The Snake and Göbekli Tepe: The House of Sight

The snake is one of the most commonly portrayed creatures at Göbekli Tepe. Many of the pillars in Enclosure D are decorated with snakes in many different forms, and the pillars of Enclosure A, one of the oldest buildings, are predominantly decorated with snakes.

One of the two central pillars is decorated with four snakes creeping down towards a fifth snake which is creeping upwards, and on its side what looks like a mesh, but is in fact an interlocking arrangement of snakes, the heads of which are found at the top and bottom of the mesh.
The other central pillar, decorated with two aurochs, a fox and a crane, had been reused and recarved sometime in prehistory, which inspired my idea in Broken Skies that the Houses had been destroyed and later rebuilt.
All of the snakes at Göbekli Tepe are portrayed with hoods, suggesting they are a species of viper or cobra. Several of these species are found in the area, and all are especially poisonous.

The central pillars of Enclosure A

The serpent has long had a special place in religion, folklore, myth and magic, and Göbekli Tepe is the earliest known example of this. The later roles of the serpent across Europe and the Middle East may even have all stemmed from the culture of Göbekli Tepe.
The serpent is traditionally associated with healing and wisdom. Asclepius, the Greek God of healing, had the twined serpents or caduceus as his emblem, and this is still used by medical professions worldwide today. The snake’s winged cousin, the dragon, is the most revered of magical creatures, and both are linked to earth energies, often known as ley lines or dragon paths, and the traditional dragon- or serpent-slaying by heroes and saints is often a metaphor for acquiring or mastering this divine knowledge.

The caduceus, representing medical professions worldwide.

Why was the serpent endowed with these attributes? The snake’s most famous attribute is the ability to shed its skin. Its apparent rejuvenation has long linked it to immortality and eternal youth. The snakes’ underground lairs and their ability to vanish into the earth in an instant when disturbed enhanced this association with the divine wisdom which comes from the heart of the earth.
The snake also has the ability to fascinate its prey, appearing to lull it into acceptance before it strikes. This gift would have been greatly valued by shamans and hunters, and the serpent would represent the epitome of the mutual balance between hunter and hunted.
Serpents are often associated with shamanic spirit-guides. South American shamans using the plant-based ayahuasca to induce trance, for example, often see visions of serpents. Snake venom can also be used to induce shamanic trances. This may explain why all of Göbekli Tepe’s serpents are the venomous variety.

                                   Hooded Cobra.

In Broken Skies, Enclosure A is the House of Sight. In line with the spiritual attributes of the snake, this building is linked with healing and spirit-sight. The serpent-spirit grants the shamans the gift to see what is there. When they can see a sickness, for example, they can see how it was caused and how it can be healed. This gift works because we always see, subconsciously, what is there in front of us, but we haven’t the ability or focus to recognise what we see. This is what the serpent gives us, and this is why the serpent has such universal importance.

Egyptian relief showing the uraeus serpent, which granted pharaohs divine wisdom and protection.