Episode VII: Snake Handling

This is one of my favorite details from The Lost Books of Eden. The author was clearly very bothered by the question "How DID Yahweh get rid of the snake?"but not quite bothered enough to come up with something better than "I bet he picked him up and threw him, like, REAL FAR." I can just see Yahweh twirling the serpent above his head like a giant damn bola and then flinging him with a "And don't come back!"

The story of Takshaka, King of the Nagas, occurs relatively early in one of my favorite things ever, the Mahabharata. William Buck's retelling of it is a work of art in and of itself and, put together with his Ramayana, represents a monumental feat for a fellow who died at the age of thirty seven. And my favorite thing about is the last line of the first paragraph that summarizes the spirit of the entire thing: "But in my opinion life is taken with every breath, what do you think?" As in, you, the reader/listener! How much greater would the religious works of man be if every one of them took the time to say, from time to time, "but this is just my opinion - what do you think?" "Life is drudgery and those not of the elect shall burn forever - or maybe not - sleep on it awhile, we'll talk when you get up in the morning."

We're off on the road to India. See you in a week or talk to you on The Facebooks!

- Count Dolby von Luckner

- Count Dolby von Luckner