Snake week continues with a dramatic return to my native Appalachia. Up in the mountains, devout Christianity has taken on a great many colorful forms, but arguably none are quite as exciting as the rites celebrated by the Pentecostal Snake-handlers. Snake-handling in Appalachia is said to have a long history rooted in 19th century revivals and tent-show evangelism, but its documented history starts with an illiterate but charismatic Pentecostal minister named George Went Hensley. Around 1910 Hensley had a religious revelation based on two specific New Testament Bible verses. Couched in the flinty vaguely apocalyptic language of the Gospels, the two verses which obsessed Hensley read as follows:
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mark 16: 17-18
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10: 18-19)
While many believers might chose to understand these lines as a general affirmation of Christ’s devotion to his flock, Hensley was very much a literalist (and a showman). Believing that the New Testament commanded the faithful to handle venomous snakes, he set about obtaining a number of poisonous snakes and incorporating them into his ministry. The practice quickly spread along the spine of the mountains and beyond. Even today the Church of God with Signs Following (aka the snake handlers) numbers believers in the thousands.
A service at the Church of God with Signs Following includes standard Pentecostal practices such as faith healing, testimony of miracles, and speaking in tongues (along with much boisterous jumping and testifying), however what sets the ceremony apart are the live poisonous snakes which are located in a special area behind the alter located at the front of the church. Throughout the service, worshipers can come forward and pick up the serpents and even let the snakes crawl over their bodies. Native pit vipers such as copperheads, timber rattlers, and water moccasins are most commonly used in the ceremonies but exotic poisonous snakes like cobras are sometimes included. The snakes act as a proxy for devils and demons. Handling the reptiles is believed to demonstrate power over these underworld forces. If a congregant is bitten (which has happened often), it is usually regarded as an individual or group failure of faith. Upon being bitten devout snake-handlers generally refuse treatment, regarding this as part of their sacrament.
Not only do snake handlers handle snakes they also sometimes drink strychnine to prove their devotion. Additionally (although less alarmingly) they adhere to a conservative dress code of ankle-length dresses, long hair, and no make-up for women, and short hair and oxford shirts for men. Tobacco and alcohol are regarded as sinful.
Snake handling has a long and twisty relationship with state laws. In Georgia, in 1941, state legislators passed a bill which made Pentecostal snake handling into a felony and mandated the death penalty for participants, however the law was so extreme that juries refused to enforce it and it was eventually repealed. A number of states still have old laws clearly designed to curtail the practice of the faith (often these were instituted after particularly controversial deaths, particularly those of children).
George Went Hensley
The founder of snake handling, George Went Hensley, also had a twisty serpentine course through life. After founding and popularizing the church during the World War I era, he strayed somewhat from the life of a minister. During the 20’s he had substantial problems in his home life caused by drinking and moonshining. After being arrested for the latter, Hensley was sentenced to work on a chain gang but he beguiled the guards into other duties with his likability and, on an errand to fetch water, he escaped and fled from Tennessee. He worked various occupations including miner, moonshiner, and faith healer and married various women before returning to his ministry in the mid-thirties. During the next decades, Hensley led a vivid life involving a multi-state ministry (which was the subject of a miniature media circus), various drunken fits and conflicts, multiple marriages, and lots of poisonous snakes. The odds caught up to him in Altha, Florida in 1955 when he was bitten on the wrist by a venomous snake which he had removed from a lard can and rubbed on his face. After becoming visibly ill from the bite, he refused treatment (and is said to have rebuked his congregation for their lack of faith) before dying of snakebite. When he died he had been married 4 times and fathered 13 known children. He also had claimed to have been bitten over 400 times by various snakes.
Contemporary Snake-Handlers (photo by Lauren Pond for the Wall Street Journal)
Hensley always asserted that he was not the father of snake-handling, however he certainly popularized the movement. Even today, Christians of a certain mindset can prove their faith by harassing toxic reptiles (although the religion’s legality is disputed in many states where it is practiced).
ferrebeekeeper 
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February 13, 2013 at 11:52 PM
mack
Your post seems appropriate for today: AOL reported today a pastor was stopped in KY with a collection of rattlesnakes and copperheads in his backseat.
February 14, 2013 at 11:39 AM
Wayne
I like snakes, but out in the forest, not in the backseat! It’s mind-boggling that the snake-handlers are still going strong (particularly considering the life and death of the good Rev. Hensley).
