Snakes are one of the oldest and most represented figures in mythologies of groups around the world. It is easy to see with their unique shape, movement, steely eyes, and diversity of colors how snakes have been embedded in so many peoples folklore and myths. Depending on the people and the time, the snake could represent good, evil, or the duality of both at once. In the Hopi Indians, for instance, snakes represented fertility.

Though many rock art sites I have seen in southern Utah have snakes represented in one form or another in them, this is the first I have seen where a snake is depicted in a mouth. Could this have described someone who spoke evil? Or perhaps it represents a person whose spirit was thought to have been a snake? It is interesting to speculate, and a fascinating panel to visit.