YAY! My book came in from the library.

"Naga Cults and Traditions in the Western Himalaya"

*bounces* I'm still compiling data on the various myths about and powers attributed to the 'nagas' (Indian serpent deities -kinda-). Its my pet project, for now, integrating it into an HP fic universe. Unfortunately, what info there /is/ online is scattered and incomplete. So...books. Yum.

*reads*

A few other research difficulties: one, there is a tribe in South Asia (eastern India and Myanmar, I believe) called the Naga, and a lot of the material focuses on the persecution of the group; two, the naga myths vary from region to region, as well as folk and religious contexts. I'm looking for more along the lines of folk beasts, not embodiments of enlightened minds or whatnot. And I think I might need to focus on the main Indian and Himalayan versions (Nepalese, in particular) rather than the southeast Asian versions (which incorporate some type of crocodile dragon thing into the anatomy)...