Jump to content

Cultural depictions of spiders

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pre-Columbian spider image from a conch shell gorget at the Great Mound at Spiro, Oklahoma

Throughout history, spiders have been depicted in popular culture, mythology and in symbolism. From Greek mythology to African folklore, the spider has been used to represent a variety of things, and endures into the present day with characters such as Shelob from The Lord of the Rings and Spider-Man from the eponymous comic series. It is also a symbol of mischief and malice for its toxic venom and the slow death it causes, which is often seen as a curse.[1] In addition, the spider has inspired creations from an ancient geoglyph to a modern steampunk spectacle. Spiders have been the focus of fears, stories and mythologies of various cultures for centuries.[2]

The spider has symbolized patience and persistence due to its hunting technique of setting webs and waiting for its prey to become ensnared. Numerous cultures attribute the spider's ability to spin webs with the origin of spinning, textile weaving, basket weaving, knotwork and net making. Spiders are associated with creation myths because they seem to weave their own artistic worlds.[3] Philosophers often use the spider's web as a metaphor or analogy, and today terms such as the Internet or World Wide Web evoke the inter-connectivity of a spider web.[4]

Many goddesses associated with spiders and other female portrayals reflect observations of their specific female-dominated copulation.[5][6]

In folklore and mythology

[edit]

The spider, along with its web, is featured in mythological fables, cosmology, artistic spiritual depictions, and in oral traditions throughout the world since ancient times. The spider was syncretically associated with the goddess Neith of Ancient Egypt in her aspect as spinner and weaver of destiny, this link continuing later through the Babylonian Ishtar and the Greek Arachne.[7]

Near East

[edit]

Uttu, the ancient Sumerian goddess of weaving, was envisioned as a spider spinning her web.[8] According to the myth of Enki and Ninsikila, she was the daughter of the water god Enki. After being warned by Enki's wife Ninhursag that he would attempt to seduce her, Uttu ensconced herself inside her web, but agreed to let Enki in after he promised to marry her and give her fresh produce as a marriage gift. After giving Uttu the produce, Enki intoxicated her with beer and raped her. Ninhursag heard Uttu's screams and rescued her, removing Enki's semen from her vagina and planting it in the ground to produce eight previously nonexistent plants.[9]

An Islamic oral tradition holds that during the Hijra, the journey from Mecca to Medina, Muhammad and his companion Abu Bakr were being pursued by Quraysh soldiers, and they decided to take refuge in the Cave of Thawr. The tale goes on to say that Allah commanded a spider to weave a web across the opening of the cave. After seeing the spider's web, the Quraysh passed the cave by, since Muhammad's entry to the cave would have broken the web. Since then, it has been held in many Muslim traditions that a spider, if not holy, is at least to be respected.[citation needed]

A similar story to the Hadith appears in the Alphabet of Sirach in reference to the story of David hiding in a cave from Saul found in 1 Samuel: 24. David asks God about the purpose of spiders (and wasps) to the world. God explains that he will understand their purpose in due time. Later, when David is a fugitive and Saul examines the cave in which David is hiding, he noticed a spider and web at the cave's entrance. Saul concludes that David could not be hiding in the cave. When David exits the cave, he kisses and blesses the spider.[10]

Ancient Greece and Rome

[edit]

A notable ancient legend from the Western canon that explains the origin of the spider comes from the Greek story of the weaving competition between Athena the goddess, and Arachne, sometimes described as a princess. This story may have originated in Lydian mythology;[a] but the myth, briefly mentioned by Virgil in 29 BC,[b] is known from the later Greek mythos after Ovid wrote the poem Metamorphoses between the years AD 2 and 8.[13] The Greek "arachne" (αράχνη) means "spider",[14][15] and is the origin of Arachnida, the spiders' taxonomic class.[16]

Arachne depicted as a half-spider half-human in Gustave Doré's illustration for an 1868 edition of Dante's Purgatorio

This myth tells of Arachne, the daughter of a famous Tyrian purple wool dyer in Hypaepa of Lydia. Due to her father's skill with cloth dyeing, Arachne became adept in the art of weaving. Eventually she began to consider herself to be a greater weaver than the goddess Athena herself, and challenged the goddess to a weaving contest to prove her superior skill. Athena wove the scene of her victory over Poseidon that had earned her the patronage of Athens, while Arachne wove a tapestry featuring many episodes of infidelity among the Gods of Olympus, which angered Athena. The goddess conceded that Arachne's weaving was flawless, but she was infuriated by the mortal's pride. In a final moment of anger, Athena destroyed Arachne's tapestry and loom with her shuttle and cursed Arachne to live with extreme guilt. Out of sadness, Arachne soon hanged herself. Taking pity on her, Athena brought her back to life transformed as a spider, using the poison aconite;[c] "—and ever since, Arachne, as a spider, weaves her web."[17]

According to a little-known variation of the tale which seems to have originated from Attica, Athena transformed both Arachne and her brother Phalanx (whose name also translates to spider) into spiders for committing incest against her teachings.[19][20]

The scholar Robert Graves proposed Ovid's tale may have its roots in the commercial rivalry between the Athenian citizenry of Greece and that of Miletus in Asia Minor, which flourished around 2000 BC. In Miletus, the spider may have been an important figure; seals with spider emblems have been recovered there.[21]

Africa

[edit]

In African mythology, the spider is personified as a trickster character in African traditional folklore. The most popular version of the West African spider trickster is Kwaku Ananse of the Ashanti, anglicized as Aunt Nancy (or Sister Nancy) in the West Indies and some other parts of the Americas, to name a few of many incarnations.[22] Stories of Ananse became such a prominent and familiar part of Ashanti oral culture that the word Anansesem—"spider tales"—came to embrace all kinds of fables. This fed into the Anansi toree or "spider tales"; stories that were brought over from Africa and told to children of Maroon people and other Africans in the diaspora. These tales are allegorical stories that often also teach a moral lesson.[23] Major A.J.N. Tremearne observed that the Hausa also view the spider with high esteem as the most cunning of all animals and the king of all stories, even employing similar narrative storytelling devices of the Akan-Ashanti by attributing each of them to the spider, identified as Gizzo[24] or Gizo[25] in the Hausa language. Author Neil Gaiman also popularised the spider god Anansi in his book, Anansi Boys, where the protagonist learns that the trickster god was his father.[26]

