Spider Symbolism: Weaving, Wisdom and Trickery from Arachne to Anansi

The spider is above all a weaver, and its symbolism follows its web: skill, patience, creativity and the connections between things. It is also a trickster, and in West African and Caribbean storytelling it is one of the greatest trickster heroes of all.

Arachne

In the Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphoses, the mortal weaver Arachne challenges the goddess Athena to a weaving contest. Her tapestry is flawless but mocks the gods, and Athena turns her into a spider, doomed to weave forever. Arachne gave her name to the arachnids.

Anansi

Among the Akan peoples of Ghana, Kwaku Ananse, Anansi the spider, is the hero of countless folktales: clever, greedy, funny and endlessly resourceful. In one famous story he wins all the world's stories from the sky god. Carried across the Atlantic by enslaved Africans, the tales became the Anancy stories of Jamaica and the Caribbean, where they remain a living tradition.

The spider's web in Adinkra

The Akan Adinkra symbol Ananse ntontan, "spider's web", stands for wisdom, creativity and the complexities of life. See our guide to Adinkra symbols.

Other traditions

Spiders appear in the art of many cultures, including the Moche of ancient Peru, and in the stories of Spider Woman in several Native American traditions, where the spider is a creator and teacher.

The spider in jewellery

A spider design can reference weaving, storytelling, patience or the trickster's wit. See the AURYN Spider charm, or read our guide to animal symbolism.