Send message to Author

Paper short abstract

This paper explores the figure of the charmer in Lithuanian belief narratives, emphasizing the connection between charmers and snakes. By embodying animalistic traits the charmer acts as an intermediary between humans and the more-than-human world.

Paper long abstract

According to Lithuanian legends, a charmer is considered powerful only if he can heal a snake bite. A special bond unites the charmer and snakes: snakes obey him, while he must never harm or kill them. This reciprocity highlights their interdependence and mutual respect.

From an ontological perspective, the snake and the charmer appear as equal subjects, capable of manifesting in both anthropomorphic and zoomorphic forms. Snakes may take on human shapes, often bearing women’s names, while the charmer’s knowledge of these names affirms his recognition of their human aspect.

The charmer’s animalistic traits are revealed through his practice. Snake venom is understood as the anger of the Earth erupting to the surface through the snake. To cure a patient, the charmer must embody greater anger than the patient, for only then will the verbal charm succeed. His performance itself carries animalistic features: the charming resembles hissing, and he is sometimes called a whisperer or murmurer. By imitating a snake’s whistle, he summons serpents and understands their own whistling.

Thus, the charmer occupies an intermediate position between humans and the more-than-human world. His power lies in his ability to mediate across these domains, a role comparable to the healer described by David Abram, who channels healing by bridging human and other-than-human agencies. In this way, the Lithuanian charmer emerges not merely as a folk figure, but as a liminal mediator whose animalistic nature secures both his authority and his effectiveness.