San bushmen python mythology describes serpent creating rivers and life

April 18, 2026Theory

Source: 70kya "Oldest Ritual Site" Beliefs Spread with Out of Africa? by Timeless with Fred Snyder

San bushmen oral tradition describes the great python as a creator that slithered across dry land, bringing water and life wherever it moved. The serpent is revered as the source that imbued humans with their spiritual essence. The trickster creator Kaggen shapes the land and brings water, while the spiritual energy called n/om resides in the body and can be awakened through intense ritual dances, allowing healers to enter trance states and journey into the spirit world. 🐍🌊

Key facts

The San bushmen have stories of the great python that created rivers by slithering across dry land
The python brought water and life wherever it moved
The python is regarded as the source that imbued humans with their spirit aspect
The serpent is the source of souls, emanating life itself
The trickster creator Kaggen (often as a praying mantis) shapes the land, brings water, and imbues spiritual energy into things including humans
The spiritual energy called n/om is believed to live inside the body in the stomach or spine
N/om can be awakened through intense ritual dances allowing healers to enter trance states and journey into the spirit world