyn, the Serpent Son

Generally in western culture the concept of the serpent has not been received well. Largely due to a negative reference in the Bible, it is almost forgotten that our ancestors revered the serpent as highly sacred. We hear of serpent betrayal in the story of Adam and Eve, yet in the story of the Buddha it is the Serpent King, Mucalinda, who protects and cares for him. We associate a forked tongue with lies and deceit, but in Hinduism it is the five headed serpent, Sheshna, who supports the planets of the universe and is the embodiment of wisdom. Similarly, in most highly cultural countries of the Far East, the serpent is connected with insight and rebirth and is a potent guardian of both temples and sacred space.

Now more familiarly known as the snake, its accreditation with rebirth is possibly due to its ability to shed old skin for new. That snakes have been perceived as guardians might be born from observation that if threatened snakes tend to defend their territory rather than retreat. The ancients, who appropriated all living things as having sacred meaning, perceived that if snakes were protectors of their own property they were eligible guardians of what was highly valued and unconfined, ie the soul! Therefore looking into the past, almost all ancient mythologies have appraised the serpent with divinity and wisdom:

The earliest writings of the ancient Egyptians described a serpent as beginning their legends and ending them.

The ancient Greeks appropriated a serpent coiled around the Tree of Life as protecting its golden apples (an ancient symbol for knowledge).

In Norse mythology a serpent, relayed in dragon-form, ate of the World Tree.

In Minoan legend, the Snake Goddess upheld a serpent in each hand to evoke wisdom.

In Mayan mythology the king conversed with the Universe through the serpent that guarded the centre of the world.

In West African legend, the Rainbow Serpent warned dreamers of troubles ahead.

In Australian culture, the Aboriginals still converse with the Rainbow Serpent in ‘Dreamtime’.

As like the rest of the world, ancient Britain had its own cultural links between the serpent, wisdom and the Milky Way, some of which are reflective in the stories of Gwyn ap Nudd:

As Gwyn's father, Nauda, is identified with the Milky Way, the father of the Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl, is called Mixacoatl (Cloud Serpent) whose names describes the Milky Way.

As Gwyn is known as the Serpent Son, the wife of Mixacoatl and Quetzalcoatl’s mother is called Cihuacoatl (the Lady of the Serpent).

As Gwyn’s specific role is guardian to the Underworld and gatherer of souls, Nehebkau, in Egyptian mythology, is the harnesser of souls and guards the entrance to the Underworld. He is depicted as a two headed serpent deity and his mother is the primal snake goddess Wadjet, the Egyptian cobra, who has the all seeing eye of wisdom.

As Gwyn effects rebirth, the Ourobouros of Greek mythology represents the act of regeneration. The great snake, portrayed as eating its tail, was named after the Milky Way.

As Gwyn is associated with awareness, the Mayan deity, Bolon Yokte, is guardian of the portal of rebirth and is located in a Black Hole in the Milky Way. Bolon was predicted by the Mayan’s to begin a new age of awareness. This has been suggested as commencing at the time of the Solstice, December 2012.

As Gwyn escorts the newly-deceased souls to the afterlife, Hermes (of the ancient Greek's) also escorts the dead.

As Gwyn the Enchanter is the Magician card in Tarot, the card is associated with Hermes ability to construct his own reality. Hermes grasps the unconscious forces that shape conscious reality with the same ability that Gwyn manifests a scene of post battle prior to his escorting Gwyddno Garranhir to the Underworld/his Afterlife.

As Gwyn the Enchanter has a staff (wand/stang) for enchantment, Hermes has a caduceus (a rod) which is equated to the Mesopotamian god’s, Ningizzida (a pscyhopomp), who like Nehebkau, has two snakes emerging from his shoulders.

As Gwyn is associated with science and healing, the caduceus of Mercury/Hermes/Asclepius is the symbol that is used today in modern medicine.

