Happy December everyone – with the holidays here my writing time has dwindled, but that’s okay. It’s nice to spend extra time with the family and I’m keeping busy by baking scrumptious goodies. I have to confess that I still have plenty of shopping left to do. How about you?
I hope you joined me last week when I posted about those foxy Kitsunes and Nogitsunes. If not, you can click here http://ravenhappyhour.com/ravenblog/?p=1219.
This week I’m blogging about Nagas. The term Naga means serpent. Nagas are able to shape-shift into a human, or into a snake. Sometimes they can become part human, part snake, and sometimes they can be part mermaid, part snake. Often times they fully change into a snake and can become so large they can devour an elephant. When they are in snake form, they tend to resemble cobras or pythons.
Nagas or snakes represent rebirth, death, and mortality in that they are able to shed their skins and in a sense be reborn. Nagas were known to keep to themselves, typically living in underground cities or deep in the jungle, rather than out in the open with humans. They are found mostly in tales from India in much of the Hindu mythology. It is said Nagas feared unicorns.
While many fear snakes and consider them evil, the Hindus consider Nagas as nature spirits – protectors. In North India, there are communities who claim to be direct descendants of Nagas.
When I came across this type of shape-shifter, it got my imagination working overtime. Beautiful as the snake women were, my mind went a different direction. Something more powerful and masculine. The idea of a man (and we’re talking about a devastatingly handsome man here) cursed to become a Naga by a ruthless Naga queen seeped into my dreams and a story was born. My short story Snake Charmer from Ellora’s Cave can be purchased on its own, and it’s also included in the Glamorous Garnet print anthology http://www.anncory.com/Bookshelf/SnakeCharmer.html.
I hope you’ll join me next month when my shape-shifter post will be about Selkies.
~Ann Cory http://www.anncory.com
