Arachne should have stuck to weaving. ‘Course, if Athena hadn’t been such a… ehem… then arachne wouldn’t have gone down in history at all…
Actually, even Athena admitted that Arachne was a good weaver. What got Arachne turned into a spider was her blasphemous choice of subject matter for her tapestry in the weaving contest with Athena: Zeus’s habit of turning himself into various animals in order to seduce mortal women. You’d be a… ehem… too, if someone insulted your father (and, by implication, the rest of the gods, including you) like that!
@Nabuquduriuzhur, from my studies, I remember it more like legaleagle48 mentioned.
In a face-to-face challenge with Athena, Arachne wove her tapestry specifically to make fun of the Greek pantheon, especially their “love” lives, and not to “tell the unvarnished truth”. She was weaving, not just for herself and not to record “history”, but to ridicule and rub Athena’s nose in it.
True, in one version, Athena got angry and hit Arachne with her shuttle, changing the human girl into a spider. However, in another version, Arachne actually went off and hung herself when Athena pointed out just how badly that action reflected on Arachne herself. It was only after Arachne was dead that Athena restored the girl’s life as a spider, since Arachne’s weaving was too great a gift to let die.
I don’t know if anyone will read this so late in the game, but there were various versions of the Arachne myth. Rather than unintentionally distorting what’s said in that Wikipedia article, I’ll let it speak for itself.
ladywolf17 over 14 years ago
Uh oh! A lot of explaining needs to be done here by Anansi.
Sisyphos over 14 years ago
I hope Arachne wasn’t angling for a dinner invitation. Anansi is honor-bound to protect Boody’s body; but is he honorable?
Rakkav over 14 years ago
Easy mistake to make. Arache’s dropped into the middle of the motion picture…
mrsullenbeauty over 14 years ago
He’s as snug as bug in a rug.
legaleagle48 over 14 years ago
Nabuquduriuzhur said, about 4 hours ago
Arachne should have stuck to weaving. ‘Course, if Athena hadn’t been such a… ehem… then arachne wouldn’t have gone down in history at all…
Actually, even Athena admitted that Arachne was a good weaver. What got Arachne turned into a spider was her blasphemous choice of subject matter for her tapestry in the weaving contest with Athena: Zeus’s habit of turning himself into various animals in order to seduce mortal women. You’d be a… ehem… too, if someone insulted your father (and, by implication, the rest of the gods, including you) like that!
mntim over 14 years ago
That’s the problem with restaurants nowadays. The portions are too big. You need a doggy bag to carry stuff home.
celeconecca over 14 years ago
I like the little spider perspiration after wrapping up such a large body.
Coyoty Premium Member over 14 years ago
Maybe Boody will come out his cocoon with wings.
Dragon wings, not angel wings!
mntim over 14 years ago
“Thwipp! Thwipp!” Anansi has been getting ideas from Spiderman.
cutiepie29 over 14 years ago
@Nabuquduriuzhur, from my studies, I remember it more like legaleagle48 mentioned.
In a face-to-face challenge with Athena, Arachne wove her tapestry specifically to make fun of the Greek pantheon, especially their “love” lives, and not to “tell the unvarnished truth”. She was weaving, not just for herself and not to record “history”, but to ridicule and rub Athena’s nose in it.
True, in one version, Athena got angry and hit Arachne with her shuttle, changing the human girl into a spider. However, in another version, Arachne actually went off and hung herself when Athena pointed out just how badly that action reflected on Arachne herself. It was only after Arachne was dead that Athena restored the girl’s life as a spider, since Arachne’s weaving was too great a gift to let die.
Rakkav over 14 years ago
I don’t know if anyone will read this so late in the game, but there were various versions of the Arachne myth. Rather than unintentionally distorting what’s said in that Wikipedia article, I’ll let it speak for itself.