Americas

[edit]
Spider depicted on a shell gorget by the Stone Grave people, from a mound on Fain's Island, Tennessee[27]
Ancient Moche people of Peru depict spiders in their art, such as this Larco Museum ceramic, ca. 300 CE.[28]

North American cultures have traditionally depicted spiders. The Native American Lakota people's oral tradition also includes a spider-trickster figure, which is known by several names. As chronicled in the legend of The "Wasna" (Pemmican) Man and the Unktomi (Spider),[29] a man encounters a hungry spider family, and the hero Stone Boy is tricked out of his fancy clothes by Unktomi, a trickster spider figure.[30] In some Native American myths, the spider is also seen in the legend about the origin of the constellation Ursa Major. The constellation was seen as seven men transformed into stars and climbing to paradise by unrolling a spider's web.[1] The Hopi have the creation myth of Spider Grandmother. In this story, Spider Grandmother thought the world into existence through the conscious weaving of her webs. Spider Grandmother also plays an important role in the creation mythology of the Navajo, and there are stories relating to Spider Woman in the heritage of many Southwestern native cultures as a powerful helper and teacher.[31] In Mesoamerica, the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan may represent a similar figure.

The South American Moche people of ancient Peru worshiped nature;[32] they placed emphasis on animals and often depicted spiders in their art.[28] The people of the Nazca culture created expansive geoglyphs, including a large depiction of a spider on the Nazca plain in southern Peru. The purpose or meaning of the so-called "Nazca lines" is still uncertain.[33] An adobe spider-god temple of the Cupisnique culture was discovered in the Lambayeque Region of Peru. It is part of the Ventarron temple complex and is known as Collud. The Cupisnique spider deity was associated with hunting nets, textiles, war, and power. One image depicts spider deities holding nets filled with decapitated human heads.[34]

Oceania

[edit]

Spiders are depicted in Indigenous Australian art, in rock and bark paintings, and for clan totems. Spiders in their webs are associated with a sacred rock in central Arnhem Land on the Burnungku clan estate of the Rembarrnga/Kyne people. Their totem design is connected with a major regional ceremony, providing a connection with neighboring clans that also have spider totems in their rituals.[35][36] Nareau, the Lord Spider, created the universe, according to the traditional Cosmology of Oceania's Kiribati islanders[37] of the Tungaru archipelago (Gilbert Islands);[38] similarly, Areop-Enap ("Old Spider") plays an important part in the creation myth of the traditional Nauru islanders of Micronesia.[39]

Asia

[edit]
Apparition of the Spider Princess
Depicting a Tsuchigumo (top right)
Woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, 1887

The Tsuchigumo (translated as "Earth spiders")[d] of Japan, is a mythical, supernatural creature faced by the legendary Minamoto no Raiko. Depending on the version of the story, the Tsuchigumo was able to take the visage of either a boy or a woman. In one version, while on a search for a mythical giant skull, Raiko is lured to a dilapidated house using an illusion of a floating skull. Raiko and his companion Watanabe no Tsuna killed the Tsuchigumo at the end of the story, releasing spiders the size of children from its belly.[41]

Another Japanese mythological spider figure is the Jorōgumo ("prostitute spider") which is portrayed as being able to transform into a seductive woman. In some instances, the Jorōgumo attempts to seduce and perhaps marry passing samurai. In other instances she is venerated as a goddess dwelling in the Jōren Falls who saves people from drowning. Her name also refers to a golden orb-spider species Trichonephila clavata (Jorō-gumo, which translates to "binding bride" or "whore spider").[42]

In the Philippines, there is a Visayan folk tale version of The Spider and the Fly which explains why the spider hates the fly.[43]

Post-classical Europe

[edit]

The 10th-century Saint Conrad of Constance is sometimes represented as a bishop holding a chalice with a spider. According to this story, while he was celebrating Easter Mass, a spider fell into the chalice. Ignoring the commonly held belief of the time that all or most spiders were poisonous, as a token of faith, Conrad nevertheless drank the wine with the spider in it.[44]

For King Robert the Bruce of Scotland, the spider is depicted as an inspirational symbol, according to an early 14th-century legend.[e] The legend tells of Robert the Bruce's encounter with a spider during the time of a series of military failures against the English. One version tells that while taking refuge in a cave on Rathlin Island,[46] he witnesses a spider continuously failing to climb its silken thread to its web. However, due to perseverance the spider eventually succeeds, demonstrating that "if at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again".[45] Taking this as being symbolic of hope and perseverance, Bruce came out of hiding and eventually won Scotland's independence.[47]

In the 15th century, the French king Louis XI acquired the nickname "the universal spider" (l'universelle aragne), from Georges Chastellain, a chronicler of the dukes of Burgundy,[48] referring to the king's tendency to implement schemes and plans during his contention with Burgundy and the following conflicts with Charles the Bold who compared the king to a spider.[49]

In Polish folklore and literature, Pan Twardowski - a sorcerer who made a deal with the Devil[50] - is depicted as having escaped from the Devil who was taking him to Hell, and ending up living on the Moon, his only companion being a spider; from time to time Twardowski lets the spider descend to Earth on a thread and bring him news and gossip from the world below.[51]

Children's edition, 1888

The story of Tom Thumb in several versions includes the Tom Thumb's death by a spider bite.[52] [53] In an 18th-century poem, his death is portrayed in the following verses:

The spider watching for his Prey,
Tom took to be a fly,
And seized him without delay,
Regarding not his cry.

The blood out of his body drains,
He yielded up his breath;
Thus he was freed from all Pains,
By his unlook'd for death.[54]

In literature

[edit]

The epic poem Metamorphoses, written by Ovid two millennia ago, includes the metamorphosis of Arachne. This was retold in Dante Alighieri's depiction as the half-spider Arachne in the second book of his Divine Comedy, Purgatorio.[55]

The 2nd century novel A True Story includes a battle with giant spiders, as depicted in this 1894 illustration

Considered as the earliest known work of science fiction in Western literature,[56] the 2nd-century satirical novel A True Story by Lucian of Samosata includes a battle between the People of the Moon and the People of the Earth featuring giant spiders that are bigger than the islands of Cyclades.[57]

In the 16th-century Chinese folk novel, Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West, the Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang's odyssey includes being trapped in a spider's cave and bound by beautiful women and many children, who are transformations of spiders.[58]

Published in 1808, the poem Marmion by Walter Scott[f] includes the popularly quoted line:

