THE VIRGIN AND THE SNAKES
EXCERPT FROM EUROTRIPPING ©JR DAESCHNER
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From around the sixth to the fifteenth of August, two tiny churches on the island of Kefaloniá are invaded by snakes-animals most often associated with evil, if not Satan Himself. |
Instead of removing or killing them, though, the locals celebrate the annual appearance of the 'Snakes of the Virgin' by mollycoddling and kissing them, even draping the holy reptiles over their children as a blessing.
'If there are many snakes, people feel it will be a good year. If there are no snakes, a bad year. If there are a few snakes, there will be... problems,' a Kefalonian explains.
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To underline the importance of the snakes to the locals, he recites the story that attracted me here in the first place: the only times the serpents have failed to appear in living memory was in 1940-the year the Nazis invaded-and in 1953-the year earthquakes levelled Kefaloniá. Given that I've been expecting a Hollywood miracle, it's something of a letdown to hear that the word on the street and in the kapheneions is that only two itty-bitty snakes have been found this year. Worryingly, this weekend is also the anniversary of the Big Ones of '53. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe I've picked the wrong year to visit. |
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