Sunday 18 January 2015

EVERYDAY STRANGE - Possessed by a Snake


[Image source]
THE STORY GOES LIKE THIS
On January 18, 2013 Takuya Nagaya, 23 years-old was killed by his father, who thought his son was possessed by a snake. Takuya was visiting his parents home in Okazaki City in the early hours of the morning when he told his mother that he was a snake and started writhing around on the floor. His behavior, which she said was violent and erratic, began to worry her so she called on the young man's father, Katsumi, 53, for help.

From then until evening Katsumi proceeded to beat and bite his son, in an effort to "drive out the snake that had possessed him". After collapsing, Takuya was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead from injuries received during the severe beating.

CONCLUSIONS
This is a unique story, and though it only happened two years ago, it's the kind of story that people will read about 200 years from now and marvel at how backward and superstitious a time we live(d) in. It seems obvious that Takuya was suffering from some kind of psychotic episode, it's hard to say what brought it on, further details of the case are scarce if they exist. I never found them. But why the father was convinced of his son's possession to the point of beating him to death over the course of a entire day is just as important a question. Was it religiosity, a belief in spiritual possession? Or was it that Katsumi shared a kind of psychosis with his son?

Naga- is a common prefix for Japanese names, but makes for an eerie association in this case. Naga is the ancient sanskrit word for snake god. That's just a coincidence, but it adds another layer of strangeness to this already bizarre story.

SOURCES
Rocket News Japan

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