Oh! what a tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive![60]

The spider gained an evil reputation from the 1842 Biedermeier novella by Jeremias Gotthelf, The Black Spider.[61] In this allegorical tale that was adapted to various media, the spider symbolizes evil works and represents the moral consequences of making a pact with the devil.[62]

Giant spiders guarding a treasure or fortress are prominent in fantasy literature as "The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth" (1908) by Lord Dunsany and "The Tower of the Elephant" (1933) by Robert E. Howard.[63][64] Atlach-Nacha is the creation of Clark Ashton Smith and first appeared in his short story "The Seven Geases" (1934). Atlach-Nacha resembles a huge spider with an almost-human face. In the story, Atlach-Nacha is the reluctant recipient of a human sacrifice given to it by the toad-god Tsathoggua.[65]

Spiders serve as a recurring motif in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien.[66][g] Tolkien included giant spiders in his 1937 book The Hobbit where they roamed Mirkwood, attacking and sometimes capturing the main characters.[68] The character of Ungoliant is featured as a spiderlike entity, and as a personification of Night from his earliest writings. In The Lord of the Rings, the creature's final surviving daughter Shelob is encountered as Frodo and Sam move through the mountain pass of Cirith Ungol. Shelob was featured in the film adaption of the last book of the Lord of the Rings series.[69] Although described as giant spiders, Tolkien gave them fictional attributes such as compound eyes, beaks and the spinning of black webs. He also resurrected the Old English words cob and lob for "spider".[67]

A key element of Richard Matheson's novel The Shrinking Man and the film based on it The Incredible Shrinking Man is the struggle of the protagonist, shrunken to the size of an insect, with a voracious spider - ending with his waging an epic battle and killing the spider.[70]

The 1952 children's novel Charlotte's Web by E. B. White is notable in its portrayal of the spider in a positive manner[71] as a heroine[72] rather than an object of fear or horror.

More recently, giant spiders have featured in books such as the 1998 fantasy novel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling.[73] This book was later followed by a motion picture of the same name, using the giant spider Aragog from the novel as a supporting character and friend of groundskeeper, Hagrid.[74] In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a book about many of the creatures within the Wizarding World, these giant spiders are also known as Acromantulas.[74]

William Wallace Denslow's illustrations for Little Miss Muffet, from a 1901 edition of Mother Goose

The spider is also found in modern children's tales. The nursery rhymes "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Little Miss Muffet" have spiders as focal characters. The poem "The Spider and the Fly" (1829) by Mary Howitt is a cautionary tale of seduction and betrayal which later inspired a 1949 film and a 1965 Rolling Stones song, each sharing the same title, as well as a 1923 cartoon by Aesop Fables Studio.[75]

The poet Walt Whitman describes a ballooning spider in his 1868 poem, A Noiseless Patient Spider.[76][77]

In comics and manga

[edit]

In graphic novels, spiders are often adapted by superheroes or villains as their symbols or alter egos due to the arachnid's strengths and weaknesses. One of the most notable characters in comic book history has taken his identity from the spider, the Marvel comic book hero Spider-Man. Peter Parker was accidentally bitten by a radioactive spider and then, as Spider-Man, was able to scale tall buildings and shoot web fluid from a device attached to his wrist. Along with these abilities came super senses and instant reflexes. Writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko originated this franchise.[78] Due to the character's popularity, Spider-Man appeared in movies and various other media. In addition to Spider-Man, the Marvel Universe includes several subsequent characters using the spider as their patron; including Silk, Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, the Scarlet Spider, Venom, Black Widow, Tarantula and Anya Corazon, who adopts the superhero names Araña and (the third) Spider-Girl. The DC Comics universe also include characters named Spider Girl[79] and the Tarantula.[80]

Many other comic book, manga and anime characters have taken the guise of a spider, such as the Black Spider from the Batman universe;[81] in the Pokémon franchise, Spinarak and Ariados, Joltik and Galvantula, and Dewpider and Araquanid, Tarountula and Spidops, are all variously based on spiders.[82] In the Static Shock series, the titular character meets another superhero called Anansi the Spider in Africa.[83] He takes his name from the African trickster god.[84]

The light novel and manga series So I'm a Spider, So What?, the protagonist is turned into a spider at the beginning of the story. Trapped in a world based around Japanese role-playing game tropes, she makes use of webs, various types of traps and poison attacks,[85] and her intellect to survive.[86]

In film and television

[edit]

Spiders have been present for many decades both in film and on television, predominantly in the horror genre. Those who suffer from arachnophobia, an acute fear of spiders, become particularly horrified. The spider web is used as a motif to adorn dark passageways, depicting the recesses of the unknown.[87]

A spider is the calling card for the criminal gang in Fritz Lang's 1919~1920 serial, The Spiders

Spider themes are featured in early film history. In Fritz Lang's 1919 and 1920 The Spiders adventure series, a spider is the calling card for "The Spiders" criminal organization. The 1924 silent fantasy movie The Thief of Bagdad, and his 1940 remake, contains a scene of a fight with a gigantic spider.[88][89] Pan Si Dong (1927), 盘丝洞, (The Cave of the Silken Web) is a film adaptation of the classic tale of Xuánzàng's encounter from a chapter of the 16th-century Great Classical Novel, Journey to the West,[90] and was remade as a 1967 Hong Kong cinema production.[91]

Many horror films have featured the spider, including 1955's Tarantula!, exploiting America's fear of atomic radiation during the nuclear arms race,[92] the 1975 low-budget cult film The Giant Spider Invasion, and Kingdom of the Spiders, a 1977 film starring William Shatner as a veterinarian who found himself facing a horde of spiders hiding in Verde Valley, Arizona.[93]

The fear of spiders culminates in Arachnophobia, a 1990 movie in which spiders multiply in large numbers. On the other hand, a person who admires spiders is referred to as an "arachnophile";[94] such as Virginia, a demented orphan who likes to play deadly spider games in the black comedy horror B movie, Spider Baby.[95]

The Godzilla franchise includes a giant spiderlike kaiju named Kumonga ("Spiga" in the English versions), first appearing in 1967's Son of Godzilla. The 1999 film Wild Wild West features a giant mechanical spider. Experiments with spiders in space tend to go horribly wrong, as with a DNA experiment on board a NASA space shuttle in the 2000 film Spiders,[96][97] or mutant spiders from a derelict Soviet space station in the 2013 film Spiders 3D.[98] Before there were Snakes on a Plane (2006), there were spiders on a plane in Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977). Radiation and spiders once again combine to wreak havoc in the 2002 film spoof Eight Legged Freaks, this time due to nuclear waste.[99]

