Aaargh, Snaaaaaaaaaaaaake!

Introducing Billy, the Snake.

This was a Nerd Wars project, but even if it hadn't been, I think I still would have worked on him exclusively until he was finished, just because he's so cute *laughs*

I was inspired by a few different patterns, but in the end I made this one up as I went along. He's knitted with random stashed acrylic yarn, with a flexible wire inside so he can be posed...

See, ready to strike ;)

The challenge that this project came under was inspiration from a book cover, tied into a different team. I found a book with the myth of Ophiuchus, a constellation that I love, who has a snake around him. Hence, snake *laughs*

The myth of Ophiuchus is pretty cool, he was a man who turned into a healer after seeing one snake take some herbs to a sick snake. The sick snake got better, so Ophiuchus used the same herbs to heal the sick. Only, the God Zeus wasn't too happy about it and struck Ophiuchus down, to prevent humans becoming immortal like the gods. But, to honour him, he put Ophiuchus in the stars as a constellation.

This is where the image of a snake round a staff to represent healing/hospitals comes from - although it is usually called the rod of Asclepius after the Greek version of Ophiuchus. Same guy, but Ophiuchus was the Roman version (side note, the caduceus, a staff with 2 snakes around it that is sometimes used to mean hospital, is actually a symbol of commerce but is often used incorrectly - not that this bugs me or anything *laughs*)

Anyway, enough of the lecture, back to my snake ;)

To show off the snake as attributed to the myth, cunning boyfriend lent a hand (literally) and posed for me...

*laughs*

It's Friday, so you know what to do... Visit Tami's, Natural Suburbia and Wisdom Begins in Wonder. Have a great weekend :)