| Tarantulas, or Theraphosids have recently | | | | children that the outcroppings of white |
| become relatively familiar creatures in | | | | quartz at the top of the monolith were the |
| Europe and the North America. However, | | | | bones of disobedient children who were more |
| despite our familiarity with these large | | | | likely to be caught by the spider. |
| relatively harmless spiders, they are not | | | | |
| really a sufficient apart of our history for | | | | Another Navajo legend recounts how a Pueblo |
| us to have included them in our myths. | | | | Indian girl who was living with the Navajo |
| | | | was so lonely she just wandered off into the |
| Tarantism as it occurred in Europe during the | | | | desert. Here she saw a thin wisp of smoke |
| Middle ages had nothing to do with what we | | | | arising from a hole in the ground, on looking |
| call 'Tarantulas' today. Nevertheless the | | | | inside she saw 'Spider Woman' spinning a |
| word 'Tarantula' stems from Europe and was | | | | blanket. |
| given to the Theraphosids of America, and | | | | |
| other places by Europeans because these | | | | It goes on to tell how Spider Woman befriends |
| spiders reminded them of their own | | | | the girl and teachers her how to spin cloth. |
| 'Tarantula' about which a strong body of | | | | With this new and valuable skill she returns |
| folklore and mythology exists. | | | | to the village, where she teaches the other |
| | | | woman to spin with the condition that they |
| This folklore arose in the 14th century | | | | must leave a small hole in each blanket to |
| around the Lycosa Tarantula spider in the | | | | remind them that it was Spider Woman that |
| area of Taranto in Southern Italy. It started | | | | taught them how to spin. Needless to say she |
| with peasants who were working in the fields | | | | is now accepted by everybody and is much |
| and who thought they had been bittern by a | | | | happier. |
| spider dancing a wild and frenzied dance to | | | | |
| exhaust themselves in order to survive the | | | | Another myth shared in various forms by |
| bite. Later on this dancing evolved into a | | | | several Indian peoples is that 'Old Mother |
| cult and there is much controversy over the | | | | Tarantula' saved the first man and first |
| social forces which were involved in its | | | | woman from the wrath of Kukumat. The story |
| expression in the following centuries. Apart | | | | goes that the first man and first woman spent |
| from this modern thought also casts doubt on | | | | so much time bickering and arguing that |
| the role of the 'Tarantula'. | | | | Kukumat sent a flood to get rid of them |
| | | | because he was tired of listening to the |
| Suggesting that most genuine cases were the | | | | racket they were making. |
| result of bites by the European Black Widow | | | | |
| (Latrodectus Tredecimguttatus) which lives | | | | As the flood waters rose the first man and |
| low in the vegetation rather than of bites by | | | | first woman were eventually saved by Old |
| Lycosa Tarantula, which like its Theraphosid | | | | Mother Tarantula who spun a raft for them to |
| cousins lives in a hole in the ground and is | | | | escape the flood. |
| quite shy. | | | | |
| | | | Another legend explains how Spider Woman |
| However the local people of the various parts | | | | helps the 12 brothers, who were the children |
| of the world, where Tarantulas occur | | | | of the first man and first woman hunt down |
| naturally have made them a part of their | | | | Coyote who, in not becoming a domestic dog |
| mythology. One of these groups of peoples are | | | | has disobeyed the hunters. |
| the Indians of Southern USA and Mexico. These | | | | |
| mythologies may not all relate specifically | | | | When they eventually catch and kill Coyote |
| to 'Tarantulas' as the terminology is often | | | | with Spider woman's help she takes the skin |
| just translated as spider, however in many | | | | as a trophy, which she wears on her abdomen. |
| cases it is referring to a ground dwelling | | | | From this time on all Tarantulas have a patch |
| Theraphosid, particularly Old Mother | | | | of rough hairs on their abdomens. |
| Tarantula. | | | | |
| | | | Another group of Indians called the Zuni have |
| A very old belief that is part of several | | | | a legend which states that after Winter |
| different Indian cultures, is the Pima myth | | | | Thunder (a bad guy) blew Rainbow boy to bits |
| that the world was created by Chiowotmahke | | | | Spider Woman sent her Spider Girls to rescue |
| the Earth Prophet. He took the form of a | | | | Rainbow Boy who by spinning and weaving all |
| Spider and spun a huge web across the void | | | | his nerves and blood vessels back together |
| creating the Earth in the process, he then | | | | again were able to bring him back to life. |
| changed form again to become a butterfly. | | | | |
| | | | After which Rainbow Boy was able to prevent |
| As the butterfly he flew down to the Earth | | | | the other Thunder Beings, Black Whirlwind and |
| and created mankind. Cave paintings can be | | | | Black Metal from destroying all the tribes. |
| found in California depicting this scene. | | | | |
| Also in California, Chumash Indian mythology | | | | In Mexico it was believed that the creation |
| states that the Sun God Kaqunupenawa rests by | | | | of the world was assisted by Tocotl a Spider |
| day in a hole in the ground created for him | | | | God, who spins a huge hammock to hold the |
| by 'Spider Woman' while his rays warm the | | | | world up. The Mayans believed that after |
| Earth. | | | | death of the body the soul was destined to |
| | | | wander through the many dark passages of the |
| The Navajo used to live in what is now known | | | | underworld until they met a great river which |
| as the Canyon de Chelly National Park, this | | | | they could not cross on their own. |
| contains an amazing monolith of rock 800 feet | | | | |
| high known as 'Spider Rock'. This rock | | | | Each soul can only get to the other side of |
| according to Navajo legends was the home of | | | | this river with the help of a spider person. |
| 'Old Mother Tarantula' or 'Spider Woman'. | | | | The spider people spin a web rafts and then |
| | | | one spider person and one soul journey across |
| Mixed up with this are stories of a spider | | | | the underground river linked in a sort of |
| who would climb down from the rock to catch | | | | spiritual bond so that each is totally |
| children and carry them back to the top to | | | | dependant on the other until they reach |
| eat. Navajo mothers apparently told their | | | | safety on the other side. |