Several books featuring spiders have been adapted to film, including The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,[100] The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King featuring Shelob[69] and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with Aragog the Acromantula.[73] Charlotte A. Cavatica's positive portrayal of a spider character can be seen in two full-length feature versions of Charlotte's Web. The first Charlotte's Web was a Hanna-Barbera musical animated film released in 1973, followed by a live-action 2006 film version of the original story. Walt Disney Pictures produced the 1996 film James and the Giant Peach based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, in which the abused orphan James, who is only friends with a spider, finds more insect friends such as Spider and Centipede after entering a magical peach.[101]

In Ingmar Bergman's 1961 Swedish film adaptation Through a Glass Darkly, the psychotic Karin believes she has an encounter with God as a spider. Surreal spider imagery[102] symbolism[103] and themes[104] are featured prominently in the 2013 psychological thriller Enemy; director Denis Villeneuve's film adaptation of the novel The Double by José Saramago.[105]

On television, the 1990 miniseries Stephen King's It is based on his novel It, where the now adult members of the Losers' club confront the giant spider form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown.[106] The plot of the 2018 Doctor Who episode "Arachnids in the UK" revolves around an infestation of giant spiders that has occurred as the result of a scientific experiment.[107]

The 2002 David Cronenberg film Spider features spider and cobweb symbolism, with the main character acquiring the nickname 'Spider' due to his resemblance to one.[108]

A 2008 episode of MonsterQuest talked about monster spiders in the Amazon rain forest.[109]

In music

[edit]

The Rolling Stones adapted themes from Mary Howitt's poem in their 1965 song "The Spider and the Fly". Released in 1966, "Boris the Spider" was the first song written by John Entwistle for The Who, and became a staple of their live concerts.[110] In 1987 David Bowie released a song "Glass Spider" which would later serve as the name for his Glass Spider Tour.[111] Previously Bowie had a backing band known as The Spiders from Mars who would lend their name to his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.[112]

"Spiderwebs" became a hit for No Doubt in 1995.[h] Alice Cooper's 2008 concept album, Along Came a Spider is about a fictitious serial killer known as 'Spider', who wraps his victims in silk and cuts off one of their legs in order to create his own eight-legged arachnoid.[114]

In philosophy

[edit]
"Imagine a multidimensional spider's web in the early morning covered with dew drops. And every dew drop contains the reflection of all the other dew drops. And, in each reflected dew drop, the reflections of all the other dew drops in that reflection. And so ad infinitum. That is the Buddhist conception of the universe in an image."
—Alan Watts, Following The Middle Way[115]

In the Vedic philosophy of India, the spider is depicted as hiding the ultimate reality with the veils of illusion.[116] Indra's net[i] is used as a metaphor for the Buddhist concept of interpenetration, which holds that all phenomena are intimately connected. Indra's net has a multifaceted jewel at each vertex, and each jewel is reflected in all of the other jewels.[117]

As related in the book Vermeer's Hat by historian Timothy Brook:

When Indra fashioned the world, he made it as a web, and at every knot in the web is tied a pearl. Everything that exists, or has ever existed, every idea that can be thought about, every datum that is true—every dharma, in the language of Indian philosophy—is a pearl in Indra's net. Not only is every pearl tied to every other pearl by virtue of the web on which they hang, but on the surface of every pearl is reflected every other jewel on the net. Everything that exists in Indra's web implies all else that exists.[118]

Other depictions

[edit]
La Princesse roaming through Liverpool, England (September 2008)
A bronze Maman outside the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Information technology terms such as the "web spider" (or "web crawler") and the World Wide Web imply the spiderlike connection of information accessed on the Internet.[4]

A dance, the tarantella, refers to the purported victims of a bite from the spider Lycosa tarantula which were allegedly compelled to dance until they were exhausted.[119]

Giant spider sculptures (11 feet tall and 22 feet across) described as "looming and powerful protectresses, yet are nurturing, delicate, and vulnerable"[120] and a "favorite with children"[121] have been found in Washington DC, Denver CO, and elsewhere. Even larger sculptures are found in places like Ottawa and Zürich. These sculptures, two series of six by Louise Bourgeois, can be seen at the National Gallery of Art, Denver Art Museum, London's Tate Modern and in a few other select sculpture gardens. The larger series is titled Maman and the other simply titled Spider. One Spider was sold at a Christie's auction house for over $10 million.[122]

A four-day performance art spectacle in Liverpool (September 2008) featured La Princesse by the French performance art company La Machine. This giant steampunk spider climbed walls, stalked the streets and sprayed unwary citizens while in search of a nest.[123][124]

Games and toys

[edit]

Giant spiders appear in several role-playing games, such as Lolth, the Spider Queen of Dungeons & Dragons,[125][126] and the first edition of Warcraft, where spiders are described as being "of staggering size—perhaps 15 feet around—with great furred body."[127] Lolth is the main goddess of the dark elves. Their strongly matriarchal society[128][129] is also in line with the real world female spiders who consume males during, or after copulation.[5] In video games, spiders or spider-shaped foes are common, such as the Metroid series where the trilogy's antagonist, Metroid Prime, has a spiderlike Metroid as her primary physical form. This trilogy also includes the Ing, antagonists of Echoes, whose warrior forms resemble five-legged spiders. Atlach-Nacha is an H-game centered on a spiderlike demoness disguising herself as a human. In The Legend of Zelda series, giant spiders are a frequent foe. In particular, Ocarina of Time features large spiders named Skulltulas, and Twilight Princess has an enormous spider boss. Monster Hunter 4 introduced monster a called the Nerscylla,[130] described in game as a "Temnoceran," based on the Chelicerate subphylum of arthropods, along with its subspecies, the Shrouded Nerscylla. An anthropomorphic spiderlike creature based on Little Miss Muffet named Muffet is featured in the 2015 video game Undertale.[131] Giant spiders appear as hostile enemies in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim which were quickly modded into bears by the players.[132]

In the Lego toyline Bionicle series, the Visorak horde is a species consisting of six spiderlike breeds. They are created by the Brotherhood of Makuta to conquer islands; they possess mutagenic venom and spin sticky green webs. In the Transformers franchise, Tarantulas and Blackarachnia are both Predacons that turn into giant spiders.[133]

