Naga

Origin and tradition

Nāgas are serpent beings in Hindu, Buddhist, and other South Asian traditions. They may guard waters and treasures or appear as protective figures in sacred art. Their religious roles vary, so a single half-human monster description cannot represent the whole tradition.

Illustration in this atlas

A human upper body rises from a coiled serpent's lower body. This is one hybrid artistic form of a nāga; full serpent forms and multiple cobra heads also appear in different traditions.

References and further reading

1. britannica.com — naga-Hindu-mythology

These references offer further reading. Accounts and depictions vary; the atlas illustration is interpretive artwork, rather than historical or scientific evidence.