I'm interested in presenting information about and discussing with other folks the cultural meanings of the color "black", and the cultural meanings of snake {serpent, dragons} as found in religion, songs, and other art forms.

The meanings of the color black was raised in this recent thread thread.cfm?threadid=99864&messages=22 Lyr Add: Nashville Students Jubilee Songs, particularly as it relates to this song:

THE HATED BLACKBIRD AND CROW
Dat Blackbird say unto de Crow:
"Dat's why de white folks hate us so;
For ever since old Adam wus born,
It's been our rule to gedder green corn."

Dat Blackbird say unto de Crow:
"If you's not black, den I don't know.
White folks calls you black, but I say not;
Caze de kittle musn' talk about de pot."

Source: Thomas W. Talley: "Negro Folk Songs, Wise and Otherwise" {Port Washington, N.Y., Kennikat Press, Inc.; 1968, p. 183; originally published,1922,The Macmillan Company}
-snip-

I disagreed with another poster's interpretation of that song, but agree with her that "the debate would (I believe) be better in its own thread" {except that I'd substitute the word "discussion" or the word "conversation" for the word "debate"}.

The discussion of the cultural meanings of snakes was also raised in that same thread, as that thread included the floating line about a person being bitten on the heel by a black snake.

In July 2006, I started the Mudcat thread Songs & Rhymes That Mention Snakes thread.cfm?threadid=92940. However, that thread doesn't seem to me to be an appropriate place to present information and to exchange conversation about the cultural meaning of snakes {and serpents, and dragons}.

Why are both of these topics in the same thread? Well, truth be told, I couldn't decide which one I most wanted to focus upon. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt that aspects of both of these topics were or at least could be connected, by me, if not by any one else :o}.

Please join me in presenting information and discussing these topics.

Thanks in advance for your participation in this thread!

Azizi