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The Serpent Grail and the Lady of the Lake

Is there a mystery here to be unravelled? found a race of wise men, half gods, half
Is there a serpent code being held by the demons (snakes). These men were said to
Grail myths? Can we uncover this code by be teachers of other nations and
taking a look at the Lady of Lake? The themselves instructed the Hindu's and
answer is yes to all these questions, for Brahmans.In the Bhagavata Purana there is
held within the folds of the coiled snake a description of the Bila-svarga or the
we shall discover the truth of the origin regions of the Nagas said to be
of the Arthurian tales and the strange subterranean. Some of the names
watery Lady who was to give Arthur his associated with this place relate
sword.There are various names attributed remarkably to the Mesoamerican and South
to the 'Lady of the Lake;' Nimue and American terms such as Tlaloc. "My dear
Vivienne are the two most used, but most king, beneath this earth are seven other
pertinent to us here is 'White Serpent.' planets [seven is important in Atlantean
Nimue is probably Mneme or Mnemosyne, who myths - seven islands!], known as Atala,
is one of the Muses or 'water nymphs' Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala,
from Roman and Greek mythology and who Rstala and Patala... the residents are
gave out weapons - just as the Lady of known as Daityas, Danavas and Nagas . . .
the Lake did. Vivienne in all likelihood brilliantly decorated cities . . .
comes from Vi-Vianna or Co-Vianna the wonderful houses, walls, gates, assembly
'water goddess' or Coventina of Celtic houses, temples, yards and temple
origin ('Coventina's Well' also had a compounds . . . The houses for the
skull offering discovered which is leaders of these planets are constructed
important in the worship of snakes and with the most valuable jewels, and are
wisdom [1].)These water deities are always crowded with the living entities
strongly related to the story of serpent known as Nagas and Asuras . . . Many
worship, and united with the tale of the great serpents reside there with gems on
sword or weaponry, it introduces the their hoods, and the effulgence of these
duality of peace and war so well known in gems dissipates the darkness in all
the serpent myths. The sword pierces and directions. Since the residents of these
strikes and involves contemporaneously, planets drink and bathe in juices and
the image of the serpent upon the blade elixirs made from wonderful herbs, they
via the unique metallurgy employed. This are freed from all anxieties and physical
wonderful metallurgy of the Middle Ages diseases. They have no experience of gray
and beyond reveals to us in actual hair, wrinkles or invalidity." (Bhagavata
artefacts that the serpent itself was Purana)There is currently a lot of debate
fashioned into the blade as part of the about the original inhabitants of India -
process. This of course relates to the whether Aryan or Naga, but the fact
fact that Arthur's sword was said to be a remains, whether the Nagas were Aryans or
fiery serpent in the Dream of Rhonabwy. not, they were an ancient inhabitant. The
When Arthur's sword is drawn it was said very fact that they were mentioned in the
that two flames of fire burst out of the ancient Rig Vedas shows this to be true.
jaws of the two serpents, and so They also intermarried with the Royal
wonderful was the sword that it was hard families, hence the popular myths of
for anyone to gaze at it. It is necessary serpent kings."Then come the Naaga, the
for Arthur to maintain ownership of the Siren serpents, whose worship has been so
sword, whether it is the sword from the important a factor in the folklore,
stone or Excalibur, as it ensures his superstition, and poetry of India from
victory and his life. The infamous the earliest times down to-day. Cobras in
Arthurian writer, Malory, indicates the their ordinary shape, they lived, like
brightness of the sword and its fiery mermen and mermaids, more beneath the
aspect, writing: "but it was so bright in water, in a great luxury and wealth, more
his enemies eyes, that it gave light like especially of germ, and sometimes, as we
thirty torches." But the sword in the shall see, the name is used of the
stone does not last long and the Lady of Dryads, the tree-spirits, equally wealthy
the Lake gives Arthur his Excalibur, and and powerful. They could at will and
also a serpent scabbard, which ensures often did, adopt the human form and
eternal life. Malory states quite clearly though terrible if angered, were kindly
"for whiles ye have the scabbard upon and mild by nature. Not mentioned either
you, ye shall never lose no blood, be ye in the Veda or in the pre-Buddhist
never so sore wounded; therefore keep Upanishads, the myth seems to be a
well the scabbard always with you." It is strange jumble of beliefs, not altogether
only when Arthur's half sister Morgan le pleasant, about a strangely gifted race
Fay steals the scabbard and replaces it of actual men; combined with notions
that Arthur becomes susceptible to the derived from previously existing theories
deadly blows of Mordred. The once prized of tree worship, and serpent worship, and
sword is then returned to the water, the river worship. But the history of the
home of the Lady of the Lake - the idea has still to be written. The Naagas
serpent spirit.There is a remarkable are represented on the ancient
resemblance between the tales of Arthur's bas-reliefs as men or women either with
sword and an unsuspecting Chinese legend. cobra's hoods rising behind their heads
A hero from the 6th century BC named Wu or with serpentine forms from their waist
Tzu-hsu threw his sword into a river "It downwards." Rhys Davies, Buddhist India,
