THE FESTIVAL OF SNAKES

Old houses, a church, a dismantled castle tower very severe, a rare and poor vegetation, such is Cocullo, a small village of the Apennines in Italy. In this rough area, misery is everywhere. In 1981, the village counted 500 inahibants, nowadays only 285 ones; abovall, women and old men because the young men have left towards north, sometimes even for other countries. Some will return only many years later, when they will be old. Resigned, the inhabitants are waiting for their turn to enter the small cemetery at the end of the village.

However each year when spring brings back sun to the top of mountains, the whole inhabitants group together. For nothing in the world, an inhabitant of Cocullo would miss the festival of San Domenico. The emigrants, too far or too poor to come back, write to the priest of the village. In their wraps, they send offerings in sterlings, dollars, euros to San Domenico, the Saint of the village. It is their manner of saying they are there, they do not forget.

On May, this festival which is prepared with such enthusiasm is called the "Celebration of snakes" and repeats itself each year since centuries when Roman civilization dominated the world. The rite comes from the pagan goddess called "Ancizia" and each year men offered her the sacrifice of snakes. Then, when around the year 1000, the monk San Domenico, passing by the village, saved people bitten by vipers and by miracle deprived of venom all the snakes, the pagan rite passed to this monk. One of the molars of the Saint, has been left to the village has a relic.

Every familly goes to hunt and collect vipers around the village. The hunters use an old hat: they irritate the vipers and when they are biting the hat, the hunters draw the hat violently. In consequence, the vipers have their teeth broken up and become completely inoffensive. Then they are put in ground pots or bags in goatskin. Each family thus stores these living offerings for the Saint.

At least, the first Thursday of May, many pilgrims grouping in "companies" arrive at Cocullo, preceded by a cross. The signal of the festival is given by the mass celebrated with a surprising ostentation in this poor in this poor country. While the women sing, a few hundreds of snakes are brought by the "Serpari" in front of the church around their neck and their arms.

The statue of San domenico is carried to arm out of the church. It is decorated with ex-voto, jewels and a collar formed of all the notes sent by the emigrants. The snakes crawling are rolled up arount the statue. This vision makes shivering the tourists. The other snakes follow the procession rolled up on the shoulders of their owners or nested in the keyboards of the trombones of the orchestrate. Detonators are launched around. After the parade, the statue and the snakes are brought back to the church where the saint is again prayed.

Then, a vast market is organized on the place of the village. The vipers are sold to drug companies. The unsold ones are put again in the mountains. A fair of amulets takes place afterwards while in the church many faithful people go on praying the Saint. The rest of the day and the night are devoted to jokes, dances and music. A procession with torchs and beautifull fireworks come to close this strange festival. The forgotten snakes regain nature where the next year, if they are always alive, they will be hunted for the glory of San Domenico and the joy of all…

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