Talk:Snake pit

Examples

Snake pits are real, naturally occurring land features that can be recreated artificially and maintained by humans. Underground burrows, sinkholes and cave systems are natural hotspots for snakes including those dug by tortoises, mammals and people. Snakes that gather en masse for warmth such as rattlers and copperheads are a reason people in rural areas know to avoid cavities like the rattlesnake pit seen in the movie True Grit. The man-made snake pits at roadside attractions in places like Kentucky are a recreation of these, and are easily stocked and maintained. One of the few snakes found in Scandinavia is the adder, which I believe was the inspiration for the Midgard Serpent, and I think the snakes that killed Ragnar were probably adders. (In the Arthurian legend the evil Morgana has a pet adder.) It was known in medeival times that snakes are a source of poison, so just as the biggest stag ended up as the king's mantlepiece, venomous snakes found in the kingdom could be tossed into a hole as a means of execution similar to Cleopatra's. It's even possible they used a natural grotto known to have snakes living in it. I think this form of execution was probably true.