So...was it mainly the choice of subjects that tipped the balance for Athena, or was her envy of Arachne's skill the greater prompt for her actions? This is a matter of opinion, I'm not suggesting links to texts.
And when Arachne was metamorphosed into a spider, did they supposedly already exist? Or is this a kind of spider creation myth?
2007-11-30 06:17:19 · 4 answers · asked by Z 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
When I was younger, I took it to be Athena's jealousy of Arachne's skill. But as I've gotten older, I took it to be Athena's (the goddess) anger/outrage at Arachne's blasphemy (basically Arachne was claiming to be better than the god who created weaving and who presumably gave her the gift of weaving).
I believe this is a spider creation myth.
2007-11-30 06:48:37 · answer #1 · answered by Invisigoth 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Though the story of Arachne is certainly a creation myth of spiders, I think some moral lesson can be taken and interpreted.
Athena's challenge probably had more to do with Arachne's pride and ignorance, rather than her skill at weaving. At the end of the version I read, Athena's decision to transform Arachne into a spider was actually an act of compassion rather than punishment. As a spider, Arachne could spend the rest of her days doing that which she loved most -- weaving. She would also be spared the humiliation of having to face her fellow humans, after having lost to the goddess.
So, according to the myth, the spider is Athena's own creation. However, an underlying message, or deeper purpose, of the story is a warning against boastful pride.
2007-11-30 19:09:01 · answer #2 · answered by : primavera : 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The moral of the story is that entering into a contest with a divine being is foolhardy-- even if a human achieves victory, the cost will still be too high, delivering more disappointment and regret than anything positive and worthwhile. As far as the transformation into a spider, it seems to me, that is is more of a curse and a warning than anything else-- Arachne exists forever in those spiders who preserve the legacy of her skill and her terrible humiliation.
2007-11-30 16:29:18 · answer #3 · answered by Timaeus 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
this is supposed to be a myth of the creation of spiders.
athena was not envious she was enraged---that a mortal would claim to have better skills than a god is unacceptable. If anything i would say it was jealousy that others would think arachne's work was comparable to athena's.
2007-11-30 15:07:49 · answer #4 · answered by jayjay 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