An unusual profession: snake charmers in Marrakech

There is a unique profession found in Marrakech - a snake charmer! In Jemaa El-Fna Square, many of these men offer tourists this ancestral spectacle with their reptiles every day. But what exactly is behind this intriguing practice?

>>> Our luxury villa rentals in Marrakech

A long-standing hypnosis show

Whether in North Africa or South Asia, it has been a long time (at least five centuries) since passers-by have been able to observe men who seem to dictate the behaviour of their snakes, often by means of traditional flutes. The snake then appears bewitched, hypnotized and perfectly docile. 

In reality, the snake is deaf and therefore not guided by the music (it’s only the spectator that can be charmed). The reptile, on the other hand, is attracted by the rhythm of the ground vibrations that the musician performs with his foot while simultaneously moving his ghaita (trumpet) or his nay (flute) and his head. So we see the snake standing up to put itself in a defensive position. Furthermore, it is also not uncommon to see the artist manipulate his snake with his bare hands and stick it to his face. Sometimes, humans can even put the animal's head in their mouths to make the spectators shiver.

This art claimed by snake charmers (traditionally the Aïssaoua in Morocco, members of a mystical-religious brotherhood) was a gift inherited by their ancestors to approach reptiles without fearing their bites. Twice a year, these brave acrobats go to the countryside and desert around Marrakech to make new acquisitions and take them with them to the city. 

>>> Our villas on the Ourika road

A problematic activity

This traditional practice remains the target of an abundance of scrutiny due to the animal abuse it involves. Indeed, in a large majority of cases, the snake's venom glands are pierced, the hooks are torn off, which makes the reptile's bite perfectly harmless (although some deaths linked to snake bites have continued to be observed in Jemaa El-Fna Square in recent years). This mistreatment is highly contested since it causes abscesses and infections that force the snake to die a slow, painful and certain death after only a few months. 

Thus, the striking vipers, Montpellier snakes, horseshoe snakes, cobras and other snakes used would be the main victims of these shows. Their systematic defensive position would exhaust them due to permanent stress. In addition, they are often kept in dirty boxes (before being handled) in which they suffer from hunger (not being able to feed themselves, they are force-fed) and dehydration. A French specialist (Michel Aymerich, GEOS) admits to having already recovered some snakes and show vipers. He reportedly observed a particularly resistant character in several individuals and some even drank for hours during and on multiple occasions for several consecutive days. 

Finally, some species are threatened with extinction in North Africa, which contributes to finger-pointing towards the snake charmers. 

Should we perpetuate or fight the practice of snake charmers? The debate is far from over.