FRAGMENTS OF SPIDER LORE 
By Frank E. Lutz 
RACHNIDA, the scientific name of 
spiders and their relatives is derived 
from that of a character in Grecian 
mythology. According to Ovid, 
Arachne was a mortal who was so skilled in 
weaving that she ventured to challenge 
Athena. When Athena saw that Arachne’s 
work was without blemish she destroyed it. 
Arachne was driven by grief to hang herself, 
whereupon Athena changed her into a spider 
and the rope became a cobweb. 
Origin of Spiders 
It is said in the sacred writings of ancient 
India, that a large spider was the originator 
of the universe. From her glands she wove 
the web of which we inhabit a part and even 
now she sits in its center directing its motion. 
At her pleasure she will consume it, as many 
of the spiders about us do their webs, and may 
then spin a new universe. It is worth noting 
that the same idea occurred in the folk lore 
of certain American Indian tribes and is also 
found in that of Guinea. 
Spiders did not hold so exalted a station 
with all people. The idea was current in 
many parts of the world that they have their 
origin in putrefaction. Moufet proved this 
as follows: ‘‘It is manifest that spiders are 
bred of some aéreal seeds putrefied, from filth 
and corruption, because that the newest 
houses the first day they are whited will have 
both spiders and cobwebs in them.” His 
daughter was doubtless the heroine of 
the nursery rhyme: 
Little Miss Moufet sat on a tuffet 
Eating her curds and whey 
There came a great spider 
And sat down beside her 
And frightened Miss Moufet away. 
Spiders in the Bible 
There are three fairly well-known Biblical 
passages concerning spiders. Agur (Proverbs 
XXX, 28) includes the spider that “taketh 
hold with her hands and is in kings’ palaces”’ 
among the four things which are little but 
exceeding wise, and the frail spider’s web is a 
symbol of the hypocrite’s hope (Job VIII, 14) 
as well as of the disobedient Jews’ works 
(Isaiah LIX, 5). 
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Spiders in History 
If we may believe legends, Mohammed, St. 
Felix of Nola and other victims of pursuit 
have been saved by spiders spinning webs over 
the entrances to their hiding places. The 
pursuers, seeing the webs, decided that no one 
had passed that way and neglected to look. 
The fortunes of Robert Bruce were at low 
ebb and he lay, discouraged, gazing at the cob- 
webs on the rafters. A spider, after vainly 
trying twelve times to swing itself by its 
thread from one beam to another, succeeded 
on the thirteenth attempt. ‘The thirteenth 
time,’’ shouted Bruce, ‘‘I accept it as a lesson 
not to despond under difficulties, and shall 
once more venture my life in the struggle for 
the independence of my country.’”? He won. 
Perhaps not much more legendary than 
these is the story that the spiders in the temple 
of Ceres Thesmophoros wove white webs 
when the Theban army was to be victorious, 
but black ones, signifying defeat, when 
Alexander made his attack. 
Spiders as Weather Prophets 
During his imprisonment at Utrecht, 
Quatremer Disjonval observed the relation 
between changes in the weather and the habits 
of spiders. When the French invaded Hol- 
land in 1794 by crossing the water barriers 
on ice, Disjonval hoped to be released. An 
unexpected thaw came in December and the 
French were about to withdraw but, as Dis- 
jonval’s spiders predicted a return of cold 
weather he got word to the French general 
to wait. This was done; the cold came and 
the French were able to move even their 
heaviest artillery and to take Utrecht. 
Some of the ideas on this subject are as 
follows: if the weather is to be rough the 
threads which support the web are unusually 
short. Before a rain spiders are indolent. 
If they are active during a rain fair weather 
will quickly follow. If spiders make changes 
in their webs before 7 p. Mm. the night will be 
clear and pleasant. 
Spiders as Omens of Luck 
In Maryland it is said that if you kill a 
spider which gets on your clothing you destroy 
