What is The Sacred Python?

The sacred python is another symbol of nature and spirituality for the people of Umuaro. It is not quite a god, but is perceived and treated as a potent representative of the god. At the same time, for the white Christians of the area, attempting to "civilize" black Africans in general and the people of Umuaro in particular, it symbolizes all that is evil about the people, their philosophies, and their spiritual practices. This perspective is grounded in the Christian Bible story of the Garden of Eden, in which Satan disguised himself as a snake and tempted Eve (and by extension Adam and all of humanity) away from God. When Ezeulu's son Oduche captures the python and prepares to kill it, it represents his increasing absorption into Christianity, while the freeing of the python represents the community's efforts to preserve its faith.