The Earth-dragon of Delphi was mentioned in The Magus by Francis Barrett as the Prince of the spirits of deceit. In Book 2, Chapter 7 of The Magus, we read: “In the second place, follow the spirits of lies, of which sort was he who went forth, and was a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophet of Ahab; and the prince of these is the serpent Pytho, from whence Apollo is called Pythius, and that woman a Pythoness, or witch, in Samuel, and the other in the gospel, who had Pytho in her belly. Therefore, these kind of devils join themselves to the oracles, and delude men by divinations and predictions, so that they may be deceived.”

In Greek mythology, Python, or Pytho, is a giant serpent or dragon that guarded the oracle at Delphi. This oracle was located at a cult center dedicated to Gaia, the Earth Mother. The name “Pytho” itself eventually replaced the earlier name “Krisa” for the location. The Greeks believed Delphi to be the centre of the Earth, marked by a sacred stone which was the omphalos, or navel. Python, acting as Gaia’s chthonic (earth-dwelling) offspring, was the guardian of this sacred site and possibly even delivered prophecies itself.

However, Python’s reign was challenged by Apollo, the Olympian god of light, music, and prophecy. Depending on the source, Python either threatened Apollo’s mother during her pregnancy or obstructed Apollo’s claim to the oracle. In a legendary battle, Apollo emerged victorious, slaying Python and claiming Delphi as his own. This victory not only established Apollo as the new guardian of the oracle, but it also birthed the Pythian Games, athletic competitions held at Delphi to commemorate Apollo’s triumph.

There are various versions of Python’s birth and death at the hands of Apollo.

In the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, it is mentioned that Apollo encountered the serpent while searching for a place to establish his shrine. He saw Python, who was causing harm to the people, and decisively slew the serpent, declaring himself the owner of the Oracular shrine.

According to Hyginus, when Zeus lay with the goddess Leto, Hera sent Python to pursue Leto throughout the lands to prevent her from giving birth to the twin gods, Artemis and Apollo. Apollo, just four days old, pursued Python to Mount Parnassus and ultimately killed it at the Delphic oracle.

Robert Graves, interpreting primitive myths politically and socially, saw this as the capture of a pre-Hellenic shrine by the Hellenes. Funeral games were instituted in honor of the dead hero Python, and the priestess continued her role. Interestingly, some myths suggest that Python’s decaying body imbued the Delphic oracle with its prophetic power. This connection between the chthonic serpent and divine prophecy hints at a deeper symbolism. It’s possible that Python represented the raw, untamed power of the earth, a power that needed to be conquered and harnessed before it could be used.