Sports

[edit]

Notable athletes with spider nicknames include Olympic skier Spider Sabich, so named by his father due to his long, thin arms and legs as a baby,[134] and UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva who was dubbed "Brazil's Spiderman" by an announcer who thought he looked like a superhero in the ring.[135] Spider mascots are associated with the Cleveland Spiders baseball team and the San Francisco Spiders hockey team, as well as the University of Richmond's athletic teams.[136]

Modern myths and urban legends

[edit]

The widespread urban legend that a person swallows a high number of spiders during sleep in one's life has no basis in reality. A sleeping person causes all kinds of noise and vibrations by breathing, snoring, their heartbeat, etc., all of which warn spiders of danger.[137][138] Most people also wake up from sleep when they have a spider on their face.[139]

Huntsman spiders are large and swift, often eliciting arachnophobic reactions from susceptible people, and are the subject of many superstitions, exaggerations and myths. The banana spider myth claims that the Huntsman spider lays its eggs in banana flower blossoms, resulting in spiders inside the tip of bananas, waiting to terrorize an unsuspecting consumer. This is supposed to explain why monkeys allegedly peel bananas from the "wrong" end.[140]

According to another urban legend, daddy long legs (Pholcidae) have potent venom, but their fangs are too short to deliver the poison. This myth might have arisen due to its similarity in appearance with the brown recluse spider.[141] In a 2004 episode of Discovery Channel's MythBusters, it was shown that host Adam Savage baits and survives a bite from a daddy long legs.[142]

A modern myth depicts a young woman who discovered that her beehive hairdo was infested with black widow spiders.[143]

The Spider Bite legend emerged in Europe in the late 1970s. In most versions of this tale, a young vacationing female sunbather is bitten on the cheek by a spider. After seeking medical attention for the resultant swelling, hundreds of tiny spiders are discovered emerging from her lanced wound, which causes the victim to go insane.[144]

