The story of the snakes venerating the "Virgin of the Snakes" icon — "Panagia Fidousa," as the locals call it — starts a long, long time ago. Catholic News Agency cites 1705; Greek Reporter sets the incident in 1200. Either way, the legend goes that pirates were about to attack the local monastery. The nuns living there, worried about their safety, started praying to the Virgin Mary for a miracle (per Greek Reporter). Though the praying didn't keep the pirates from attacking, when they arrived at the monastery, they found it full of snakes. Apparently not a fan of the slithering creatures, the pirates fled and never returned to the island (via Greek City Times). The most popular story says the snakes appeared as a response to the nuns' prayers, a gift from the Virgin Mary to protect them. An alternate story says the nuns themselves were transformed into snakes and defended their own convent.

If it seems surprising that snakes turned out to be a good omen in this story, keep this in mind: According to the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology, the snake was a symbol of healing in ancient Greece, which is why the official logo of the World Health Organization (WHO) contains a snake. The image comes from the Greek god of healing, Asclepius, who carried a rod with a snake wrapped around it.

Regardless of what really happened in 1705 (or 1200), the snakes have been appearing at the church every year since. The story goes that they appear to "venerate" an image of the Virgin Mary, according to the Catholic News Agency.

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