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1- Common in India, in other eastern countries and even in North Africa, the snake charm takes place in the middle of the street. The charmer chooses a busy spot and sits down in front of a basket that holds the snake – usually a cobra, which is more showy.
two- With the basket covered, but well ventilated, the snake rests in the dark. When the enchanter opens the basket, she gets up to check what’s going on. When he sees the flute, he assumes his natural position of defense, with up to a third of his body vertical.
3- After the cobra rises, the carnival begins. The flute is played just to deceive the audience, since the snake, deaf, follows the movements, in order to defend itself. To ensure the show, some charmers pass mouse urine on the tip of the flute, stimulating the snake’s sense of smell.
4- If the snake strikes – which is rare to happen –, the flute becomes a shield and the animal is hurt by biting it. As this is repeated in the training phase, the snake stops moving forward.
5- With the cobra duly «enchanted», it’s time for daring maneuvers, such as kissing the animal’s head. The secret is to get to the top, since she only lunges downwards.
6- To collect the animal, just reduce the flute movements – to tame the snake – and the sound volume – to fool pedestrians and get some change…
Another safety measure is to keep a distance that exceeds one third of the length of the snake.