The Mythology of the Spider

The spider has always been a very powerful symbol in many cultural traditions. The very idea of a spider sends shivers down the spine of many people. In our culture, the snake is typically used as a representation of evil, but a few have used the spider for that purpose.

For many Native American tribes, spiders were important in mythology, though typically not to represent evil. Instead, these myths usually emphasized other characteristics of the spider, such as their creative abilities and their extreme cunning.

Among the Pueblo and Hopi cultures, the spider is revered as the creator of the world. A great Spider Woman wove the world with her web, and then disappeared into the underworld. This makes sense if we think about the spider as a creator. A spider has the unique ability, among all animals, to weave a beautiful web with no apparent outside tools. Strand by strand, she diligently weaves her web. Individual Native Americans who chose creative art or pottery making as their specialty would often choose the spider as their totem animal to help fuel their creativity.

The other place that the spider reoccurs throughout Native American mythology is through the trickster archetype. The trickster archetype in mythology is usually represented by a personified animal who disobeys the customary rules of society. They are usually quick-witted and cunning, and often disobey the gods in order to help their people. An example of a trickster in Greek mythology is Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and brought it back to humanity. If you think about the characteristics of a spider: they are sly, cunning, sneaky, and resourceful. The spider as a trickster character was most common among the tribes of the Plains.

In Navajo folklore, there is a story about two warrior twins who stumble into a hole in the ground and meet a great spider. The spider foresees that they will face many dangers along their journey, so she gives them some magic feathers for protection. The two warriors eventually make it to the house of the Sun, who tries to poison them, burn them, and spear them. With the help of the magic feathers, the Sun eventually realizes that the warriors are his sons, so he equips them with weapons, which they use to protect the Navajo people. This is an example of the spider as a cunning trickster.

Whether she is a creator, a trickster, or a manifestation of evil, the spider is, without a doubt, a symbol which has a powerful effect on our psychology. The spider has been an important part of many different mythologies throughout history.