SPIDER SUPERSTITIONS
“A belief which leaves no place for doubt is not a belief; it is a superstition.” – José Bergamín
Superstition is a powerful thing. It taps into our greatest fears and desires and easily defeats logic in its ability to influence us. They have been woven into the very fabric of our civilization since the beginning of time and deeply embedded in our culture. Even in this age of wisdom and enlightenment, many of us cannot help but heed that tiny, irrational voice in our head that whispers to us from the deepest recesses of our subconscious. Don’t forget to throw that pinch of salt over your shoulder. Don’t walk under that ladder. Don’t open that umbrella in the house. It’s Friday the 13th—be extra careful. Knock on wood. Don’t let that black cat cross your path. And whatever you do, don’t kill that spider!
Curious, isn’t it? Arachnophobia tops the list of the most common fears in the world. It is so common that there is a good chance you are afraid of spiders. Maybe you are even glancing around your room uneasily looking for one right now, simply because we’ve mentioned it. What will you do if you spot one? If you are superstitious, you probably know that killing a spider is bad luck. Will you attempt to catch it, despite your fear, and escort it safely out of your house? If that scenario is familiar, trust us when we tell you, you are not alone. There are probably more superstitions observed about them than any other creature on earth. Ironically, given our fear of them, most of those superstitions involve the presence of one being good luck rather than bad. Perhaps that is because we humans are perpetually motivated to face our fears and viewing the spider as a symbol of good luck forces us to do just that.
Let’s take a look at a few of the earliest known superstitions in recorded history:
- 1507 – “When a man fyndeth a spyder upon his gowne it is a synge to be that daye ryght happye.” To this day, many people believe that discovering one on your clothing is a sign that you’ll have a good day.
- 1594 – “If a spinner creepe uppon him, hee shall have golde raine downe from heaven.” This one seems to have evolved from the older one above, indicating that finding a spider on your person is a sign that money is coming your way. Variations of this notion repeat again and again and persist to modern times.
- 1780 – “Small spiders termed Money-Sinners are held by many to prognosticate good luck if they are not destroyed or injured or removed from the person on whom they are first observed.” Once again, we see them as a symbol of good fortune here, but it goes even further now to state that you only receive that good luck if you do not destroy the spider. This could very well be the origin of the more general belief today that it is bad luck to kill a spider.
The true origins of spider superstitions, including those above, can be traced back to pre-history and the perceptions of ancient cultures worldwide. The spider has been a source of fascination, inspiring both awe over its keen intelligence and revulsion over its creepy strangeness and predatory behavior. Examples of spider symbolism abound in Greek, Roman, African, Pre-Columbian, Indian, and Asian mythologies, and theologies. It has been repeatedly associated with industriousness, patience, cunning, mischief, and malice, all of which contributed to oral traditions, fables, and folklore that were passed down over generations to become the basis of the many superstitions we are familiar with today.
Other well-known spider superstitions you may have heard include:
- The presence of a spider is an omen that something important is about to happen.
- When you see a one dangling from its silken thread above you, you should be on the lookout for an important letter.
- If you find one in a drawer or closet, it means you are about to get new clothing.
- When you observe a spider run across its web, it’s a sign you will be going on a trip.
- If you see one crawling down your wall, something you’ve dreamed about may be about to come true.
- If you find one on your dining room table, there is an enemy in your home.
- If you accidentally kill a spider, it’s going to rain.
While the superstitions may be prolific, they are far from valid, however. The spider is simply a bug. It has no real mystical power to change your luck. However, it does have the ability to annoy you, scare you, and even hurt you—especially if you live in Colorado. Many dangerous spiders are attracted to homes, including Black Widows, Brown Recluses, Tarantulas, and more.
If you are noticing spiders in or around your home, please bear in mind that it can be quite hazardous to try to handle them yourself. Contact a professional pest control company like Bee Smart Colorado. We are the leading, most trusted exterminator in the area, and we are not superstitious, just super-efficient. Give us a call, and we’ll dispel your spider problem in no time.