User:Koolkat646/Rainbow Serpent

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-Much like the typical mother goddess archetype, the Rainbow Serpent is no different. The Serpent creates land and diversity for the Aboriginal people but when disturbed can bring great chaos.

In some cultures, the Rainbow Serpent is male; in others, female; in yet others, the gender is ambiguous or the Rainbow Serpent is hermaphroditic or bigender, thus an androgynous entity. Some commentators have suggested that the Rainbow Serpent is a phallic symbol, which fits its connection with fertility myths and rituals. When the Serpent is characterized as female or bisexual, it is sometimes depicted with breasts, as in the case of the Kunmanggur serpent. Other times, the Serpent has no particular gender. (Copied from Rainbow Serpent article)

-Unlike many other deities, the Rainbow Serpent does not have a human form and remains in the form of animal. While each culture has a different interpretation on gender and which animal the deity is, it is nonetheless, always an animal.

-The Rainbow Serpent is sometimes associated with human blood, especially circulation and the menstrual cycle, and (is) considered a healer. (Because of this the Rainbow Serpent is also representative of fertility.) Thunder and lightning are said to stem from when the Rainbow Serpent is angry, and the Serpent can even cause powerful rainstorms and cyclones (that will drown those who have upset her. Other punishments carried out by the Rainbow serpent included being turned into either a human or to stone.) (Copied from Rainbow Serpent article)

Iconography

'''The Serpent has been depicted in rock art in various forms, generally snake-like but it may have heads resembling marsupials (macropods) or flying foxes, even birds or humans. Unlike an ordinary snake in nature, it may also be depicted with additional appendages such as animal legs and feet (as well as plant like appendages,) and also manifests tails of various forms in rock art. (Copied from Rainbow Serpent article)'''

-The Rainbow Serpent is also representative of Yams and water-lilies. Heavy rainfall brought and abundance of both to the land and there is rock art depicting the serpent as a "Yam Serpent". Other rock art depicts the the Rainbow Serpent with a flying fox head or like attributes. On the Arnhem Plateau in Australia, there is also art depicting the serpent as an urchin or "seaweed like."