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Spiders, taxological class Arachnida, are symbols of spinning, weaving, and embroidery in many cultures. The Greeks gave us the following story:
Arachne was a beautiful young woman who had extraordinary tapestry weaving skills.
She was proud of her skill, so proud that she boasted she was better than Athena, the goddess of domestic arts.
Athena was angered by her boasts and came down from Mt. Olympus, disguised as an old woman, to take the challenge.
Arachne accepted the challenge and wove a gorgeous tapestry depicting vignettes of the gods' indescretions.
Athena chose the arrogance of man as her theme.
Some sources say both tapestries were of equal beauty, and others say Athena's tapestry was the clear winner.
Regardless, Athena, enraged by Arachne's continued arrogance, threw off her disguise and transformed Arachne into a spider allowing her weave forevermore.