All That Flows: Benzaiten, White Snakes, and Human-Headed Serpents

About this episode

This episode explores the origins and significance of Benzaiten in Japanese mythology, along with various related deities and symbols.

In this episode of Uncanny Japan, we follow Benzaiten — also known as Benten — from her origins as Saraswati to her place among Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods. Along the way: Enoshima’s five-headed dragon, white snakes as divine messengers, snake-skin wallets, house snakes, and Ugajin, the wonderfully strange human-headed snake deity linked to rice, water, fertility, fortune, and wealth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topics covered

• Benzaiten
• Japanese mythology
• deities
• serpents
• fertility
• fortune
• cultural history

Keywords

• Benzaiten
• Benten
• Saraswati
• Enoshima
• Ugajin
• white snakes
• human-headed serpent
• Japanese mythology
• fertility
• fortune

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Enoshima

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