The Weaving Contest
The Story of Arachne and Athena
(This myth describes the birth of the spider and its web)
Arachne was a very talented young peasant girl who was an excellent
spinner and weaver of wool. Her talent impressed many, from the water nymphs who traveled
from the creeks and rivers, to the wood nymphs from near forest areas. They would come and
watch her weave the most exquisite tapestries.
One day one of the wood nymphs asked Arachne if she had been blessed by Athena with her
gift of weaving. (Athena was the goddess of weaving and handicrafts.)
Arachne laughed at the nymph's remark and replied,"Athena has taught me nothing! I've
taught myself everything I know!" She ended her remark with a challenge to Athena. Arachne wanted to have a contest to see who should be
called 'goddess of the loom.'
The nymphs covered their mouths, frightened to hear such disrespectful
words about the powerful goddess of Mt. Olympus. Athena herself was furious when word got
back to her about Arachne's challenge. The goddess immediately went to Arachne's cottage
in the disguise of an old woman hobbling on a cone to Arachne's home. When Arachne was
faced with Athena she was annoyed with the old woman's warnings. Athena scolded her
telling her not to compare herself with the great goddess.
Arachne didn't even begin to take the old woman seriously. She
responded to the old lady, "If 
Athena is so great
why doesn't she just come here and show me!?"
"She is here!" boomed a powerful voice, and right before
Arachne the old woman changed into the goddess Athena.
Arachne quickly became ashamed, yet she never backed down and went
straight toward her doom. "Hello Athena," Arachne whispered under her breath.
"Do you dare to finally weave against me?" she said, gaining greater confidence.
Athena just glared at the girl as she walked into the cottage ready to take up Arachne's
challenge. As Athena entered the cottage, slaves dashed
about setting up two looms. Then Arachne and Athena sat down at their looms and began
working. Their fingers flew back and forth as they wove a rainbow of colors.
Athena wove a tapestry showing the twelve greatest gods and goddesses
of Mt. Olympus. Arachne wove a tapestry showing not only the gods and goddesses, but their
adventures and errors as well. Then she outlined her tapestry with a magnificent work of
flowers with a hint of ivy so as to not clutter the border.
It was pretty obvious who had done the best work. Arachne's tapestry
was clearly better than Athena's. They even had the goddess Envy inspect Arachne's work
and even she thought Arachne's tapestry was beautiful and flawless.
Athena, angry at Arachne's vanity, disrespect and excellence of
weaving, punished her for her insolence by tearing her work to tatters. Arachne was in
such grief that she hung herself. Athena,not angry enough to kill her and sad that she
chole to kill herself, decided to let Arachne live, but with some conditions. Arachne was
to hang forever and weave in the air. Just before the goddess left she sprinkled magic
over Arachne and the girl's hair fell out, and her nose and ears fell off as well. Her
head shrank to a tiny size until she was mostly a giant belly but her fingers could still
weave. Athena had turned her into a spider allowing her to weave beautifully for eternity.
Ever since then spiders have woven beautiful webs.
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