An email hoax describes the attacks by the South American Blush Spider in public toilets.[145] The alleged spider's scientific name is Arachnius gluteus,[146] where "arachnius" is a made-up word intended to mean "spider"[j] and "gluteus" is a reference to buttocks (cf: gluteus maximus). The hoax spider shares some characteristics with the two-striped telamonia (Telamonia dimidiata), and there is an updated version of the hoax using that name for the spider's species, with the rest of the text left unchanged,[147] except for details such as locations.[145] This hoax began in 1999 and has since spread to social media where it continues to circulate.[148]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Lydian mythology is virtually unknown, therefore myths involving Lydia are mainly from Greek mythology.
  2. ^ "Or spider, victim of Minerva's spite,  Athwart the doorway hangs her swaying net.  The more impoverished they, the keenlier all  To mend the fallen fortunes of their race."[11] Virgil (ca. 029 B.C.) The Georgics (IV; lines 246—247)[12]
  3. ^ Ovid describes the poison as "extract of herbs of Hecate";[17] Hecate being the Greek goddess and sorceress said to have invented aconite (Aconitum napellus).[18]
  4. ^ The term Tsuchigumo also refers to a mythical ethnic group said to live in caverns beneath the mountains in the Japanese Alps until at least the Asuka period; also loosely used for bandits and thieves.[40]
  5. ^ There are many versions of the story, and historians are unsure of the legend's truth and suggest that it is apocryphal.[45]
  6. ^ Often misattributed to Shakespeare, specifically from Macbeth[59]
  7. ^ Tolkien's use of giant spiders as foes was predated by Lord Dunsany, from two stories written in 1907 and 1910.[67]
  8. ^ 39 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peak position: #18[113]
  9. ^ The Vedic god Indra is referred to as Śakra in Buddhism, or with the title Devānām Indra.
  10. ^ From the common root arachno- in compound words, from Greek ἀράχνη, arachnē;  the Latin word for "spider" is "aranea" (plural: Araneae), a name for an order, not a genus.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Garai, Jana (1973). The Book of Symbols. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-21773-0.
  2. ^ De Vos, Gail (1996). Tales, Rumors, and Gossip: Exploring Contemporary Folk Literature in Grades 7–12. Libraries Unlimited. p. 186. ISBN 1-56308-190-3. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
  3. ^ De Laguna, Frederica (2002). American Anthropology: Papers from the American Anthropologist. University of Nebraska Press. p. 455. ISBN 0-8032-8280-X. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  4. ^ a b Dale, Nell; John Lewis (2006). Computer Science Illuminated. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. p. 505. ISBN 0-7637-4149-3. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  5. ^ a b Andrade, Maydianne C. B. Behavioral Ecology (2003), 14:531–538
  6. ^ Prokop, Pavol; Tolarovičová, Andrea; Camerik, Anne M.; Peterková, Viera (1 August 2010). "High School Students' Attitudes Towards Spiders: A cross‐cultural comparison". International Journal of Science Education. 32 (12): 1665–1688. doi:10.1080/09500690903253908. ISSN 0950-0693. S2CID 144801621.
  7. ^ Cooper, J. C. (1992). Symbolic and Mythological Animals. London: Aquarian Press. pp. 214–15. ISBN 1-85538-118-4.
  8. ^ Black, Jeremy; Green, Anthony (1992). Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary. London, England: The British Museum Press. p. 182. ISBN 0-7141-1705-6.
  9. ^ Jacobsen, Thorkild (1987). The Harps that Once--: Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. p. 184. ISBN 0-300-07278-3.
  10. ^ Alphabet of Sirach cited in Judah David Eisenstein (1915). "Otzar Midrashim, The Aleph Bet of ben Sira" (in Hebrew and English). Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  11. ^ Georgics/IV on Wikisource
  12. ^ Jones, C. J. "Arachne – Arachne, Then and Now". Mythology in Greek Literature, Spring 2000. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  13. ^ Ovid Metamorphoses (vi.5–54 and 129-145), also mentioned in Virgil's Georgics, iv, 246.
  14. ^ Evans, C.; Anne Millard (1985). Usbourne Illustrated Guide to Greek Myths and Legends. Usbourne Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 0-86020-946-6.
  15. ^ Mills, A. (2003). Mythology: Myths, Legends & Fantasies. Australia: Global Book Publishing Pty Ltd. pp. 62–64. ISBN 0-7336-1499-X.
  16. ^ Kraemer, Elizabeth Wallis. "A / arachnid". An Etymological Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012. [NL Arachnida, fr. Gk arachne spider, assoc. with the myth of Arachne, a Greek maiden who was turned into a spider after pridefully defeating Athena in a weaving contest] : any of a class (Arachnida) of arthropods comprising chiefly invertebrates, including spiders, scorpions, mites, etc.
  17. ^ a b More, Brookes (1922). "P. Ovidius Naso : Metamorphoses; Book 6, lines 87–145". Perseus Digital Library Project. Boston: Cornhill Publishing Co.
  18. ^ Grieve, M. (1982). "Aconite". In Leyel, C.F. (ed.). A Modern Herbal (Botanical.com; online ed.). New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 0486227987.
  19. ^ Wright, M. Rosemary. "A Dictionary of Classical Mythology: Summary of Transformations". mythandreligion.upatras.gr. University of Patras. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  20. ^ Johnston, Sarah-Iles (2009). "A New Web for Arachne". In Ueli, Dill; Walde, Christine (eds.). Antike Mythen: Medien, Transformationen und Konstruktionen. Germany: De Gruyter. pp. 1–3. ISBN 978-3-11-020909-9.
  21. ^ Graves, R (1955). "Athene's Nature and Deeds". Greek Myths. London: Penguin. p. 100. ISBN 0-14-001026-2.
  22. ^ Parker, Janet; Stanton, Julie, eds. (2003). Mythology : Myths, Legends, & Fantasies. Willoughby, NSW: Global Book Pub. p. 317. ISBN 1740480910.
  23. ^ Counter, S. Allen; Evans, David L. (1981). "Met dank aan Albert Buys". I Sought my Brother : An Afro-American Reunion. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-03079-9.
  24. ^ Tremearne, A. J. N. (Arthur John Newman). Hausa Superstitions And Customs: an Introduction to the Folk-lore And the Folk. London: J. Bale, sons & Danielsson, ltd., 1913. p. 31-32.
  25. ^ Mack, Beverly Blow (2004). Muslim Women Sing: Hausa Popular Song. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-34504-2.
  26. ^ Shindler, Dorman T. (9 October 2005). "'Anansi Boys' contains serious message hidden beneath folly". www.spokesman.com.
  27. ^ Thruston, Gates Phillips (1890). The Antiquities of Tennessee and the Adjacent States, and the state of aboriginal society in the scale of Civilization Represented by Them. The R. Clarke company, 1890. pp. 335–336. Fains Island, Tennessee.
  28. ^ a b Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
  29. ^ McLaughlin, Marie L (1974). "The 'Wasna' (Pemmican Man) and the Unktomi (Spider)". Myths and Legends of the Sioux (Reprint of the c1916 ed. published by Bismarck Tribune Company, Bismarck, N.D ed.). Bismarck, N.D.: Tumbleweed Press. Archived from the original on 2012-11-10. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
  30. ^ "1999 NEA National Heritage Fellow: Mary Louise Defender Wilson, Dakotah-Hidatsa Traditionalist/Storyteller". Lifetime Honors. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  31. ^ "The Spider Woman". American Museum of Natural History. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  32. ^ Benson, Elizabeth (1972). The Mochica: A Culture of Peru. New York, NY: Praeger Press.
  33. ^ Brown, Cynthia Stokes (2007). Big History. New York: The New Press. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-59558-196-9.
  34. ^ Orozco, José (October 29, 2008). ""Spider God" Temple Found in Peru". news.nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on November 2, 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  35. ^ Evans, Ondine. "Spiders in Australian indigenous art". Australian Museum. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  36. ^ Reid, Marilyn (2007). Mythical Star Signs (illustrated ed.). Lulu.com. p. 116. ISBN 978-1-84753-623-5.
  37. ^ Knappert, Jan (1992). Pacific Mythology. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 1855381338.
