History and Legends About Snake Stones

November 13, 2007

Stones extracted from snakes were believed to cure a poisonous bite or

the sting of a scorpion and holy snake beads were made from glass as

ornamental representations

The legendary serpent-stone is usually one taken from the reptile's

head, but Welsh tradition tells of one extracted from the tail of a

serpent by the hero Peredur, and having the magic property that anyone

holding it in one hand would grasp a handful of gold in the other. This

stone was generously bestowed upon Etlym by the finder, who only

secured it after vanquishing the serpent in a dangerous conflict. The

snake-stone (or " mad-stone " ), in Arabic hajar alhayyat, is described by

the Arab writer Kazwini, as being of the size of a small nut. It was

found in the heads of certain snakes. To cure the bite of a venomous

creature the injured part was to be immersed in sour milk, or in hot

water, and when the stone was thrown into the liquid it would

immediately attract itself to the bitten part and draw out the poison.

The homeopathic idea plays a considerable role in the superstitions of

the Arabs of northern Africa. To cure the bite or sting of the

scorpion, the creature is to be crushed over the wound it has

inflicted. If anyone is bitten by a dog, he should cut off some of the

animal's hair and lay this on the bitten part; if, however, the dog was

mad, it must be killed, its body opened and the heart removed. This is

then to be broiled and eaten by the person who has been bitten.

bodyAd(500386) Many beautiful glass beads of Roman, or perhaps of

British fabrication, have been found in Great Britain and Ireland. Upon

some of these are bosses composed of white spirals, the body of the

bead being blue, red, yellow, or some other brilliant color. These have

been called " holy snake beads. " Probably most of them are merely

ornamental productions and were not intended to represent

serpentstones. The curious test of the genuineness of an ovum anguinum

mentioned by Pliny, namely, that even if set in gold, it would float up

a stream against the current, indicates a very porous structure;

perhaps some of these serpent's eggs were hollow, vitrified clay balls

with wavy lines on the surface. De Boot, in his treatise on stones and

gems, figures the ovum anguinum, and says that its form was either

hemispherical or lenticular. In his opinion the name " serpent's egg "

was given to the stone because on its surface there appeared five

ridges, starting from the base and tapering off toward the top. These

bore a certain resemblance to a serpent's or adder's tail. The stone

was believed to protect the wearer from pestilential vapors and from

poisons. The so-called " snake-stones, " many specimens of which have

been found in British barrows, bear in the Scottish Lowlands the

designation " Adder Stanes. " They are also sometimes called adder-beads

or serpent-stones. For the Welsh they were gleini na droedh and for the

Irish glaine nan druidhe, the meaning being the same, " Druid's glass. "

Many interesting examples were added to the collection of the Museum of

Scotch Antiquaries, one of these being of red glass, spotted with

white; another of blue glass, streaked with yellow; other types were of

pale green and blue glass, some of these being ribbed while others

again were of smooth and plain surface. That the glass " snake-stones "

were objects of considerable care and attention is indicated by the

mending of a broken specimen shown by Lord Landes-borough at a meeting

of the Society of Antiquaries in 1850. This broken bead had been

repaired and strengthened by the application of a bronze hoop. The

supposed snake-stones are also to be found among the Cornishmen, who

sometimes call these objects milprey or " thousand worms, " and they even

lay claim to the power of forcing a snake to fabricate the " stone " by

thrusting a hazel-wand into the spirals of a sleeping reptile. In

another version it is not a bead that is formed but a ring which grows

around a hazel-wand when a snake breathes on it. If water in which this

ring has been dipped be given to a human being or an animal that has

been bitten by a venomous creature, all ill-effects of the bite will be

warded off, the water acting as a powerful antidote to the poison. The

belief that the snake-stone of Welsh legend--in reality either a fossil

or a bead--was evolved from the venom or saliva ejected by a concourse

of hissing snakes, gave rise to a peculiar popular saying among the

Welsh to the effect that people who are whispering together

mysteriously, and apparently gossiping, or perhaps hatching some

mischief, are " blowing the gem. " Many of the glass beads known as

" snake-stones " or " Druid's glass " are perforated, and this is

fancifully explained as being the work of one of the group of snakes

which forms the bead. This particular snake thrusts its tail through

the viscous mass before it has become hardened into a glass sphere. In

various parts of Scotland such beads are treasured up by the peasants;

according to the testimony of an English visitor of 1699, who reports

that they were hung on children's necks as protection from

whooping-cough and other children's diseases, and were also valued as

talismans productive of good fortune and protective against the

onslaught of malevolent spirits. To guard one of these precious beads

from the depredations of the dreaded fairies the peasant would keep it

enclosed in an iron box, this metal being much feared by the fairies. A

type of snake-stone used in Asia Minor is described as being of a

pearly white hue, rounded on one side, and flat on the other. Toward

the edge of the flat side runs a fine, wavy, bluish line, the

undulations of which are fancied to figure a serpent. The victim of a

snake-bite first had the spot rubbed with some kind of sirup; then the

stone was applied to the bitten spot, and it would adhere to the

inflamed surface for eight days; at the expiration of this time it

would fall off. The bite would be entirely healed and would not be

followed by ill effects of any kind. A novel theory in regard to the

formation of a type of snake-stones is given by an old Chinese writer.