Why there may be so many references to coiled and coloured snakes in modern and ancient cultures has been extensively explored by both scientists and anthropologists. Joseph Campbell suggested the coiled symbol of snakes around a staff was the ancient’s representation of Kundalini physiology, the staff representing the spinal column and the snakes representing energy channels. Following a similar line, Jeremy Narby (The Cosmic Serpent) concluded that the coiled serpent was representative of DNA. Similar to Jung’s concept of inherent archetypes, he perceived it as an inherent symbol. After a 10 year study of world cultures and tribal behaviours, Narby made a connection between our DNA structure and the ancient drawings and references to snakes. Observing that all of his visited cultures used meditation, drug enhanced consciousness or hallucination before conversing with snakes, he perceived what was actually being accessed was the individual’s own life language. Whilst DNA is relatively new to science as a construction of our living language, its biological appearance is reminiscent of a coloured snake that may have been communicating with us for thousands of years.

Therefore as our existence was been explained by myth and is today explored through science, our cultural perceptions of who we are is subject to change based on whatever rationale we adhere to.

As you proceed with this part of the Gwynvyd Method you will work with Gwyn, the Serpent Son to consider your own new age of awareness. To begin, you will:

1. complete a task with no assistance.

2. answer a series of questions honestly.

As the work you do is personal to your development it must be undertaken personally. The questions that are asked of you must therefore be asked of yourself.

The Task:

Please find an opportunity to either:

Look at photos of snakes

Watch a film about snakes

Draw a picture of a snake

Read a story or poems about snakes

Touch a living snake

If you wish, all of the above

If you find the above suggestions too difficult to undertake, then take time to ask yourself why such feelings exist and how they came to arise. When we allow ourselves to consider other perspectives, we put ourselves in a more balanced position to consider life.

When you are ready ask yourself one of the following five questions and allow yourself time to become conscious of your answer:

The Questions:

Do I like snakes?

Do you think snakes are misunderstood? Do you find them fascinating?

Snakes are so well designed that they have been around for millions of years. When you look at one in the sunlight its scales have the appearance of coloured shimmering mirrors. If you watch a snake moving through sand it leaves tracks resembling a rolling helix. Could you share your knowledge/positive feelings about snakes with others? Could you reassure someone who has a fear of snakes?

Adult snakes renew their skin each year and younger ones 2/3 times a year.

Do I dislike snakes?

Do you have a fear of snakes? Do you think all snakes should be destroyed?

When we fear or dislike something we are basing our negative assumption on what knowledge we have, therefore if we can know something positive we may alter our perspective and feel more comfortable. Did you know snakes need to feel threatened before they strike a human? Did you know snakes have an insatiable appetite for rats and are deterrents of rodent infestations?

Children have no fear of snakes until they are taught it.

Do snakes worry me?

Do you think all snakes bite? Do you think that any snake imposes a threat?

Most snakes are not poisonous and they do not prey on humans. That there are over 10,000 deaths a year, worldwide, are due to the fact that some bites are accidents and the rest are generally caused by humans trying to kill them. Could you enjoy snakes as elegant participants in our living world? Could you be more respectful to a snake in its own environment?

The world's smallest snake is called the Lesser Antillean Threadsnake (Leptotyphlops Bilineatus) and is no larger than a pencil lead.

Do I think snakes are creepy?

Do you think snakes move by sliding? Do you think snakes are lying around everywhere?

Snakes move by gripping the irregularities of the ground and contracting their muscles to create movement, so it is difficult for them to move on smooth surfaces. Because they are private and would rather be left alone, the occasional appearance of a snake could be regarded as something special. Could you consider the sighting of a snake in the wild as being a treat? Could you observe how snakes move on both land and in water?

In 2006 a new species of the Kapuas mud snake was discovered that can change its colour from brown to white.

Would I touch a snake?

Do you think snakes are slippery? Do you think snakes must feel cold?

Snakes should not be touched unless we are convinced of our safety and that they are comfortable with being held. Snakes do not secrete oils or sweat so if we were to touch a snake we may be fascinated to find they feel as warm as human skin. Could you observe the snake's fork tongue which tastes the air to teach it about its environment? Could you observe its jaw which disarticulates in order to swallow whole prey?

Only 15% of snake species are dangerous.

Well done! If you feel less negative towards snakes you have proven any fear may be reduced or altered if a perspective held is changed for another. We can all open windows and air how we think or we can close doors and confine our potential.

If you wish you can return to this page again later of if you are ready, you can enter another area of the Gwynvyd Method.

Gwyn ap Nudd

Ancient British God & Hero