In order to bring some of my country's culture to more people, I started this project that consists of portraying characters from regional folklore. The idea is to cover one of these characters in each illustration and bring a little of their history and interesting facts about them.
This time the chosen character is a flaming snake that, with its magical fire, does not burn the places it passes through, however, for those who dare to set the forests on fire, the fate is very different. According to the folklore, these arsonists are incinerated instantly when they come into visual contact with the serpent's large eyes.
There are several versions about the origin of this creature, but one of the most accepted says that during a great flood, this giant snake hid in a hole underwater for a long time, thus making its eyes enlarge. When it came out of its hiding place, the creature was starving so she came across several dead animals floating on the water and ate them. However, she only ate the eyes of the animals that shone on the surface of the water. In this way she incorporated their glow into her body until it became fire.
Yet what predominates most about this creature is its sense of protection against those who set fire to the forests, making them pay with their own evil.
I deeply believe that spreading knowledge about other cultures can lead to a better world that celebrates diversity and what is different and unique. This project comes as a part of this purpose of cultural expansion.
Some thumbnails and sketchs
Final illustration
