"THE GREAT NAVAJO GODDESS, SPIDER WOMAN," WAS A BENEVOLENT CRONE FIGURE WHO APPEARS IN THE LEGENDS OF MANY NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURES INCLUDING THOSE OF THE NAVAJO AND THE PUEBLO. THOUGH SOMETIMES DESTRUCTIVE, SHE IS NEARLY ALWAYS PORTRAYED AS BENEFICENT. IT WAS SHE SANG THE WORLD INTO EXISTENCE AND GAVE THE NAVAJO WOMEN THE GIFT OF WEAVING. HER SPIRIT IS SAID TO GUIDE THEIR HANDS, AND EVEN TODAY, NAVAJO PARENTS CONTINUE TO RUB THE HANDS OF THEIR INFANT DAUGHTERS WITH SPIDER WEBS SO THAT HER GIFT WILL BE PASSED ON TO THEM. SHE LIVED AT THE VERY TOP OF SPIDER ROCK WHICH RISES SOME 800 FEET FROM THE FLOOR OF CANYON DE CHELLY IN ARIZONA.. THERE SHE WATCHES OVER HER PEOPLE AND PROTECTS THEM.
THE "SPIDER WOMAN" OF THE PUEBLO TRIBE WAS CONSIDERED THE GRANDMOTHER OF THE SUN. SHE IS SO REVERED THAT HER NAME IS NEVER SPOKEN ALOUD. IT WAS SHE WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR POPULATING THE WORLD AND BRINGING FIRE AMONG THE PUEBLO, TEWA, AND KIWA TRIBES. FOR THE HOPI AND THE PAWNEE, "SPIDER WOMAN" IS A CREATOR WHO CREATED HUMAN BEINGS BY FOUR PILES OF EARTH--WHITE, BLACK, RED, AND YELLOW--WITH SALIVA AND MOLDING THE FIGURES INTO THE SHAPE OF HUMANS. SHE IS THE ONE CREATED THE MOON, HAS THE POWER TO GIVE AND TAKE LIFE, AND IS CONNECTED TO HUNTING AND AGRICULTURE. CHEROKEE "GRANDMOTHER SPIDER" ALSO BROUGHT THE SUN AND FIRE AND TAUGHT HER PEOPLE POTTERY, WEAVING, AND HOW TO MAKE CEREMONIAL BLESSINGS.
ALTHOUGH EACH TRIBE HAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SLANT TO "SPIDER WOMAN'S "STORY, ONE THING REMAINS CONSTANT... THAT IT IS SHE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL EARTHLY CREATIONS. SOME TRIBES BELIEVE THAT "SPIDER WOMAN "BEGAN WITH THE UNIVERSE ITSELF. SHE SERVES AS A REMINDER TO US THAT GOOD COMES FROM EVERYWHERE FOR EVEN THE LOWLY SPIDER, WHO WE SOMETIMES DISMISS AS IRRELEVANT, HAS THE POWER TO CREATE AND TEACH US.
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