The Myth of Arachne
Spiders!! Spiders!! And Spiders.. They are literally everywhere and one can them crawling, hiding, peeping at anytime anywhere. But wait, do you know from where and when they got their everlasting existence???
Don't worry if you are not familiar with it, let me tell you about it__ "the myth of Arachne" or the myth of the first spider....
In mythologies, it does not matter whether it is Norsh or Greek or Roman or any other mythologies, The powerful Gods usually used to change their own forms at will but for moratals, the changed were often unwanted and awful.
One of this, unwanted metamorphosis befell the spectacular spinner Arachne. Arachne was the daughter of tradesman who used to earn his livelihood by dying cloth. Arachne has the passion for spinning from her childhoods and she was famous for producing the finest threads and making magnificent tapestries. People used to flocked together around her just to see the slender, fair flying fingers across the loom as if the threads sprung directly from her fingertips. The more people praised her for her excellent work ,the more she filled herself with pride and ego and we all know "Every pride hath a fall".
One could often heard Arachne boasting about her godly like weaving skills and declaring that her tallent surpassed anyone else's__ mortal and devine. She refused to see her weaving skills as a gift from devine and was accustomed to flaunt it as her own talent.
Unfortunately, the goddess of wisdom and crafts, Athena one day overheard Arachne boasting and so she decided to teach the ungrateful Arachne a lesson by disguising herself as a old woman and telling herself to stop boasting. Instead of listening to Athena's words , she bursted into laughter. It was enough to raise Athena's rage against Arachne and threw a challenge directly to her. Arachne was too boastful to feel fear, so she readily accepted her challenge.
Athena used her celestial power to weave and wove tremendous scenes depicting the power and legacy of the gods , dwarfing mortal life but in Arachne's tapestry, she showed the God's mercilessness towards mortals, abusing their power, drinking and relaxing. She represented Zeus as a philanderer transfiguring himself to ensure women such as__ A swan for Leda, A bull for Europa and many more. Arachne then turned to the misdemeanors of other gods from Pluto's abduction of Persephene,the spring goddess.
Even after casting the gods in the most unflattering light, Arachne's work shone brightly with her dazzling skill. Her tapestry seemed almost alive filled with movements and vibrant colours.
Seeing this victory over her celestial power, Athena flew into a rage and turned Arachne into a spider. Arachne could do nothing but to see the changes in her body helplessly, she could feel her arms stuck to her sides and black hair sprouted all over her body, for challenging the assumption that the Gods uses their power in a wrong way. This is how a human body metamorphosed into the first spider for her ego and pride.
There is an another version of this myth, where it is told that Arachne hung herself in shame and fear after winning against the goddess Athena, but Athena give her a second chance to live by resurrecting Arachne into the first spider and giving the blessing to weave forever magnificently generation after generation. Since then she and her children continuously are trying to scatter their magical weaving skill all over the earth.
The myths are maybe false but the lessons they gives are truely magical and spectacular. We need to realise that everything that is excessive can turn into poison and snatch away all the good things we have. It is much much better to remain humble even if you are the only one greatest person on earth. Our pride and ego dies not increase the uniqueness and speciality we have but diminish everything which is good.
Thank you for reading my article and sharing your valuable time with me.
Lead image made with Canva
23.09.22