  38. ^ Alexandra Brewis; Sandra Crismon. "Kiribati". Countries and Their Cultures. Advameg, Inc. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  39. ^ Bartlett, Sarah (2009). The mythology bible : the definitive guide to legendary tales. New York: Sterling. p. 176. ISBN 978-1402770029.
  40. ^ Hudson, Mark (1999). Ruins of Identity: Ethnogenesis in the Japanese Islands. University of Hawaii Press. p. 201. ISBN 0-8248-2156-4.
  41. ^ Reider, Noriko T. (3 October 2016). Seven Demon Stories from Medieval Japan. University Press of Colorado. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-60732-490-4. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  42. ^ "Asian "Fortune-Teller" Spider Found in U.S. for First Time". Animals. 19 March 2015. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  43. ^ Cole, Mabel Cook (1916). "The Spider and the Fly". Philippine Folk Tales (The Project Gutenberg EBook [#12814] ed.). Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co. p. 214. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  44. ^ Thomas, revised by Sarah Fawcett (1997). Butler's lives of the saints (New full ed.). London: Burns & Oates. p. 204. ISBN 0860122603.
  45. ^ a b "The Spider Legend". Bruce Rathlin 700. The Ulster-Scots Agency. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  46. ^ "Bruce's Cave". Bruce Rathlin 700. The Ulster-Scots Agency. Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2012. Verifying Rathlin Island's connections with King Robert the Bruce
  47. ^ Farndon, J. (2001). 1000 Facts On Modern History. Essex: Miles Kelly Publishing Ltd. pp. 18–19. ISBN 1-84236-054-X.
  48. ^ "Histoire du Moyen Âge" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  49. ^ Brown-Grant, Rosalind; Hedeman, Anne D.; Ribémont, Bernard (5 December 2016). Textual and Visual Representations of Power and Justice in Medieval France: Manuscripts and Early Printed Books. Routledge. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-351-89545-3. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  50. ^ Hanna Widacka. "Legendy i fakty o Mistrzu Twardowskim". www.wilanow-palac.art.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  51. ^ "Who was the first man on the Moon?". Polski Daily. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  52. ^ "Tom Thumb Timeline". Writing in Margins.
  53. ^ Weiss, Harry B. (1932). "Three Hundred Years of Tom Thumb". The Scientific Monthly. 34 (2): 157–166. ISSN 0096-3771.
  54. ^ Halliwell-Phillipps, J. O. (James Orchard) (1860). The metrical history of Tom Thumb the Little : as issued early in the eighteenth century, in three parts. London : Printed for the editor.
  55. ^ Alighieri, Dante. "Purgatorio, Canto XII". Divine Comedy. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  56. ^ S.C. Fredericks (March 1976). "Lucian's True History as SF". www.depauw.edu. Retrieved 16 September 2018. Reprint from Science Fiction Studies: # 8; Volume 3, Part 1
  57. ^ Samosata, Lucian of (1899). Lucian's Wonderland: Being a Translation of the 'Vera Historia,'. W. Blackwood and Sons. p. 27. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  58. ^ "Personages in 'The Journey To The West'". News 97, Noteworthy Book. The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  59. ^ Mabillard, Amanda (11 June 2018). "Quotes Mistakenly Attributed to Shakespeare". Shakespeare on line. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  60. ^ Walter Scott, Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field; Canto VI, stanza XVII
  61. ^ Gallagher, David (1 October 2008). "The Transmission of Ovid's Arachne Metamorphosis in Jeremias Gotthelf's Die Schwarze Spinne". Neophilologus. 92 (4): 699–711. doi:10.1007/s11061-007-9071-y. S2CID 162479504.
  62. ^ Ferber, Sandy. "The Black Spider: A horror novella | Fantasy Literature: Fantasy and Science Fiction Book and Audiobook Reviews". Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  63. ^ Thomas, G. W. (20 January 2021). "The Monsters of the Hyborian Age 3: The Tower Spider". Dark Worlds Quarterly.
  64. ^ Groom, Nick (2022). Twenty-first century Tolkien: what Middle-Earth means to us today. London: Atlantic Books. ISBN 9781838956998.
  65. ^ Tales of the Lovecraft Mythos. Random House Publishing Group. 18 December 2007. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-307-41679-7. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  66. ^ Day, D. (2002). A Tolkien Beastiary. London: Chancellor Press. pp. 220–221. ISBN 0-7537-0459-5.
  67. ^ a b Rateliff, John D. (2007). The History of The Hobbit: Mr. Baggins. Hammersmith: HarperCollins. pp. 326–33. ISBN 978-0-00-723555-1.
  68. ^ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1974). The Hobbit. London: Unwin Books. ISBN 0-04-823070-7.
  69. ^ a b Tolkien, J. R. R. (1994). The Lord of the Rings. London: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0-261-10320-2.
  70. ^ Adams, Ted (17 February 2016). The Shrinking Man. IDW Publishing. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-62302-903-6. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  71. ^ Scholastic Inc. (2002). Bridge to Terabithia. Scholastic. p. 18. ISBN 0-439-41129-7. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  72. ^ Boga, Steven (1995). Camping and Backpacking With Children. Stackpole Books. p. 154. ISBN 0-8117-2522-7. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  73. ^ a b Rowling, J. K. (1998). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. ISBN 0-7475-3848-4.
  74. ^ a b Riphouse, Acascias (July 2004). The Harry Potter Companion. Virtualbookworm Publishing. p. 206. ISBN 978-1-58939-582-4. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  75. ^ "The Fable of the Spider and the Fly". IMDb. 4 March 1923. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  76. ^ Whitman, Walt; Leaves of Grass (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1891–92): 343. PS 3201 1891 Robarts Library. Publication Notes: Broadway Magazine (Oct. 1868)
  77. ^ Whitman, Walt. "A Noiseless Patient Spider". RPO, University of Toronto Libraries. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  78. ^ Lee, Stan (w), Ditko, Steve (a). Amazing Fantasy, no. 15 (August 1962). New York City, New York: Marvel Comics.
  79. ^ Misiroglu, Gina Renée; Eury, Michael (2006). The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood. Visible Ink Press. p. 1981. ISBN 978-0-7808-0977-2. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  80. ^ Thomas, Roy (2006). The All-Star Companion Volume 2. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-893905-37-5. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  81. ^ Moench; Jones & Beatty (May 1995). Batman #518. DC Comics.
  82. ^ Hopely, Alex (26 February 2022). "Pokemon Fan Points Out Big Problem With the Franchise's 'Spiders'". Game Rant. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  83. ^ Maberry, Jonathan; Kramer, David F. (25 August 2009). THEY BITE. Kensington Publishing Corp. p. 410. ISBN 978-0-8065-3216-5. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  84. ^ Lavender III, Isiah (25 September 2014). Black and Brown Planets: The Politics of Race in Science Fiction. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-62674-306-9. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  85. ^ Theron, Martin (14 December 2017). "So I'm a Spider, So What? Novel 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  86. ^ Kakashi, A., & Baba, O. (n.d.). So I'm a Spider, So What? Retrieved from https://mangarock.com/manga/mrs-serie-143465 "So I'm a Spider, So What?" Official Japanese website
  87. ^ O'Gaea, Ashleen (2004). Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Samhain to Ostara : Lore, Rituals, Activities, and Symbols. Career Press. ISBN 1-56414-731-2.[permanent dead link‍]
  88. ^ Bow, Leslie; Castronovo, Russ (19 September 2022). The Oxford Handbook of Twentieth-Century American Literature. Oxford University Press. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-19-255732-2.
  89. ^ Mana, Davide (15 August 2018). "Tits & Sand: The Thief of Bagdad (1940)". Karavansara.
  90. ^ "《The Cave of the Silken Web》(1927)". A Journal of Chinese Film History. The Chinese Mirror. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  91. ^ Nochimson, Martha P. (26 January 2016). A Companion to Wong Kar-wai. John Wiley & Sons. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-118-42424-7. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  92. ^ Searles, B. (1988). Films of Science Fiction and Fantasy. New York: Harry N. Abrams. pp. 109–10. ISBN 0-8109-0922-7.
