This is a detailed retelling of the Oedipus story with emphasis on parricide rather than incest. The story is related to other ideas of Freud, including the primal horde and the death instinct. An attempt is made to relate these to the serpent myths found in various cultures, which the author believes to be the basic myth. The question is raised as to why the Oedipus myth should be given preference when there are other myths that portray the same theme and are probably more basic. In so doing, the author answers his own question. The serpent material is so complex and so far removed from everyday experience that the Oedipus story stands out in its simplicity and ease of application to human events.