Saya Hnin-Mahla was a Burmese snake charmer and ritual priestess known for performing with king cobras. In footage shot around 1939 by wildlife documentarian Armand Denis, she faces a large cobra with her hands held behind her back. She moves with the raised animal, avoids its lunges, then bends forward and kisses it on the head three times. Afterwards, she simply turns and walks away.
Saya Hnin-Mahla