shot forth like a spirit-glow, sparkling p.223.These tree deities were Nagas
brightly as it thrice sank and thrice anyway as Rhys Davies continues on page
came to the surface with a great gush and 223 "The tree-deities were called Naagas,
then hovered above the water. The god of and were able at will, like the Naagas,
the river . . . heard the swords roar . . to assume the human form and in one story
. he rolled in the waters in a great and the spirit of a Nunyan tree who reduced
frothing frenzy . . . Dragons raced along the merchants to ashes is called a
the waves and leaped out of the water. Naaga-raja, the tree itself is a dwelling
The river god held the sword in his hand place of Naaga. It seems that they also
and, frightened, told Wu Tzu-hsu to take left behind myths of healing as a story
it back." (Mair 1983, 141 and 286.) This in the Journal of the Bombay Branch of
story related in the 8th century AD the Asiatic Society demonstrates. When
simply cannot differ from Malory's tale there was an epidemic among the children,
of the sword. In China there were tales it seems the only answer was to bring
of great swords such as Dragon Spring and them to a snake skin which was hung on a
others still that leap into the waters pole and allow them to touch it -
surrounded by dragons, which churn up the reminding us of the idea of the Brazen
water. Wu Tzu-hsu's sword is also called Serpent of Moses, which was upon a pole
Dragon Spring. [2]And this Dragon Spring and for the healing of the "children" of
carries us back again to the water nymphs Israel. This may explain why it is that
who were seen universally as controlling the tree-gods are not specially and
the essential essence of life via their separately mentioned in the Maha Samaya
relationship with the healing waters, list of deities who are there said by the
springs and lakes. Coventina was poet to have come to pay reverence to the
worshipped widely and it is highly likely Buddha."The history of the Nagas that we
that the Arthurian Morgan Le Fay is do have, textually beginning around the
associated with her, as her name implies 7th century BC is an amazing history of
water nymph. There are also elements, ups and downs. It parallels the rise and
which introduce her into the 'Triple fall of the serpent worshipped by the
Goddess' of the Celtic religion and Semites, with the Brazen Serpent being
therefore relating her to Bridgid. She raised in the wilderness and then broken
was a great goddess of healing; linked up in the temple. Like Melusine and
strongly with water nymphs - and in Sibillia, Tante Arie also loved to plunge
relation to the sword she was also a into cool pools in her caverns of
great smith.She also owned an apple Milandre where she changed into a vouivre
orchard, which relates nicely to Avalon, or serpent; bringing to mind the concept
the isle of apples. Her day is called that the shape-shifting Nagas of India
Imbolc - around the 2nd February - but it which were said to reside in the
is also known as Oimelc, Candlemas and in underwater realms. Surely these ladies of
the USA as 'Groundhog Day.' This special ancient lore are folk memories of serpent
event in the American calendar involves worshipping leaders from the past - and a
of course the mass killing of snakes, and positively feminine one at that. The
relates to the tale of Bridgid's snake, Nagas were also said to have jewels in
which comes out of the mound from which their foreheads, like many other serpents
it had been hibernating.At Oimelc it is from legend. As if knowing this, the
said that the singers cry, "The day of vouivre too wears a jewel in the middle
Bride, the birthday of spring, The of her forehead. The Nagas are also said
serpent emerges from the knoll." And in to protect great treasure, so too do the
winter, Scottish folk poems still speak ladies of European lore.We know that the
of the serpent that dwells in the Scythians were great worshippers of the
hillside.As the 'Lady of the Lake' forged serpent from many sources - as in the
Arthur's sword, so too the various parts bracelets found, which the women wore as
of these ancient goddesses simply must symbols of fertility. The Scythians were
have been collated together in the form intimately linked with the Naga, serpent
of this Arthurian water goddess - a new worshippers of India via trade and war.
deity forged.These goddesses, all They came to Europe via several means -
basically the same, are also related to one of them as hired hands of the Romans,
Sibyl or the Sibillia who presides over and in this way crept into the Arthurian
witches; and in the Ukraine one of the legend. Herodotus tells us of an account
names for 'witch' actually means 'snake,' of the Scythian snake goddess who was
and in Russia it was believed that mistress of the land where the Dniepr
witches had snake tails. This sheds more flowed into the Black Sea. This Scythian
light on the idea that witches mixed serpent goddess was also a cave
their famous brews and elixirs in their dweller.The xana serpent goddesses of
cauldrons, very much like the cauldron Asturias even had a sacred and valuable
such as the one discovered at Gundestrup. chalice stolen by a human, only to
For if it is true what we uncovered in eventually deposit the famed cup in a
The Serpent Grail, then this brew was Church - thus taking the sacred cup from
serpent venom and blood.Sibillia has the the serpent and giving it to
'power over life' and touches baskets and Christianity. These xana's kept their
bottles with her wand to restore them treasures in a "serpent cave" immersed in
afresh. Sibillia taught magical arts in pools, remarkably like the Patala of the
her serpent grotto where shape-shifting Nagas.