February 19, 2013 at 11:39 AM
Beatrix
‘In Georgia, in 1941, state legislators passed a bill which made Pentecostal snake handling into a felony and mandated the death penalty for participants, however the law was so extreme that juries refused to enforce it and it was eventually repealed.’
I was just in Georgia a few weeks ago.
They’re rather an uptight & conservative lot for being Southerners, I’d say.
(And that is saying a lot, but then again my dad’s family is from totally koo coo nuts Louisiana.)
But geez, the death penalty for snake handling?
What do you do for an encore, Georgians?
February 19, 2013 at 7:22 PM
Wayne
Yeah–that’ll teach’em a valuable lesson about handling poisonous snakes! Seriously though, it sounds like a little girl got bitten to death at one of these nutty meetings and the backlash sort of whipped the media/public/legislature into a frenzy. Do you have snake handlers down in Louisiana (or some analogous snake cult up in Nepal)? They’re certainly still around in West Virginia.
February 23, 2013 at 10:12 AM
Beatrix
Here in Nepal there is the Hindu festival of Nag Panchami where snakes & serpent deities are worshipped. It usually falls mid monsoon – mid to late July. There are 9 serpent gods & one goddess I believe- Manasa is the goddess, Kaliya, Ananta, Padmanbha, Shankapahla, Sesha, Vasuki, Takshaka, Kambahla, & Dhruthrashtra are the gods.
The festival celebrates Lord Shiva’s conquering of the mythical black python, Kaliya in the sacred Yamuna river.
I’ve been to the Nag Panchami puja at Nag Pokhari in Kathmandu once.(Naga means snake in Nepali, nag or naag refers to a serpent king or deity, pokhari means pond (singular), panchami means 5th- for the 5th day after the full moon.)
Over the front door of nearly every house in Nepal you’ll see a poster of the serpent deities pasted up (with cow poop). This ensures the occupants of the house are protected from snakes, scorpions, lightning, fire, & earthquakes (We have the super deluxe model over our front door, installed & blessed by a local Brahmin with the customary sacred cow poo, as well as coins, marigold petals, a small iron trishul, & a red strip of cloth.) Offerings are made to the poster on Nag Panchami and are usually quite simple- a bowl of milk, rice, or mithai (milk sweets).
I’ve also seen Nepalis worship clay or metal idols of snakes (usually cobras) for Nag Panchami. Snakes used to be brought in for the festival by sadhus from India, this practice has largely been eliminated due to a huge campaign by PETA & other animal rights people in 2005. In fact I haven’t seen a ‘snake charmer’ in Nepal or India since 2005.
There are several ponds & lakes around Nepal dedicated to different serpent kings & serpent deities which are propitiated also.
The only unusual treatment of snakes I’ve seen in Nepal was in a form of animal sacrifice. During Nepali New Year huge bonfires are built, I’ve seen one of the local tribes perform a ritual where a 2 live snakes were thrown into the bonfire (representing male & female).
We have a Common Rat snake that lives in our yard. My Tamang maid insists we put a bowl of milk out for it (the cats drink the milk when she leaves). The snake is HUGE -about 4 feet long. I’ve never seen it strike at anything & it often slithers over my feet while I work in the garden. I’ve never heard it ‘growl’ as some Common Rat snakes are supposed to do either. (Although 3 baby chickens & one tiny runty kitten have suspiciously gone ‘missing’ from our walled yard.)
As far as Louisiana goes, I’ve seen ‘speaking in tongues’ & some crazy Voodoo stuff but not ‘snake handling’ per se. Surprising as poisonous snakes are so common in Louisiana- cottonmouths, water moccasins, canebrake rattlers etc.
Sorry about the rant, I do tend to go on a bit about Nepal!!
Toodle pip!
March 3, 2013 at 6:01 PM
Wayne
Wow! Thanks for the amazing comprehensive answer! It looks like I will have to write a post about the sacred snakes of Nepal. That black python guy sounds like he might also be a candidate for my “Deities of the Underworld” category.
I am envious of your snake festivals and your big rat snake neighbor (who doesn’t like milk). we had a garter snake which lived in the rosebushes when I was a kid in Massachusetts and all sorts of snakes on the farm, but Brooklyn seems pretty devoid of reptiles and amphibians (sigh).