Spiders in Human Culture
There is no shortage of Spiders in our popular culture today. Many of the stories go back a very long time ago. Most of us can remember some nursery rhymes that we have passed along to our own children. Little Miss Muffet is one that is fun story about a girl sitting there eating when along came a spider and scared her away.
The Itsy Bitsy Spider is a lovely song that young children enjoy learning. Not only is a catch tune but there are plenty of movements they get to do with the body too. This is a song about the spider climbing up a water spout only to be washed down it again as the rain came down. Yet he didn’t give up because as the sun came out and dried the rain he tried his climb yet again.
The book Charlottes Web later become a huge hit as a movie. This is a delightful story about a smart Spider who strives to be able to protect her Pig friend Wilbur. She is able to write things in her web about the Pig so he won’t be butchered by the rancher.
The story also explores friendships and life changes that we can’t control. In the end Charlotte knows she will die before her young are born. Her friends are sad but she is at peace with it. She explains to them that is all part of the cycle of life.
The comedy Arachnophobia is a fun show as well as creepy to watch. It features John Goodman. The movie was released in 1990 and continues to be popular today. The story involves a rare Spider being imported into the United States. Before long there are many of them killing humans around the area.
It is up to the exterminators to get it all under control. Yet they are fearful of Spiders too. If you have a fear of Spiders though this may be a movie that makes you cringe. For everyone else though it is nothing more than quality entertainment with some good laughs tossed in their too.
The term Black Widow is often used for a woman who has a history of dead boyfriends or dead husbands. These stories say that she killed them to have their money or to be free of them. Once she no longer needed them they were discarded. Of course with the world of forensic studies in place that would be hard to get away with today. The term is connected with the Black Widow Spider who is known to kill and often eat her mate.
In some cultures the Spider is well regarded for the patience that it offers. It is also believed to be tied to the gods since they are able to create silk from their bodies to use as webs.
Halloween is a common time when the Spider is a trade mark icon out there too. They seem to be very a scary element that can be used to create a variety of costumes and themes.
If you are looking for a hero of the day though you can always turn to Spiderman. This comic book hero has had many adventures with villains and with saving society. He is able to shoot webs from his arms to help him move about just about anywhere you can think of.
The Spiderman legacy has also moved into cartoons, movies, and plenty of great memorabilia. The Spiderman movies have broken box office hits and loyal fans often wait eagerly for a new one to be released so they can see it.
