Ophiolatreia / An Account of the Rites and Mysteries Connected with the Origin, Rise, and Development of Serpent Worship in Various Parts of the World

This work surveys serpent worship worldwide, tracing rituals, symbols, and monuments across cultures. It compiles myths, archaeological evidence such as serpent mounds and temples, and discussions of associated emblems like the egg, sun, fire, and phallic imagery; it examines theories that link serpent cults to fertility and solar rites, and documents examples from Indian nag festivals, Egyptian and Grecian myths, Mesoamerican feathered-serpent cults, British and North American vestiges, and classical iconography. Authorities and comparative arguments are presented without insisting on a single interpretation, leaving readers to weigh origins and meanings.