  93. ^ Ultramod, Bunny (20 May 2011). Ultra-Actors: William Shatner. Bunny Ultramod. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-4580-3457-1. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  94. ^ Munns, Roger Harris; Peter Hutchison; illustrations Oliver Whalley; maps Alan Whitaker, Steve (2007). Amazon : the Bradt travel guide (3rd ed.). Chalfont St. Peter: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 146. ISBN 978-1841621739.
  95. ^ McGrath, Rick. "Ojo Reviews Spider Baby". Film Court. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  96. ^ Gore, Lucius. "Horror Movie Review of Spiders (Gary Jones)". Esplatter.com. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  97. ^ "Spiders (2000)". IMDb. 27 December 2000. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  98. ^ Liebman, Martin (April 8, 2013). "Spiders 3D Blu-ray Review". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  99. ^ Marley, Adele. "Movie Review : Eight Legged Freaks". Baltimore City Paper. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  100. ^ "Along Came a Computer-Generated..." The New York Times.
  101. ^ Maslin, Janet (12 April 1996). "FILM REVIEW;A Poor Little Boy Befriended by Bugs". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  102. ^ Cupryn, Isabel. "Enemy – Review". Canadian Film Review. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  103. ^ Lewis, Hilary (20 March 2014). "'Enemy's' Sarah Gadon on Working With Two Jake Gyllenhaals and the Meaning of That Final Scene". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  104. ^ Wickman, Forrest (14 March 2014). "What Should We Make of Enemy's Shocking Ending?". Slate. The Slate Group. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  105. ^ Debruge, Peter (21 September 2013). "Toronto Film Review: 'Enemy'". Variety. Variety Media. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  106. ^ Hurley, Laura (1 September 2017). "One Thing About The IT Miniseries That Really Disappointed Tim Curry". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  107. ^ Fullerton, Huw (28 October 2018). "How accurate is the spider science in Doctor Who: Arachnids in the UK?". Radio Times. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  108. ^ "Phantasmatic Fissures: Spider". Senses of Cinema.
  109. ^ Quann, Peg (25 October 2011). "It's spiders' time to shine". Burlington County Times. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  110. ^ "A Quick One". The Who. Retrieved 13 February 2014. The very first song that John wrote for The Who endured as a live favourite while he was alive. The band even played it on their 25th anniversary reunion tour in 1989.
  111. ^ Buckley, David (2012). Strange Fascination David Bowie: The Definitive Story. Ebury Publishing. p. 377.
  112. ^ "50 years ago today: David Bowie released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars". Hot Press.
  113. ^ "No Doubt : Chart history". Billboard Artist 100. Billboard. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  114. ^ Graff, Gary (24 July 2008). "Alice Cooper Unleashing 'Killer' New Album". Billboard. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  115. ^ Watts, Alan (Podcast: Following The Middle Way #3 Archived 2010-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Jul 25, 2010)
  116. ^ Cicchetti, Jane (2003). Dreams, Symbols, and Homeopathy: Archetypal Dimensions of Healing. North Atlantic Books. p. 50. ISBN 1-55643-436-7. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  117. ^ Watson, Gay, ed. (2000). The Psychology of Awakening : Buddhism, Science, and Our Day-to-day Lives (1st ed.). York Beach, Me: S. Weiser. p. 225. ISBN 1578631726.
  118. ^ Brook, Timothy (2009). Vermeer's Hat the Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World. London: Profile Books. p. 22. ISBN 978-1847652546. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  119. ^ The Etude. T. Presser. 1916. p. 573. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  120. ^ "Sculpture Garden". National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  121. ^ MacMillan, Kyle (5 October 2006). "Not all the art is within the walls". The Denver Post. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  122. ^ "Sale 2480 / Lot 29". Christie's LLC. Retrieved 18 November 2012. Price Realized: $10,722,500
  123. ^ "Attack of the Steampunk Spider Princess". Neatorama. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  124. ^ "La Machine – Liverpool 5/6/7 September 2008". Artichoke. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  125. ^ Gygax, Gary (1977). Monster Manual. TSR, Inc.
  126. ^ Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, and Monte Cook Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
  127. ^ Borgstrom, R. Sean; et al. (2003). Manual of Monsters. White Wolf, Inc. ISBN 978-1-58846-070-7.
  128. ^ Greenwood, Ed (2007). "Afterword". Dark Warrior Rising: A Novel of Niflheim. Macmillan. pp. 297–298. ISBN 978-0-7653-1765-0.
  129. ^ Gygax, Gary. Queen of the Spiders (TSR, 1986)
  130. ^ Klepek, Patrick (17 March 2021). "Why Capcom Brought Creepy Spiders Back to Monster Hunter". www.vice.com. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  131. ^ Starling, Sara (27 September 2021). "The Best Undertale Characters". We Got This Covered. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  132. ^ Serrels, Mark (14 November 2011). "This Skyrim Mod Is For The Arachnophobes In All Of Us". Kotaku Australia. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  133. ^ Blackburn, Steven (29 August 2021). "Transformers Beast Wars Comic Empowers Blackarachnia More Than Show". ScreenRant. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  134. ^ Tribute to Spider Sabich Archived 2013-05-08 at the Wayback Machine – by Bob Burns, 20th anniversary (March 1996)
  135. ^ "Anderson Silva explains the reason behind "The Spider" nickname". UFC/MMA News In One Place. 17 January 2011. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  136. ^ Caputo, Paul (9 August 2014). "The hair-raising story behind the University of Richmond Spiders". SportsLogos.Net News. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  137. ^ "Spider Myths - Swallowing Spiders". Burke Museum. 2010. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  138. ^ Sneed, Annie (15 April 2014). "Fact or Fiction? People Swallow 8 Spiders a Year While They Sleep". Scientific American. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  139. ^ Burchell, Helen (2023-08-06). "Do people really swallow spiders in their sleep?". BBC News. Hertfordshire. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  140. ^ Crawford, Rod. "Spider Myths: How'd those eggs get in there?". The Spider Myths Site. Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  141. ^ Taylor, Jacqui (2005). A baobab is big & other verses from Africa. Struik. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-86872-718-6.
  142. ^ "The daddy longlegs myth that we keep falling for". Australian Geographic. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  143. ^ Holt, David (1999). "The Belle at Biloni". Spiders in the Hairdo: Modern Urban Legends. august house. p. 70. ISBN 0-87483-525-9. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
  144. ^ Brunvand, Jan Harold (2001). Encyclopedia of Urban Legends. ABC-CLIO. p. 408. ISBN 978-1-57607-076-5. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  145. ^ a b "UCR Spiders Site: Internet Hoax". spiders.ucr.edu. University of California, Riverside. December 2004. Archived from the original on 21 July 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  146. ^ "Arachnius gluteus – the South American Blush Spider". Iowa State University of Science and Technology. 2005. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  147. ^ Snopes: Urban Legends Reference Pages: Two-Striped Telamonia Spider. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
  148. ^ "FACT CHECK: Two-Striped Telamonia Spider". Snopes.com. 30 September 1999. Retrieved 30 October 2018.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cultural_depictions_of_spiders&oldid=1260547723"