fairies reminiscent of the naginis In Wales the serpents were said to
(female serpents) of India emerge and emerge and congregate on Midsummer's Eve
dance around. These fairies are said to to blow into the Serpent Stones / Eggs or
turn into snakes each Saturday. Anyone Glain Neidr which is reminiscent of
who wished to enter this Sybil Cave must Pliny's tale of this activity amongst the
love snakes or suffer the consequences. Gauls. The snakes are said to create eggs
Sibillia is also seen in the Life of or alternatively 'new life.' In Wales
Robin Goodfellow (similar to Robin Hood these serpent stones were said to be
and which means "bright or shining hood") coloured pebbles, which gave 'second
as Sib, who speaks for the fairies. She sight' and healing.Midsummer's Eve was
says that they live in "some great hill, the night when the serpents would role
and from thence we do lend money to any themselves into hissing balls and create
poore man or woman that hath need." In the glain egg, also known as 'snake
the 15th century, Perceforest has her as stone' or 'Druid's egg.' In Welsh myth
the 'Lady of the Lake.'In Scottish myth even Merlin himself went in search of
one of these fairies lived inside a tree them.Victor H. Mair of the University of
and often appeared holding a limpet shell Pennsylvania also points to the
containing the 'milk of wisdom' which was association between the Scythian and the
called the "copan Moire" or "Cup of Mary" Arthurian tales: "The Nart sagas
in her hands - an obvious allusion to the [repositories of Scythian traditions]
'life-giving' element and wisdom of these contain parallels with Arthurian legend
snake, shape-shifters remembered in so numerous and so uncannily close that
legend.There are many other tales, which it is impossible they are
link these European snake shape-shifters unrelated."Interestingly, remains of
to the Nagas of India and we would just these Scythians have been found on the
like to break off for a moment to take a Silk Road to China. Remains here of
look at these peculiar deities.Naga is a Caucasians dates back even before that
Sanskrit term meaning literally Serpent and at present stand somewhere in the
(especially cobra) but it also holds the region of 3,000 years BC, with female
meanings - a tree; a mountain; the sun; Shaman being buried in full regalia,
the number seven; wisdom and initiate - tattoos of spirals and zig zags and long
all symbols and emblems we will become finger nails. This in itself shows the
familiar with in the worship of the widespread travel of these Scythians or
serpent. They are said to reside in those like them and the transport of
Patala, however this has a meaning ideas, possible many thousands of years
similar to antipodes, the same name given ago. In China of course, we find the
by the ancients to the America's. It is a serpents or dragons as friendly creatures
similar term to the Mexican Nagals, the who become the ancestors of the very
medicine (healers) and sorcerers who Emperor's themselves and seep into
always kept a god in the shape of a Chinese alchemy as symbols of the
serpent. In Burma they are Nats or Elixir.So, in summing up, what do we
serpent gods. Esoterically Naga is a term have? We have serpent deities, across the
for wise men. There is a folk tradition world, living in underwater kingdoms,
that Nagas washed Gautama (Buddha) at his making great weapons and guarding
birth - the wise men visiting the deity wondrous treasures. We have etymology
on Earth and cleansing the enlightened linking them to the Lady of the Lake and
one. They are also said to have guarded we have Arthurian links and Grail
him and the relics of his body after his connections through the mighty warrior
death.According to H. P. Blavatsky in race of the Scythians. In short, we have
Theosophical Glossary, the Naga were here, the truth of the Lady herself and
descended from Rishi Kasyapa who had the origin of the Grail mythos is yet
twelve wives (therefore he is the sun), again to be found within the tale of the
by whom he had numerous Nagas (serpents) snake. History, it seems, needs
and was the father of all animals. Rishi re-appraising.Notes
Kasyapa can therefore be none other than 1 See The Serpent Grail by Philip
a progenitor of the Green Man, and this Gardiner and Gary Osborn, Watkins, 2005.
explains the reasons for the appearance 2 See for more information about the
of the snake in images of the Green Man serpent sword or visit and go to
and Horned God, such as the Gundestrup articles.Permission to re-print this
Cauldron.There is also a theory that the article is hereby given by Philip
Nagas descended from the Scythic race and Gardiner and Gary Osborn, Sept 2005.
when the Brahmins invaded India they




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