AN ISLAND in Greece is getting ready to welcome some slippery guests in a mysterious phenomenon that happens once a year.
The serpents mark the start of a religious festival in Kefalonia Greece, where snakes adorning the Virgin Mary is viewed as a good sign.
Once a year, thousands of people gather in the tiny village of Markopoulo on August 14 and 15 to see if the snakes will make an appearance at the Church of Panagia Lagouvarda, also known as Panagia Fidousa – the Virgin Mary of Snakes.
The harmless snakes, with black crosses on their heads and tongues, enter the church in swarms to seek shelter before disappearing for another year.
Their swarming of snakes is a complete mystery, with some claiming the location of the church is merely a migratory route while locals believe the serpents originated from a divine miracle.
But many believe the beasts failing to appear is a chilling omen and could mean bad luck for the year ahead.
The snakes vanished in 1940 during the Second World War and again in 1953 when 113 deadly earthquakes rocked Kefalonia – killing 600 people.
The Sun spoke with Olivia from Olympic Transfer Kefalonian Tours to understand the legend behind the snakes.
Olivia said: “The legend of Panagia Fidoussa says everything started from a bush that some people saw burning on the floor.
“Approaching to put out the fire, they saw that it had a single tree and that at its root was the image of the Virgin Mary.
“They took it to their village church, but the next day the icon was missing!
“They found her again in the same place, and after this happened several more times.
“The villages understood it was a divine sign and decided to build a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, at the bottom of a ravine.”
Over the years, a women’s monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built there.
According to another legend, pirates once threatened the monastery in 1705 and snakes are said to have surrounded the church as protection.
Olivia explained: “After the nun’s prayers, snakes surrounded the monastery, removing the danger.
“This was the beginning of the miracles of Panagia Fidousa.
“The miracle has been repeated every year since then and is the explanation given by folk tradition for the appearance of snakes.
“The folk music tradition of Kefalonia even has a well-known couplet about Panagia Fidoussa: The snakes from Markopoulos want to eat me But that one belongs to Panagia and they caress me!”
Another more likely origin of the snakes is that the church is along the snake’s migratory route, while others suggest that villagers would pick up the snakes and place them in the church.
According to Olivia, it’s considered a bad sign if the snakes do not appear.
She said: “According to legend, the snakes did not appear in 1940 during World War II and 1953, the year Kefalonia suffered from devastating earthquakes.”
Nowadays the legend of the snakes has become a huge festival amongst the faithful and the curious, however, it remains to be seen if the snakes will appear in the church in 2024.
Snakes were seen as a powerful symbol of regeneration and healing in ancient Greece, where harmless snakes were placed in rooms of the sick and injured.
Snakes can also be seen on the rod of Asclepius, a single snake wrapped around a staff and is now associated as a medical symbol.
Snakes aren’t the only attraction on Kefalonia, which is the largest Greek island in the Ionian sea.
The island boasts several crystal clear beaches, breathtaking mountain views and the underground Melissani Cave.
If you’re lucky enough, you might even be able to spot the endangered loggerhead sea turtles in the bay of Argostoli or even the endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal at the famed breeding ground Foki Beach on the northeast coast of the island.
The island’s picturesque beauty was even used as the backdrop for the 2001 film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin which starred Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz.
