Adela,  Greece,  Western Europe

Arachne

Athena and Arachne Photo Credit-  By Antonio Tempesta
Athena and Arachne Photo Credit- By Antonio Tempesta

I have a fear of spiders which is known as Arachnophobia. The term has its roots in Greek myth. Arachne means spider in Greek.

This is the tale of why you should just keep somethings to yourself even if you are that good at it.

A weaver named Arachne felt that her skill at weaving was better than anybody’s including the gods. But if there is one thing you don’t do, it’s don’t boast you’re better than a god. This of course angered the Goddess Athena, she appeared to Arachne disguised as an old woman and asked her to respect the gods and goddesses, but Arachne just laughed, and said that even if Athena herself challenged her, it would be an easy win.
Athena promptly revealed herself and challenged Arachne to see who truly was the best. But there was a catch – whoever lost would not be allowed to touch a spindle or the loom again. Athena began weaving a tapestry of the people of Greece, with Poseidon and Athena over them, deciding whose name should be given to the city of Athens. Arachne wove a tapestry about Zeus, and his seduction of Europa and others. Athena saw that although Arachne had insulted the gods, her work was beautiful. She decided she wanted to teach her to be more respectful to the gods. So to make Arachne realize her mistake and also to teach her to respect the gods and their works, she touched Arachne’s forehead with the tip of her hand. The magic worked but not the way she had hoped. Filled with guilt for her what she had done Arachne sadly hanged herself. Out of pity, Athena brought her back to life by turning her into a spider, so she could weave all the time.

Adela