This is that snakes, before they begin to hibernate, swallow some

yellow earth and retain this in the gullet until they come forth again

in the springtime, when they cast it forth. By this time the earth has

acquired the consistency of a stone, the surface remaining yellow,

while the interior is black. If picked up during the second phase of

the moon this concretion was thought to be a cure for children's

convulsions, and for gravel, and was powdered and given in infusion.

The infusion could also be applied with advantage externally to

envenomed swellings. An old manuscript found in a manor house in Essex,

England, contains a translation, made in 1732 by an Oxford student, E.

Swinton, of some details on the snake-stone, taken from a work

published in the same year at Bologna by Nicolo Campitelli. After

noting that these stones came from the province of Kwang-shi in China

and from different places in India, their appearance and qualities are

described. In color they were almost black, some having pale gray or

ash-color spots. The test of the genuineness of such a stone was to

apply it to the lips; if not a spurious one, it would cling so closely

to the membrane that considerable force must be exerted to separate it

therefrom. The usual directions are given for its employment in the

cure of snake bites, but its usefulness by no means ended here; its

curative power was also exhibited in the case of " Scrophulous Eruptions

and Pestilential Bubos, " and it could be used in the treatment of

malignant tremors, venereal disorders, etc. With the manuscript was

found a specimen snake-stone. This was described as being a thin oval

body, about an inch in length and three-quarters of an inch broad; the

color was gray with light streaks, and the surface was bright and

polished. It was of the consistency of horn, and the writer of the note

in the " Lancet " believes that it was part of a stag's antler or some

similar substance, from which the animal matter had been removed by the

action of heat; many of the Oriental snake-stones are of this type,

but, as we have already seen, a great variety of more or less porous

materials have been and are still used in this way in different parts

of the world. A practical experiment was made in 1867 by Dr. John

Schrott, who excited six cobras to bite a number of pariah dogs.

Without delay the snake-stones were applied to the wounds, but they

proved absolute failures, death resulting as speedily as though nothing

had been done.

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November 13, 2007

Very Interesting informaition encompassing various cultures and ages. There is a tribe called Irullas who are snake charmers by profession. They do possess some kind of stones which they claim absorb poison if put on the snake wound. Best, JayRichard Shaw Brown <rsbj66 wrote: History and Legends About Snake StonesStones extracted from snakes were believed to cure a poisonous bite orthe sting of a scorpion and holy snake beads were made from

glass asornamental representationsThe legendary serpent-stone is usually one taken from the reptile'shead, but Welsh tradition tells of one extracted from the tail of aserpent by the hero Peredur, and having the magic property that anyoneholding it in one hand would grasp a handful of gold in the other. Thisstone was generously bestowed upon Etlym by the finder, who onlysecured it after vanquishing the serpent in a dangerous conflict. Thesnake-stone (or "mad-stone"), in Arabic hajar alhayyat, is described bythe Arab writer Kazwini, as being of the size of a small nut. It wasfound in the heads of certain snakes. To cure the bite of a venomouscreature the injured part was to be immersed in sour milk, or in hotwater, and when the stone was thrown into the liquid it wouldimmediately attract itself to the bitten part and draw out the poison.The homeopathic idea plays a considerable role in the superstitions ofthe

Arabs of northern Africa. To cure the bite or sting of thescorpion, the creature is to be crushed over the wound it hasinflicted. If anyone is bitten by a dog, he should cut off some of theanimal's hair and lay this on the bitten part; if, however, the dog wasmad, it must be killed, its body opened and the heart removed. This isthen to be broiled and eaten by the person who has been bitten.bodyAd(500386) Many beautiful glass beads of Roman, or perhaps ofBritish fabrication, have been found in Great Britain and Ireland. Uponsome of these are bosses composed of white spirals, the body of thebead being blue, red, yellow, or some other brilliant color. These havebeen called "holy snake beads." Probably most of them are merelyornamental productions and were not intended to representserpentstones. The curious test of the genuineness of an ovum anguinummentioned by Pliny, namely, that even if set in gold, it would float upa

stream against the current, indicates a very porous structure;perhaps some of these serpent's eggs were hollow, vitrified clay ballswith wavy lines on the surface. De Boot, in his treatise on stones andgems, figures the ovum anguinum, and says that its form was eitherhemispherical or lenticular. In his opinion the name "serpent's egg"was given to the stone because on its surface there appeared fiveridges, starting from the base and tapering off toward the top. Thesebore a certain resemblance to a serpent's or adder's tail. The stonewas believed to protect the wearer from pestilential vapors and frompoisons. The so-called "snake-stones," many specimens of which havebeen found in British barrows, bear in the Scottish Lowlands thedesignation "Adder Stanes." They are also sometimes called adder-beadsor serpent-stones. For the Welsh they were gleini na droedh and for theIrish glaine nan druidhe, the meaning being the

