The Arachne Myth in Oral and Written Literature

In his paper, "The Arachne Myth in Oral and Written Literature," José Manuel Pedrosa explores the folktale about a person who prides himself being the most intelligent individual and whom the gods punish with a metamorphosis into spider. Pedrosa discusses similar myths in existence in modern oral traditions and in literary works such as the Bible, Ovid's Metamorphoses, the Quran, and García Márquez's masterpiece Cien años de soledad. The universality of the myth is underlined by the existence of a folktale registered among the Bubi people of Equatorial Guinea. Not known about it until the twentieth century, the oral transmission or survival of this tale proves of extraordinary importance and the reason why the Bubi text may be considered a rare record and a true jewel capable of providing valuable information about the folk myths and basic beliefs that have inspired many geniuses of Western literature. José Manuel Pedrosa, "The Arachne Myth in Oral and Written Literature" page 2 of 9 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 7.1 (2005):