Shifting shapes and unknown spirits at play on the borders of the human imagination: a critical reading ofthe serpent-woman

Purpose - The primary purpose of this study is to determine if the main character is a shapeshifter and, if so, how does the tale contribute to shapeshifting lore. Design/methodology/approach - The focus of the study is confined to a version of the tale that appears in Jane Yolen'sFolktales From Around the World(1986) and on summaries of other versions of shapeshifting tales when needed. Support for the findings is provided by an examination of the observations and rhetorical techniques employed by what appears to be an unreliable narrator and selected knowledge and practices from a variety of academic disciplines. Findings - The research findings neither confirm nor deny that the main character is or is not a shapeshifter. Research limitations/implications - Instead, the critical reading confirms the traditional characterization of folktales as coming from diverse folk roots and disappearing or changing as they circulate through geographical space and narrative time. Practical implications - It also implies that the tale has outgrown its practical and social folk roots and now extends far beyond that of traditional shapeshifting or literary folktales. Social implications - By bringing to light the racial and gender fears, ignorance and emotional and physical violence that lurk just below the surface of the society from which serpent-woman emerges, the study creates a haunting vision of the embedded biases that lurk just below the surface of many societies. Originality/value - To this author's knowledge, this is the first study of this tale to appear in publication. The findings need further investigation.