The Respect for Pythons in African spirituality

The Sacred Pythons of Ouidah

          Pythons in Ouidah are not only sacred snakes but especially the oldest divinity of the Xweda, the very authentic inhabitants of the city. Like the French speak French and the English speak English, the Xweda speak Xweda, and their sacred python is called "Xweda-Dagbe", which literaly means the python of the Xweda. Difficuties related to right pronunciations and spelling caused the outsiders French to write Ouidah instead of Xweda, and the Portuguese to write Judah. Though the Xweda were dominant ethnic group, it is important to highlight that Ouidah was and remains culturally a very mixed city not only because it used to be a market of slave collections but due to its geographical location which brought Yoruba and other tribes who made it to here to buy salt by barter. Today Xweda is known as Ouidah and stands for the world headquarter of Vodun-Hwɛndo. So, before slave trade and colonization, the city known today as Ouidah had the frequent visits of different tribal people because of its location by both the atlantic ocean and the salty lagoon which they use to produce salt...

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Pythons in their hut at the python temple of Ouidah. 

The non-aggressive sacred python generally lives for 40 years. When It dies, a special ritual is completed for its burial. the door of their hut is periodically opened for them to show off all around the temple, especially at night. Mouses and small lizards are their favorite preys.