mami wata, plays major role in various african , african-american religions in africa chief centre of serpent worship dahomey, cult of python seems have been of exotic origin, dating first quarter of 17th century. conquest of whydah dahomeyans brought in contact people of serpent worshippers, , ended adopting them beliefs @ first despised. @ whydah, chief centre, there serpent temple, tenanted fifty snakes. every python of danh-gbi kind must treated respect, , death penalty killing one, accident. danh-gbi has numerous wives, until 1857 took part in public procession profane crowd excluded; python carried round town in hammock, perhaps ceremony expulsion of evils. rainbow-god of ashanti conceived have form of snake. messenger said small variety of boa, individuals, not whole species, sacred. in many parts of africa serpent looked upon incarnation of deceased relatives. among amazulu, among betsileo of madagascar, species assigned abode of classes. maasai, on other hand, regard each spec...