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Arachnid Myths and Stories
“The Fire and the Spider” from Myths, Legends and Old Sayings by Hastings Shade--taken from the
newsletter “The Talking Leaf” from Powersource (a Native American Cultural Center with stories of
animals, biographies of famous Native Americans, art, etc.)
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.
A spider tradition in Islam--also from the newsletter “The Talking Leaf” by 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.
Spiders 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!
Chewonki Traveling Natural History Programs www.chewonki.org