▁has ▁proposed ▁that ▁the ▁stone ▁dep ict s ▁the ▁C elt ic ▁god ▁C ern unn os . ▁ ▁It ▁also ▁has ▁been ▁connected ▁to ▁a ▁nearby ▁stone ▁relief ▁on ▁a ▁door j amb ▁at ▁V ä te ▁Church ▁on ▁Got land ▁which ▁shows ▁a ▁woman ▁who ▁su ck les ▁two ▁drag ons , ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁made ▁five ▁centuries ▁later ▁than ▁the ▁picture ▁stone . ▁ ▁S nake ▁symbol ism ▁ ▁Sn akes ▁were ▁popular ▁as ▁a ▁mot if ▁on ▁later ▁picture ▁stones ▁which ▁show ▁s nake ▁p its , ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁pain ful ▁means ▁of ▁execution ; ▁this ▁form ▁of ▁pun ishment ▁also ▁is ▁known ▁through ▁Nor se ▁sag as . ▁Sn akes ▁are ▁considered ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁an ▁important ▁symbol ism ▁during ▁the ▁passage ▁from ▁pag an ism ▁to ▁German ic ▁Christian ity . ▁They ▁were ▁frequently ▁combined ▁with ▁images ▁of ▁de er , ▁cr ust ace ans , ▁or ▁super natural ▁be asts . ▁The ▁purpose ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁stones ▁and ▁to ▁d eter ▁people ▁who ▁might ▁destroy ▁them . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁H yr ro kk in , ▁a ▁female ▁j öt unn ▁in ▁Nor se ▁myth ology ▁who ▁uses ▁sn akes ▁as ▁re ins ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Herm od sson , ▁L . ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁" En ▁inv and rad ▁g ud ? ▁K ring ▁en ▁m är k lig ▁got länd sk ▁bild sten . ▁( An ▁al ien ▁god ?) ". ▁For n v