Spider Tattoos

Spider Tattoos and Tattoo Designs

Thursday 15th of January 2009 08:46:20 PM [Add To This Article]

Spider are multi-legged, web spinning insects. Besides one recently discovered species, all spiders are predators, preying mostly on insects and other spiders by trapping them in their webs. Some famous (or infamous) spiders are the black widow and the tarantula.

Spiders are beneficial to humans in many ways. Their predatory ways help with pest control. Their venom is also useful in the medical world. Possible medical uses for spider venoms are being investigated, for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, Alzheimer's disease, strokes, and erectile dysfunction.

Spiders have been the focus of fears, stories and mythologies of various cultures for centuries. They have symbolized patience due to their hunting technique of setting webs and waiting for prey, as well as mischief and malice for the painful death their venom causes. Web spinning also caused the association of the spider with creation myths, as they seem to have the ability to produce their own worlds.

Native American storytellers speak of Spider Woman who existed at the dawn of creation before humans arrived. Not surprisingly, she taught the people the art of weaving. Today, the Spider is a symbol of fertility, balance and harmony, and is often personified as Grandmother, the teacher and protector of wisdom. Spider shows up on prehistoric Native American clay carvings. It's a stylized Spider with a cross carved on its back, which, according to some archaeologists, symbolizes the centre of the earth and the four cardinal directions north, south, east and west.

From ancient Greece comes the tale of a beautiful maiden named Arachne, who was so brilliant a weaver that the goddess Athena became jealous. According to the myth, Athena made Arachne's life so miserable that the maiden died. So great was Athena's remorse that she resurrected Arachne as a Spider, so she could spin beautiful webs for all time.

The Scottish tell the tale of Robert the Bruce and the Spider. This legendary king of Scotland took refuge in a cave after being defeated in battle by the English. Seeing no hope of recovering his kingdom, he was prepared to leave the country and never return. In his depression, he watched a Spider at the cave entrance building its web, and in the process failing over and over again. But the Spider did not give up. King Robbie was inspired to fight on, and is known for instructing his men, "If at first you don't succeed -- try, try and try again."

The spider tattoo has also achieved special status within prison and gang tattooing and in the symbol language of prison and gang tattoo, spiders and spider-webs give important information about the length of a prisoner's sentence and even their crimes. Spider tattoos can also symbolize creativity, cunning and good luck, especially when seen dangling at the end of a thread. Spider tattoos are also found among weavers because spiders are symbol of their craft.