- The Rainbow Snake is a common deity in the mythology and a common motif in the art of Aboriginal Australia. It is named for the obvious identification between the shape of a rainbow and the shape of a snake. When the rainbow is seen in the sky, it is said to be the Rainbow Serpent moving from one waterhole to another, and the divine concept explained why some waterholes never dried up when drought struck. The rainbow snake is one of the most common and well known aboriginal stories, very important to their society. The Rainbow Serpent is one of the oldest continuing religious beliefs in the world and continues to be a cultural influence today.
