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A serpent deity is venerated in a pyramid at the ancient Chichén Itzá Mayan ruins in Mexico. (© Haga Library)
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A cobra mask used in Sri Lanka’s devil dance. (© Haga Library)
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A multi-headed half-human, half-serpent nāga figure in the ruins of Angkor Wat. (© Haga Library)
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The Jagamaita festival of Mamada Hachimangū shrine in Tochigi Prefecture, which takes place on May 5 every year, features a gigantic serpent swimming in the shrine’s pond. The rite, which originated in prayers for rain, is one of many such similar festivals throughout Japan. (© Haga Library)
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Yamata no Orochi writhes after breathing in smoke. (© Haga Library)
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The deity Susanoo is clothed in sumptuously embroidered velvet. (© Haga Library)
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The coils of this 17-meter-long serpent look frighteningly realistic. (© Haga Library)
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A serpent’s head pokes out of a tortoise’s carapace. (© Haga Library)
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The huge serpent is propelled at high speed. (© Haga Library)
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Ornate parasol floats echo the yama, hoko, and yatai float festivals inscribed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. (© Haga Library)
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Men and horse move as one along the riverbank. The horses appearing in the festival are raised locally. (© Haga Library)
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The festival’s gigantic snake has made it into the Guiness World Records. (© Haga Library)
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The snake is paraded along a four-kilometer-long route. (© Haga Library)
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The snake is built in sections by the hamlets making up the village and the parts are joined up to form the whole. (© Haga Library)
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