The spider is an ancient symbol of creation, creativity and hard work.
In ancient Indian tradition Brahma, the creator of all things, was allegorically called the spider that was spinning the web of the world. On the one hand, the spider is a defender of people, a wonderful savior, a protector of the hearth. On the other hand it is associated with cruelty, greed, betrayal. The positive value of spiders is reflected in the myths about spiders, who taught people the craft and art of weaving.
According to legend, the spider saved David, Jesus Christ, the prophet Muhammad from enemies. It is widely spread because of the webs that represent a principle of preservation, they lead the hero to a dangerous place, help him to ascend to heaven, and then they help him to descend safely. The spider has been widely used in black and white magic. Amulets and charms with the symbols of the spider mean that the owner interferes in the life of dark forces.
Nowadays, the spider is an unequivocal symbol of phobias, however, due to its ability to spin a web, it represents the complexity of life and destiny. As the web starts from the center and extends from the mouth of the spider, in some cultures it is considered a symbol of the sun and the creation of life. Because of the complexity of the web, and its similarity with a maze of the Celts, the web represents the obstacles that must be overcome by a person. In ancient Egypt and ancient Greece the web also symbolized the fate, in Hinduism - the cosmic order, the spider was considered the center and according to the ancient Maya it symbolized the illusion of texture, in Oceania and in certain tribes of America the spider was worshiped as the creator of the universe, the Australian
Aborigines worshiped the spider as a solar hero, and some African and North American tribes believed that the spider was a deceiver. In Christianity, the web is the symbolic expression of the fragility and transience of human life, and the sticky spider's web is the devil's trap for those who lose control and the spider is identified with Satan and evil. The twisting of the spider in the web, when it is destroying the helpless victim, is identified with the terrible Great Mother who creates and destroys. In Christianity, the spider represents a miser who sucks its prey drop by drop. The Japanese believe that the female spiders represent a trap for travelers, a bad spider is a dangerous werewolf. Despite all the qualities attributed to the spider, to kill it brings ill luck. Only the ancient Romans worshiped the spider as a talisman of fortune and prosperity.
Arachne
According to Greek legend Arachne was very good at weaving, she was so good that she was compared with the goddess Athena, and she challenged Athena to a weaving contest. Athena destroyed her creation. Arachne killed herself, but the goddess brought her back to life but not as a human, she transformed the woman into a spider. In this Greek myth, we can see the classical motifs of many cultures - a human transformed into a spider.
The tarantella dance
According to legend, during the Middle Ages the Italian city of Taranto was struck by terrible disasters. The tarantula, wolf spiders, exterminated the citizens and residents of urban neighborhoods. It was believed that the bite of this spider was a terrible disease – tarantism that led to insanity. It was possible to heal the madness only dancing a tarantella dance fast. Soon the dance became an integral part of weddings in the south of Italy.
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