same, "Druid's glass."Many interesting examples were added to the collection of the Museum ofScotch Antiquaries, one of these being of red glass, spotted withwhite; another of blue glass, streaked with yellow; other types were ofpale green and blue glass, some of these being ribbed while othersagain were of smooth and plain surface. That the glass "snake-stones"were objects of considerable care and attention is indicated by themending of a broken specimen shown by Lord Landes-borough at a meetingof the Society of Antiquaries in 1850. This broken bead had beenrepaired and strengthened by the application of a bronze hoop. Thesupposed snake-stones are also to be found among the Cornishmen, whosometimes call these objects milprey or "thousand worms," and they evenlay claim to the power of forcing a snake to fabricate the "stone" bythrusting a hazel-wand into the spirals of a sleeping reptile. Inanother version it is not a

bead that is formed but a ring which growsaround a hazel-wand when a snake breathes on it. If water in which thisring has been dipped be given to a human being or an animal that hasbeen bitten by a venomous creature, all ill-effects of the bite will bewarded off, the water acting as a powerful antidote to the poison. Thebelief that the snake-stone of Welsh legend--in reality either a fossilor a bead--was evolved from the venom or saliva ejected by a concourseof hissing snakes, gave rise to a peculiar popular saying among theWelsh to the effect that people who are whispering togethermysteriously, and apparently gossiping, or perhaps hatching somemischief, are "blowing the gem." Many of the glass beads known as"snake-stones" or "Druid's glass" are perforated, and this isfancifully explained as being the work of one of the group of snakeswhich forms the bead. This particular snake thrusts its tail throughthe viscous mass

before it has become hardened into a glass sphere. Invarious parts of Scotland such beads are treasured up by the peasants;according to the testimony of an English visitor of 1699, who reportsthat they were hung on children's necks as protection fromwhooping-cough and other children's diseases, and were also valued astalismans productive of good fortune and protective against theonslaught of malevolent spirits. To guard one of these precious beadsfrom the depredations of the dreaded fairies the peasant would keep itenclosed in an iron box, this metal being much feared by the fairies. Atype of snake-stone used in Asia Minor is described as being of apearly white hue, rounded on one side, and flat on the other. Towardthe edge of the flat side runs a fine, wavy, bluish line, theundulations of which are fancied to figure a serpent. The victim of asnake-bite first had the spot rubbed with some kind of sirup; then thestone

was applied to the bitten spot, and it would adhere to theinflamed surface for eight days; at the expiration of this time itwould fall off. The bite would be entirely healed and would not befollowed by ill effects of any kind. A novel theory in regard to theformation of a type of snake-stones is given by an old Chinese writer.This is that snakes, before they begin to hibernate, swallow someyellow earth and retain this in the gullet until they come forth againin the springtime, when they cast it forth. By this time the earth hasacquired the consistency of a stone, the surface remaining yellow,while the interior is black. If picked up during the second phase ofthe moon this concretion was thought to be a cure for children'sconvulsions, and for gravel, and was powdered and given in infusion.The infusion could also be applied with advantage externally toenvenomed swellings. An old manuscript found in a manor house in

Essex,England, contains a translation, made in 1732 by an Oxford student, E.Swinton, of some details on the snake-stone, taken from a workpublished in the same year at Bologna by Nicolo Campitelli. Afternoting that these stones came from the province of Kwang-shi in Chinaand from different places in India, their appearance and qualities aredescribed. In color they were almost black, some having pale gray orash-color spots. The test of the genuineness of such a stone was toapply it to the lips; if not a spurious one, it would cling so closelyto the membrane that considerable force must be exerted to separate ittherefrom. The usual directions are given for its employment in thecure of snake bites, but its usefulness by no means ended here; itscurative power was also exhibited in the case of "Scrophulous Eruptionsand Pestilential Bubos," and it could be used in the treatment ofmalignant tremors, venereal disorders, etc.

With the manuscript wasfound a specimen snake-stone. This was described as being a thin ovalbody, about an inch in length and three-quarters of an inch broad; thecolor was gray with light streaks, and the surface was bright andpolished. It was of the consistency of horn, and the writer of the notein the "Lancet" believes that it was part of a stag's antler or somesimilar substance, from which the animal matter had been removed by theaction of heat; many of the Oriental snake-stones are of this type,but, as we have already seen, a great variety of more or less porousmaterials have been and are still used in this way in different partsof the world. A practical experiment was made in 1867 by Dr. JohnSchrott, who excited six cobras to bite a number of pariah dogs.Without delay the snake-stones were applied to the wounds, but theyproved absolute failures, death resulting as speedily as though nothinghad been done. ©

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