A snake charmer is someone who appears to hypnotize a snake playing a musical instrument or simply making eye contact with it. It takes a lot of care and effort to become a snake charmer, but it’s not that difficult in the end, despite the fact that the act is shrouded in mystery and superstition. The basic theory behind snake charming is actually quite simple, and with only a few preparations, you can become a snake charmer in the most basic sense. However, to truly imitate the traditional Indian art of snake charming, more effort is required.
First and foremost, before attempting to become a snake charmer, make sure you know the laws in your area regarding snake ownership and handling. In India, owning snakes has been illegal since the 1970s, and the government has cracked down on snake charmers in recent years, effectively eradicating the art form. As a result, finding a teacher to teach you how to be a snake charmer in India may be difficult, as they tend to work only in more remote villages and smaller cities where the laws are less strictly enforced, or at specific tourist sites where the government has granted them special permission to practice their art.
Charming snakes are kept in woven baskets or clay vessels, primarily to keep them cool and thus more docile. You’ll need a lid for the container so you can carry your snake around without worrying about it getting wet. Once you’ve found a suitable location, place the container on the ground, making sure to position yourself outside of the snake’s striking range as a precaution in case the snake does strike.
You can open the storage container’s lid once you’ve gathered a crowd. The snake will jump out of the container to inspect its surroundings as a result of this sudden movement. If you then sway back and forth or tap your foot to keep time with the music while playing a flute, this movement will attract the snake’s attention, and it will sway back and forth in response to your movement. Although the snake is not reacting to your music, it will appear to observers that the snake is hypnotized your sound instead of keeping its eyes on your swaying.
The reason the snake is unlikely to strike you is that most snake species prefer not to strike if they can avoid it. You shouldn’t give the snake any reason to strike if you don’t make any sudden threatening movements. It should be relatively sedate naturally as long as it is kept full and the container is cool. You can stop playing the instrument and stop moving once you’ve charmed the snake. The snake will gradually coil up back into its container once it is assured that there is no further threat.
Snake charming is, of course, dangerous, especially when using truly venomous snakes. Many snake charmers remove their snakes’ poison glands or teeth, and some even sew their mouths shut, but this is considered cruel and likely violates local animal cruelty laws. Finally, while becoming a snake charmer may appear to be entertaining, it is ultimately an art based on the exploitation of the animal, and it can result in serious injury if proper precautions are not taken.