i found these today on a site and found it a little interesting...

copperhead
Some people believe that snakes have the ability to charm prey, especially birds, so they cannot flee. There is no evidence that snakes charm their prey. Small animals may become "frozen with fear" when confronted by snakes but they are not charmed. Birds may flutter about in front of a snake in an attempt to lure it away from their nests; occasionally a bird may actually be captured by the snake, giving the impression that it was charmed. The fact that snakes never blink may also have played a role in this myth's origin.
Cherokee Indians called the copperhead wa-dige-aska’li, or “brown head.” Feared and hated, it was thought to be a descendant of a great mythical serpent. Its eyes, which were unusually bright, were said to be eyes of fire.
The copperhead played an important role in the Cherokee killing-of-the-sun myth. In this myth, the sun is angry at people because they always make faces when they try to look directly at her. She begins to send such hot rays that the people died by the hundreds. The Little Men sent two snakes to kill the sun – the spreading adder and the copperhead. Spreading Adder starts to spring at the sun but is blinded by the bright light and can only spit out yellow slime, as it still does today. The copperhead slinks away without doing anything
pygmy rattlesnake
One tale of greed tells of one man who dreamt of finding a beautiful necklace made of gold close to a freshwater spring. For three nights the dream came and was very vivid. Feeling that he knew where the spring was the man climbed to it and felt underneath a stone. Suddenly a viper that had not appeared in his dream bit him. His greed had driven him too far, and as a result his desires caused his death.
According to a Cherokee myth, the rattlesnake was once a man but was changed into a snake and given rattles when it saved the human race from being burnt up by the sun. The Cherokee gave him a name that translates “he has a bell.” Also called “Thunder’s necklace,” the rattlesnake was thought to be the most prized ornament of the thunder god.
Cherokees never kill rattlesnakes unless absolutely necessary, and if forced to do this, would plead pardon from the snake’s ghost. The shaman of the tribe revered all parts of the snake –the rattle, skin, teeth, flesh, and oil.
eastern diamondback rattlesnake
Some people wrongly believe the diamondback will always rattle before striking. This is not true. It can lie silent and motionless, and then strike without the usual nervous buzz from its rattle. Some diamondbacks will wait until the intruder is nearly upon it before it rattles. Others will rattle when an intruder is 30 feet away. In fact, diamondbacks that rattle are more apt to be heard, seen and killed than those that remain silent. These “silent” rattlesnakes are more apt to go undiscovered and pass on their genes to the next generation. In this way, humans are inadvertently selecting for rattlesnakes that do not rattle.
Early American settlers chose the rattlesnake as their emblem in the Revolutionary War. Flags with the motto “Don’t Tread on Me” showed the rattlesnake with thirteen rattles to represent the thirteen colonies. The rattlesnake was chosen because its bright, lidless eyes represent vigilance, and while it does not seek to attack, it is fearless once it has been attacked.
According to Native American superstition, if one dreamed of being bitten by a rattlesnake, one was treated as if actually bitten, from the belief that the body would respond physically to the dream, perhaps even years later.
According to Cherokee myth, the rattlesnake was once a man but was changed into a snake and given rattles when it saved the human race from being burnt up by the sun. The Cherokee gave him a name that translates “he has a bell,” in obvious reference to the rattle. Also called “Thunder’s necklace,” the rattlesnake was thought to be the most prized ornament of the thunder god.

According to legend, the rattlesnake was originally very timid and harmless and greatly abused by other animals. Rabbit, in particular, picked on Rattlesnake, teasing him, tying him in knots, and throwing him around the campfire. One day the Sun God felt sorry for Rattlesnake and gave him venom and powerful jaws but told him he must always rattle first. The next night when Rabbit began pestering Rattlesnake again, the snake rattled and bit Rabbit. Since that time, the rattlesnake has been greatly feared.
The power of killing with a gaze was attributed to American snakes, especially the rattlesnake. Cotton Mather even reported an incident in which somebody hit a rattlesnake with a stick and the venom passed up through the weapon, causing his hand to swell. The event is nearly identical with the account of a man who attacked a basilisk with a spear. Similar occurrences were reported by many explorers and found their way into highly respected books of natural history. The power of the rattlesnake to kill with a gaze was known as "charming" or "fascination." The snake, explorers reported, used a sort of hypnosis, compelling birds and rodents to approach against their wills. The victim would either move straight into the jaws of the rattler or, often, simply drop dead of fear. The belief that the rattlesnake could kill with a glance is, in fact, a variant of an ancient and very widespread folk belief known as the "evil eye," the capacity to cause ill luck or even death with a gaze. Legends usually ascribe this ability to people, more rarely to snakes and other animals. The very word, "fascination," that refers to the conquests by a rattlesnake, is also common in describing spells cast by people with the evil eye.
Snakebites often occur when people attempt to pick up a snake. One US tale tells of a young girl who was trudging along a mountain path, trying to reach her grandmother's house. It was bitter cold, and the wind cut like a knife. When she was within sight of her destination, she heard a rustle at her feet. Looking down, she saw a snake. Before she could move, the snake spoke to her. He said, "I am about to die. It is too cold for me up here, and I am freezing. There is no food in these mountains, and I am starving. Please put me under your coat and take me with you.”
"No," replied the girl. "I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you will bite me, and your bite is poisonous."
"No, no," said the snake. "If you help me, you will be my best friend. I will treat you differently."
The little girl sat down on a rock for a moment to rest and think things over. She looked at the beautiful marking on the snake and had to admit that it was the most beautiful snake she had ever seen.
Suddenly, she said, "I believe you. I will save you. All living things deserve to be treated with kindness."
The little girl reached over, put the snake gently under her coat and proceeded toward her grandmother's house. Within a moment, she felt a sharp pain in her side. The snake had bitten her.
"How could you do this to me?" she cried. "You promised that you would not bite me if I would protect you from the bitter cold."
The snake hissed, "You knew what I was when you picked me up," and slithered away.
The Brule Lakota (Teton Sioux tribe) Sioux never kill rattlesnakes, because of an old legend about three brothers who disobeyed the Great Spirit by taking a buffalo hide instead of giving it back to the spirit world. The Great Spirit turned them into rattlesnakes. As they took up life as snakes they told their youngest brother to tell the people that they would remain faithful Sioux. So, the Brule Lakota revere their brothers, the rattlesnake.

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http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/lifecynical

There's some really interesting stuff in there!

I'd never even thought of that - I guess it's a similar principle to the reasons why African Elephant tusks are shorter than they used to be - if we kill the males with large tusks, only the small-tusked males pass on their genes, so the tusks of the population get shorter...

I wonder if fatalities from diamondbacks are going to go up in the next few decades, because people don't get warnings before getting bitten...?

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Great stuff!!

i'm glad you like it... i'm part cherokee so i found it interesting...

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I think snakes appear in the folk lore of most countrys and people, in india there is a story of Loard seasa a cobra with 15 heads who shelterd lord krishna from a storm useing all his hoods.
Also there is the story of aghasura a giant snake python like who lets the bothood friends of krishna play in and around his massive mouth.
And the hindus allso tell of another multiheaded evil serpant who poisiond the river yamuna, krishna went to sort him out but when the snake relised that krishna was god, he gave him self over to him.

The stories are far more in depth than that, i think its refreshing that in the first 2 storys the snakes were seen as protective and submisive. unlike a lot of folk storys which portray them in a dark and menising light.