The
Story
of
Arachne,
Nature’s
Weaver
The Story of Arachne, Nature’s Weaver
Adapted
by
B.P.
Skinner
from
the
Greek
myth
Before
she
dried
up
and
withered,
before
her
straight
limbs
grew
gray
and
crooked
and
wiry,
and
before
her
smooth
white
arms
were
no
more,
before
others
were
loath
to
look
at
her––before
she
morphed––she
was
Arachne,
a
poor,
simple
country
girl.
She
was
the
daughter
of
Idmon,
a
dyer
of
sheep’s
wool
from
Colophon,
Lydia
in
the
Ancient
Kingdom
of
Anatolla.1
Arachne
surpassed
all
others
in
Lydia
in
two
ways:
weaving
and
arrogance.
Under
her
creative
needle
and
onto
the
growing
web
across
which
her
darting
fingers
spanned,
she
created
cloth
wonders.
Just
watching
Arachne’s
fly
through
the
yarn
was
a
pleasure
enough
to
draw
nymphs2
from
the
golden
river
Pactolus
and
from
the
vineyards
of
Tymolus.
Men
and
women
traveled
for
miles
to
see
Arachne
weaving
at
her
loom
and
paid
many
silver
pieces
for
a
even
the
smallest
length
of
the
cloth
that
she
spun.
Never,
though,
is
a
person
with
so
much
talent
not
envied
by
someone.
That
someone
was
none
other
than
Athena3,
the
goddess
of
craftsmen.
She
got
word
that
there
was
a
weaver
in
Lydia
whose
artistry
surpassed
all
mortals,
and
claimed
to
rival
the
gods.
Disguised
as
an
old
woman,
Athena
went
to
see
for
herself
this
marvelous
young
weaver.
Sure
enough,
Athena
found
that
Arachne’s
talent
was
as
great
as
the
stories
had
claimed.
Her
blood
boiled
with
envy.
1
Anatolia is a region between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, it is in the modern-day country of Turkey.
2
In Greek mythology, a nymph is a minor female deity, similar to a fairy. Unlike gods, nymphs are divine spirits
usually depicted as beautiful, young women.
3
Athena is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics,
strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.
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P a g e
The
Story
of
Arachne,
Nature’s
Weaver
“You
must
not
let
your
ambition
soar
too
high,
or
boast
that
your
work
exceeds
that
of
the
gods,”
the
hunched
and
hobbling
old
woman
told
Arachne.
“If
you
dream
that
one
day
you
might
equal
Athena,
the
greatest
of
all
craftswomen,
you
have
committed
a
punishable
crime!”
Arachne
fixed
scornful
eyes
on
the
old
woman
and
laughed.
“Did
you
say
equal
Athena?
You
must
live
with
the
goats
in
the
far-‐off
hills,
Old
Woman.
Otherwise,
you
would
not
speak
of
my
work
equaling
the
work
of
Athena,
but
of
surpassing
it!”
Arachne
dismissed
the
old
woman
as
a
fool
and
returned
to
her
work,
a
colorful
cloth
tapestry
that
grew
longer
and
longer
under
her
slender
white
fingers.
Athena
was
furious
and
replied,
“Take
heed,
arrogant
one,
for
anyone
who
deigns
to
make
themselves
higher
than
the
gods
shall
be
punished.”
Arachne
was
not
impressed.
She
laughed
and
mocked
the
strange
old
woman.
“Let
Athena
enter
a
contest
with
me,
then.
I
have
no
doubt
that
I
am
a
finer
craftswoman
than
she.”
The
nymphs,
who
stood
by,
fidgeted
in
fear
of
the
wrath
that
the
young
weaver’s
daring
words
would
incite.
Athena
threw
off
her
disguise
and
revealed
her
godly
radiance.
She
blazed
with
anger
and
insulted
pride.
“Lo,
Athena
has
come,”
she
announced.
The
small
crowd
of
villagers
that
had
gathered
to
observe
the
scene
gasped
and
fell
to
their
knees
at
Athena’s
feet.
All
but
Arachne.
She,
though
trembling
inside,
appeared
unabashed.
“I
have
spoken
the
truth,”
Arachne
stated
in
a
firm
voice.
“No
woman
or
goddess
can
rival
my
work.
I
will
stand
by
what
I
said.
If
you
want
to
enter
a
contest
with
me,
you
are
free
to
do
so.”
Arachne’s
pride
in
her
work
was
exceeded
only
by
that
of
Athena’s.
The
goddess,
without
hesitation
took
her
place
at
a
loom
by
Arachne’s
side.
The
two
women,
one
mortal
one
immortal,
went
to
work
and
wove
through
the
long
night.
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P a g e
The
Story
of
Arachne,
Nature’s
Weaver
Athena’s
fingers
produced
pictures
in
the
thread
so
life-‐like
and
so
perfect
that
the
astonished
onlookers
couldn’t
distinguish
her
art
from
real
life.
Each
scene
she
wove
depicted
the
omnipotence4
of
the
gods
and
the
doom
the
mortals
would
face
if
they
cursed
them.
Athena
glanced
over
at
Arachne’s
loom.
Arachne’s
fingers
never
slowed.
With
arrogant
daring,
and
to
the
horror
of
the
bystanders,
Arachne
wove
her
tapestry
with
tales
that
showed
the
weakness
of
the
gods.
When
the
sun
rose,
yards
of
the
finest
cloth
billowed
out
from
each
loom.
Between
the
mortal
and
the
goddess,
the
contest
was
too
close
to
call.
The
color,
form,
and
exquisite
detail
of
the
woven
pictures
were
equal.
Unable
to
contain
her
anger
any
longer,
Athena
threw
aside
her
boxwood
shuttle5
and
ripped
Arachne’s
gorgeous
cloth
to
shreds.
The
terrified
bystanders
scattered.
Athena,
rising
up
to
her
full
height
from
the
tangle
of
destroyed
fabric
proclaimed
icily,
“For
evermore,
Arachne,
you
and
your
descendants
shall
live
only
to
weave.”
By
this
curse,
the
fair
mortal
of
Lydia
morphed
into
an
eight-‐legged
spider,
doomed
to
weave
delicate
and
beautiful
wonders,
unmatched
by
any,
for
all
eternity.
4
Omnipotence means almighty, all-powerful, or all-knowing.
5
A shuttle is the part in a loom used to move yarn from one side to the other.
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