Snakes cannot hear the music played to them by a snake charmer because they are deaf! They copy the movements of the snake charmer and his flute – swinging from side to side as if they are hypnotised.
Snake charmers typically walk the streets holding their serpents in baskets or pots hanging from a bamboo pole slung over the shoulder. Charmers cover these containers with cloths between performances. Dress in India and neighbouring countries is generally the same: long hair, a white turban, earrings, and necklaces of shells or beads. Once the performer finds a satisfactory location to set up, he sets his pots and baskets about him (often with the help of a team of assistants who may be his apprentices) and sits cross-legged on the ground in front of a closed pot or basket. He removes the lid, then begins playing a flute-like instrument made from a gourd, known as a been or pungi. As if drawn by the tune, a snake eventually emerges from the container; if a cobra, it may even extend its hood. The reptile then begins swaying to and fro in time with the musician’s tune, apparently hypnotised. The snake never strikes, and the charmer may go as far as kissing the creature on the head. Amazed onlookers throw coins and bills to the successful performer. Eventually, as if on cue, the snake returns to its container, the charmer replaces the lid, and he gathers up his earnings. Alternatively, the charmer may handle his animals, daring his audience to touch them. Almost no one does. Once he has earned all he can from his current viewers, he moves on to perform somewhere else.
In reality, standing erect and extending the hood is a normal defensive reaction for a cobra and simply indicates the snake’s startled reaction to losing its darkened environment. Charmers may even wave their instrument over the opening (in such a way as to not arouse audience attention) in order to prompt the creature to emerge. As for the snake’s swaying movement, it is actually a reaction to the movement of the performer’s instrument and sometimes the tapping of his foot. The animal cannot actually hear the tune being played, though it can perhaps feel some of the sound vibrations as well as those from any tapping by the charmer. The serpent’s evident reluctance to attack is explained by its timid nature; most snakes prefer to scare off possible predators rather than fight them. Most snake charmers reduce the chances of a bite even further by sitting just out of striking range (about one-third of a cobra’s body length). Even kissing the creature is not too dangerous, as cobras are incapable of attacking things above them. Though some claim that snake charmers drug the animals, this is rare, if it occurs at all. In addition, many snake charmers learn to read their animals and can tell when they are ready to strike. In a worst-case scenario, most snake charmers know at least rudimentary methods of treating snakebite. The return to its container is caused by the snake charmer stopping his waving motion. Even the reptile’s receptacle plays a part, as it keeps the snake’s blood temperature down and the animal groggy.
Charmers often supplement their performances with juggling, sleight of hand, and other tricks. One occasional feat is “turning a rod into a serpent”, a trick that has been known since Biblical times. This is reportedly accomplished by putting pressure on a particular nerve behind the snake’s head, which causes it to stiffen up. Sometimes, charmers stage mock combats between their snakes and other animals, such as mongooses. North African snake charmers usually set up battery-powered loudspeakers with which they advertise a wide array of charms, medicines, and healthcare pamphlets. They may also demand exorbitant fees from hapless tourists who snap photographs of them.
Credit : McGill
Picture Credit : Google
