65 motifs match “spider”  ·  back to the chapters

• Spider as creator. A13.3.1
• Spider as culture hero. A522.3.1
• Earth made by cups of earth placed on spider's web. A823
• Islands from webs woven by primeval spiders. A955.7
• Origin of spider. [Note: In folk thought the spider is classed as an insect and not with the other arachnida.] (Cf. A1751.) A2091
• Arachne transformed to spider: vies with goddess in spinning. A2091.1
• Spider carries large stone on head and drops it: hence spiders under stones. (Cf. A2433.5.3.) A2211.6
• Ant thrown from heaven: hence narrow waist. God decides dispute between ant and spider in spider's favor. (Cf. A2355.1.2.) A2214.2
• Blood of scourged Christ on certain spiders. (Cf. A2411.3.2.) A2221.2.3
• Fly steals fire from spider: may eat everywhere. Spider brings fire from hell. Fly steals it from him on the way. (Cf. A2545.1.) A2229.4
• Spider vies with Virgin Mary in spinning: cursed. A2231.5
• Spider steals thread from Christ: has thread in back of body. (Cf. A2356.2.8.) A2231.6
• Spider hands box to ant and refuses to take it back: hence ants carry huge loads. A2243.1
• Spider transformed for greediness: now occupies dark corners. (Cf. A2433.5.3.) A2261.2
• Spider's body made larger. A2301.2
• Why spider has small waist. A2355.1.1
• Why spider has thread in back of body. (Cf. A2231.6.) A2356.2.8
• Why spider has markings on back. A2356.3.4
• Color of spider. (Cf. A2221.2.3.) A2411.3.2
• Haunts of spider. (Cf. A2211.6, large stones, A2261.2, dusty corners.) A2433.5.3
• Why spider lives under stones. A2433.5.3.1
• Enmity between cat and spider. A2494.1.7
• Enmity between rat and spider. A2494.12.8
• Enmity between spider and fly. A2494.14.1
• Enmity between spider and wasp. A2494.14.2
• Enmity between crab and spider. A2494.16.5
• Why spider brings good luck. A2536.3
• Why spider is cursed. (Cf. A2231.5.) A2542.2
• Devastating spider. B16.6.4
• Mythical spider. B93
• Magic spider catches pearls. B109.1
• Spider performs penance. B253.4
• Helpful spider. [Note: In folk thought, an insect.] B489.1
• Spider-web over hole saves fugitive. (Cf. A2221.5.) B523.1
• Bat rescues man from height. Bat lets him down in a spider-web basket. B542.1.2
• Spider has no blood in body. B724
• Giant spider. B873.3
• Transformation: man to spider. D181
• Transformation: spider to man. D381
• Transformation: dog to spider. D412.5.6
• Spider dropping on person's back as ill omen. D1812.5.1.12.3
• Spider dropping on one's front a good omen. (Cf. D1812.5.1.12.3.) D1812.5.2.11
• Cure of spider bite by the Virgin Mary. D2161.5.2.5
• Revenant as spider. E423.8
• Soul in form of spider. [Note: In folk thought, an insect.] E734.3
• Abandoned souls feed on spiders and night moths. E752.7.1
• Spider-web sky-rope. (Cf. F101.7.) Spider makes web on which ascent or descent is accomplished. F51.1.1
• Escape from lower world by spider's thread. F101.7
• Man so small he dances in spider web. F535.2.3
• Extraordinary bed woven with spider's webs. F787.1
• Boar hung in spider's web. F989.18
• Spider spins web across sky. F989.21
• Insect as witch's familiar. (Fly, bee, gnat, spider.) G225.1
• Devil in form of spider. Hangs from the clouds. G303.3.3.4.2
• Quest for garment of spider web. H1355.1
• Spider thinks that it has held back the wind. J953.9
• Foolish wish: to destroy all flies and spiders. J2079.2
• Spider invites wasp (fly) to rest on her "white curtain". Eats her. K815.2
• Fatal game: throwing from cliff. Spider throws its young; other animal imitates. K854
• Gnats having overcome lion are in turn killed by spider. L478
• Prophecy: girl shall have a hundred lovers, shall marry her servant and die from spider's bite. This happens. M345.1
• Cowardly spider rushes at fly but hides when wasp appears. W121.5
• Spider in stingy woman's house grows thin. W152.7
• Pulling the needle out of the seamstress's hand. Final formula: That was just what the cat was waiting for – it sprang to devour the mouse, the mouse to tear the spider's web, the spider to entangle the dog, the dog to eat the goat, the goat to gnaw the rushes, the rushes to grow in the stream, the stream to quench the fire, the fire to burn the stone, the stone to beat the axe, the axe soon pulled out the needle that was stuck in the seamstress's hand. Z41.8
• The little old lady who swallowed a fly. She swallows a spider to eat up the fly, a bird to eat up the spider, a dog to eat the bird, a cow to eat the dog. "The little old lady swallowed a horse – she died, of course." Z49.14