Over the course of history, spiders have been the subject of stories and legends pertaining to various civilizations. These tales were prevalent in the societies of Ancient Greece, Medieval Europe, and Native American tribes. Ancient stories associated with spiders continue to endure among the people of West Africa and the Caribbean, for they are often recounted and acknowledged today.
The term arachnid is derived from the Greek myth of Arachne and Athena. Confident in her capacity to weave exquisite patterns on fabric, Arachne boasted to the nymphs that her skills were far greater than the goddess Athena. This hurt Athena’s pride and led to a competition between them in order to name the most accomplished weaver. In two versions of the myth …show more content…
They thought spider bites elicited erratic behavior and suffering, and the only cure was music and dancing. Their erroneous assumption shows that unfounded beliefs and extreme superstitions often influenced their decisions.
Several Native American tribes, including the Navajo and Hopi acknowledged the existence of the Spider Woman. In mythology she is said to be responsible for the creation of life on Earth and teaching humans how to survive. The Navajo believed Spider Woman assisted the twin warriors Monster Slayer and Child of Water when they searched for their father, the Sun and taught the Navajo the art of weaving.
According to Hopi legend, Spider Woman ruled the underworld and the sun god Tawa controlled the sky. They telepathically created the Earth between their realms and molded humans and animals out of clay. To bring the clay animals to life, Spider Woman and Tawa spread a blanket over them and uttered some magic words. Spider Woman clutched the clay people to her breast and sang with Tawa to make them living beings. Then she divided the humans, giving women the task of keeping the home and having men pray and make offerings to the
The term arachnid is derived from the Greek myth of Arachne and Athena. Confident in her capacity to weave exquisite patterns on fabric, Arachne boasted to the nymphs that her skills were far greater than the goddess Athena. This hurt Athena’s pride and led to a competition between them in order to name the most accomplished weaver. In two versions of the myth …show more content…
They thought spider bites elicited erratic behavior and suffering, and the only cure was music and dancing. Their erroneous assumption shows that unfounded beliefs and extreme superstitions often influenced their decisions.
Several Native American tribes, including the Navajo and Hopi acknowledged the existence of the Spider Woman. In mythology she is said to be responsible for the creation of life on Earth and teaching humans how to survive. The Navajo believed Spider Woman assisted the twin warriors Monster Slayer and Child of Water when they searched for their father, the Sun and taught the Navajo the art of weaving.
According to Hopi legend, Spider Woman ruled the underworld and the sun god Tawa controlled the sky. They telepathically created the Earth between their realms and molded humans and animals out of clay. To bring the clay animals to life, Spider Woman and Tawa spread a blanket over them and uttered some magic words. Spider Woman clutched the clay people to her breast and sang with Tawa to make them living beings. Then she divided the humans, giving women the task of keeping the home and having men pray and make offerings to the