History Main / SerpentOfImmortality

* Myth/EgyptianMythology: [[DestroyerDeity Apep]], the [[SnakesAreSinister evil snake demon-god]], has ResurrectiveImmortality, earning him the title of "Serpent of Rebirth".

* In Myth/EgyptianMythology, the [[SnakesAreSinister evil snake demon-god]] Apep has ResurrectiveImmortality, earning him the epitaph of "Serpent of Rebirth".

[[folder:Tabletop Game]]
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' shamen who have Snake as their totem gain +2 dice when casting healing spells.

* In ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' Hazama (or more specifically Yuuki Terumi), who is always associated with snakes, turns out to be ''very'' old. [[spoiler:As in, [[TimeAbyss nearly as old as the BlazBlue universe itself]] as the original will of the Susanooh Unit that protects the Master Unit Amaterasu]].

* ''Art/TheSin'': {{Inverted}} as the devil serpent's temptation is what causes Adam and Even to be cast from an immortal life of prosperity.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Master's ashes inexplicably turn into a CGI snake during the Eighth Doctor [=TV=] movie. It sabotages the [=TARDIS=], escapes onto Earth, and possesses a human.

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]

** In the book of Numbers, the children of Israel were dying from being bitten by fiery serpents. Moses made a brass serpent and put it on a pole, and whoever looked at it didn't die from snakebite.

* Asclepius, the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek God of Healing]], is symbolized by one serpent coiled around a staff: this image is still today used as a sign of regeneration, healing, and medicine and is at least two thousand years old. The Asclepius staff is the cap badge of the British Army's medical corps. The symbol may be older still: refer to the example from Numbers, concerning Moses' staff with the serpent coiled around it, which conferred immunity from snakebite and by extention deliverance from evil and death - Satan in his Garden of Eden serpent form.

One reason is that in the days before humans had time to study the life-cycles of animals, it was believed that when a snake shed its skin it actually got younger and could potentially live forever. When a snake sheds its skin it appears to be ill and when it finishes shedding its skin, it looks rejuvenated and reincarnated. This is part of why a snake is on the rod of asclepius, which represents medicine (as well as the caduceus, [[SadlyMythtaken which it is often confused with]]). Snake venom may also be used to restore, heal, or grant immortality, in fiction and even real life.

See also ResurrectiveImmortality, BornAgainImmortality and {{Ouroboros}}.

* ''Film/AnacondasTheHuntForTheBloodOrchid'': The main characters are seeking a flower, the Blood Orchid, which contains chemicals that can [[ImmortalityInducer prolong life when eaten]]. However, the anacondas in the area have been feeding on animals which fed on the flower, and as reptiles don't stop growing, the jungle is now packed with very large, very old snakes that have gathered for the mating season.

** The closer to immortality Voldemort got, the more snake-like he seemed. Also, [[OurLichesAreDifferent Voldemort took a piece of his soul]] and made his pet snake Nagini a [[SoulJar Horcrux]], probably making her a immortal.

* Queen Salmissra from ''Literature/TheBelgariad'' also invokes this trope. The patron god of Nyissa is a snake god who favored a mortal priestess a long time ago, but neglected to prolong her life. After her death, each reigning queen is chosen based on how closely they resemble Salmissra and kept artificially young through drugs, and replaced when they grow too old for this to work. In effect, this means that it appears to uninformed outsiders Nyissa, favored by the serpent god Issa, has its monarch blessed with immortality and eternal youth. Unfortunately, the realization that she is not immortal drives one Salmissra[[note]]two if you count the prequels[[/note]] into rather immoral actions under the promise of immortality, until Polgara transforms her into an immortal snake.
* The Worm of the World's End in ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfThomasCovenant'' probably counts. It's apparently a gigantic serpent that forms the foundation of ''the world itself'', and if it ever wakes up it'll be the end (probable reference to [[Myth/NorseMythology Jormungandr]]). Lucky there's no chance of that ever hap... oh, shit...

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Master's ashes inexplicably turn into a CGI snake during the Eighth Doctor [=TV=] movie. It sabotages the [=TARDIS=], escapes onto Earth and possesses a human.

* Asclepius, the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek God of Healing]], is symbolized by one serpent coiled round a staff: this image is still today used as a sign of regeneration, healing and medicine and is at least two thousand years old. The Asclepius staff is the cap badge of the British Army's medical corps. The symbol may be older still: refer to the example from Numbers, concerning Moses' staff with the serpent coiled round it, that conferred immunity from snakebite and by extention deliverance from evil and death - Satan in his Garden of Eden serpent form.
* In Myth/HinduMythology, much like with Gilgamesh, Garuda, king of the birds, was sent to retrieve an elixir of immortality, but lost it in an accident. Snakes took the opportunity to lap up the spilled drops, gaining their skin-shedding rejuvenation, but cut their tongues on the grass, gaining their forked tongues.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has the "Shed Skin" ability that has a chance of healing StatusEffects each turn, possessed by the snake-like Pokemon Ekans, Dratini and Seviper (among others).

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

* ''Series/OnceUponATimeInWonderland'': Amara is all about this. Unfortunately, it's what gives Jafar the idea to [[spoiler:turn her into a snake staff, so that her magical essence is always with him.]]

* It's revealed in the third book of the ''Literature/ZodiacSeries'' that [[spoiler:[[TheHeavy Ophiuchus]] was ''supposed'' to be immortal. His [[MacGuffin Talisman]] granted him a form of ResurrectiveImmortality, the intent being for him to remain among the humans even after the other Guardians were long gone. However, the Talisman only works when he has it on him. Unfortunately for him, he did ''not'' have it on him when he ended up executed for treason, as one of the other Guardians had stolen it.]]

** The closer to immortality Voldemort got, the more snake-like he seemed. Also, [[OurLichesAreDifferent Voldemort took a piece of his soul]] and made his pet snake Nagini a [[SoulJar Horcrux]] probably making her a immortal.

* In ''Literature/TheNeverendingStory'' (both the book and movies,) this is the visual motif behind [[https://theneverendingstory.fandom.com/wiki/AURYN AURYN]], the amulet representing the power of the immortal Childlike Empress.

One reason is that in the days before humans had time to study the life-cycles of animals it was believed that when a snake shed its skin it actually got younger and could potentially live forever. When a snake sheds its skin it appears to be ill and when it finishes shedding its skin, it looks rejuvenated and reincarnated. This is part of why a snake is on the rod of asclepius, which represents medicine (as well as the caduceus, [[SadlyMythtaken which it is often confused with]]). Snake venom may also be used to restore, heal, or grant immortality, in fiction and even real life.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has the "Shed Skin" ability that has a chance of healing StandardStatusEffects each turn, possessed by the snake-like Pokemon Ekans, Dratini and Seviper (among others).

One reason is that in the days before humans had time to study the life-cycles of animals it was believed that when a snake shed its skin it actually got younger and could potentially live forever. When a snake sheds its skin it appears to be ill and when it finishes shedding its skin, it looks rejuvenated and reincarnated. This is part of why a snake is on the rod of asclepius, which represents medicine (as well as the caduceus, [[BeamMeUpScotty which it is often confused with]]). Snake venom may also be used to restore, heal, or grant immortality, in fiction and even real life.

* In ''Literature/TheNeverendingStory'' (both the book and movies,) this is the visual motif behind [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/AURYN_72.JPG AURYN]], the amulet representing the power of the immortal Childlike Empress.