CHAPTER XVI.
Serpent of the Garden
Surrounding the Garden of the Hesperides is a monster resembling a serpent, at the end of whose tail is a bulb, and whose head is triangular in shape; its nose above toward the upper angle; eyes below the nose towards the mouth, from which the teeth project the whole width along the lips. This is in character with the peculiarities of the Ethiopians and Egyptians and without explanation would be incomprehensible.
The garden, as previously explained, had reference to Central or Middle Africa, with its immense resources, inclusive from the Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf of Guinea or Sea of Ethiopia as now called, all of which parts of the continent were well known to them, especially the Ethiopians.
Around and about Egypt coursed in mysterious winding, the Nile, the source of which was unknown, ending in the Mediterranean, with the Delta or peculiar triangular shaped mouths.
Around and about Central Africa and Southern Ethiopia, now Nigeria, coursed the Niger (Aya) in the most remarkable windings, whose source also was unknown, emptied into the Sea of Ethiopia by thirteen streams or mouths, like its great coordinate territorial bounder, the Nile, making a triangular shaped terminus or Delta.
By the ancient Africans, the Niger was called the "wife of the Nile," (Odo, as it is called by the Yarubas), and the Nile itself was called Thunder, supposed from the noise of its falls or rapids as heard at certain seasons of the year. And by mythological conclusions for political purposes, the two rivers were so regarded and said to be one; entwined around and protecting the interior riches of Africa, rising and falling to great heights and depths at different seasons of the year, they were represented and regarded as an immense sleepless Serpent which guarded the Garden of the Hesperides.
The bulb at the head of the tail is a imaginary lake, the source of the river; and the head is the Delta formed by the outlets; the teeth being shrubby growths fringing the shore at the outlets or mouths of the Niger and Nile; the eyes and nose, islands.
Outside of the serpent, our symbol, will be noticed the many water plants and flowers, and various stable products, as palm nut trees, dates, bananas, oranges, rice, corn, cotton, sugarcane, indigo, all products of the garden, but simply thrown on the outside to prevent derangement of the inside.
The appearance of the serpent is intended to represent the river at full tide, to the overflowing of the banks. What is true of the Nile is also the case with the Niger, near or about the same season of the year. Hence, the great plausibility of considering the two one. But since they were called and regarded husband and wife, they were mythologically and logically one. Hence, the precepts Aya Odo, an admonition of the extent of the garden and territory boundary guarded by the two to one serpent and the golden fruits therein contained. This, then was the "Serpent which guarded the Garden of the Hesperides and protected the golden fruits thereof."
The pyramid at the entrance of the garden is represented as the "huge statue of Anteus," said to have been "overthrown" or "overrun" by Hercules who "entered the garden and took possession of the golden fruits thereof," the pine apples at the lower part of the garden, as well as oranges and bananas outside of the serpent or stream, "being the golden fruits."
The language of all the mottoes and precepts is Egba or that spoken by the Yarubas, except the motto of the modern symbol at the heads of the giraffes (Nitilu, pronounced on the short sound of i as in "pin"), which is Grebo, or that spoken by the Krumen of West Africa. Hence the literature of the ancient symbol is composed of both ancient and modern, while that of the modern symbol is entirely modern African language.
