Tarantula book

I found this story in the Newsletter 'The Talking Leaf' from Powersource (a Native American Cultural Center with stories of animals, biographies of famous Native Americans, art ...)

Many, many years ago when the earth was still cold and dark, animals, birds and insects could still communicate but there was no fire. The Indians needed fire to stay warm and to cook with.

At this time, however there were a race of giants who had fire and were called The Fire People. All the animals got together and decided that they should get some fire from the Fire People. The bear went first since he was the strongest. He came back and told the other animals that he had indeed tried his best, but that he had been unable to get any fire. Just then, the animals heard a tiny voice, "Let me try," said the spider. They laughed and said, "You're too small."

But as each animal tried and returned with the sad news that they had failed, the spider's small voice was still heard saying, "Let me try". Finally she was the only one left, so they agreed to let her try. Spider fashioned a small clay pot with a lid on it and put it on her back as she started toward the fire. She would run a little ways and stop, run a little ways and stop. As she approached the fire, it began to grow light. When she finally reached the fire, she put a small ember into the clay pot.

Immediately the fire was missed by the Fire People. They looked all over for the missing fire. The spider would run a little ways and stop, run a little ways and stop, until she got right to the water's edge. The Fire People were almost on top of her, but they were afraid of the water, because they new it would put them out. Spider slipped into the water, so the Fire People figured that the fire she had stolen had been put out. So they went away thinking that their fire was safe. What they didn't know was that the ember had baked the clay pot to be water proof. So when the Fire People left, the spider came out of the water and brought the fire to the Indians. This is the Sacred Fire of the Cherokees.

Also the Great Spirit saw what she did and gave her the ability to live underwater. Today you know her as the Water Spider. She still carries a little pot on her back, but it is now called an egg sack. ***

*This book is available from the Cherokee Heritage Center, and although it is hand bound, it has many beautiful stories and thought provoking sayings. "Myths. Legends and Old Sayings" by Hastings Shade. I recommend it highly. (Sue Ellen Strapp, Powersource).

There is a famous tradition in Islam that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) first fled from Mecca pursued by its angry residents he hid in a cave. That night a spider spun its webs across the Cave's entrance so when his pursuers got to the cave they were convinced not to search for him inside. Spider are still given special respect by Muslims.

A similar older story is told of a Hindu Princess fleeing from pursuers which suggests either that this is an archetypal myth about the spider or that the totem being has helped more than one famous person!

Design

   I found a dimpled spider, fat and white,
   On a white heal-all, holding up a moth
   Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth,
   Assorted characters of death and blight
   Mixed ready to begin the morning right,
   Like the ingredients of a witches' broth,
   A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth,
   And dead wings carried like a paper kite.

   What had that flower to do with being white,
   The wayside blue and innocent heal-all?
   What brought the kindred spider to that height,
   Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
   What but design of darkness to appall?
   If design govern in a thing so small.

                         -Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Incy Wincy Spider

Incy Wincy spider
climbing up the spout
down came the rain
and washed poor Incy out
out came the sun
and dried up all the rain
Incy Wincy spider climbed up the spout again!

Spider, spider

The Smiling Spider Redon 1881, charcoal, 49.5 x 39 cm; in the Louvre, Paris (France)

The Fire and the Spider

A spider tradition in Islam

Design

Incy Wincy Spider

Spider, spider