Mythological spiders

Arachne (; from , cognate with Latin ) is the protagonist of a tale in classical mythology known primarily from the version told by the Roman poet Ovid (43 BCE–17 CE). In Book Six of his epic poem Metamorphoses, Ovid recounts how the talented mortal Arachne challenged the goddess Minerva (the Roman equivalent of Athena) to a weaving contest. When Minerva could find no flaws in the tapestry Arachne had woven for the contest, the goddess became enraged and beat the girl with her shuttle. After Arachne hanged herself out of shame, she was transformed into a spider. The myth both provide

thumb|Tsuchigumo, from Bakemono no e scroll, [[Brigham Young University]] is a historical Japanese derogatory term for renegade local clans, primarily during the Asuka, Nara, and early Heian periods, and also the name for a race of spider-like in Japanese folklore. Alternative names for the historical groups include , and for the mythological Tsuchigumo, and . In the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the name was phonetically spelled with the four kanji (for the four morae tsu-chi-gu-mo). References to "tsuchigumo" appear in the chronicles associated with Emperor Jimmu, Emperor Keiko, and Empress Jingū

right|thumb|upright=0.90|Jorōgumo from the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by [[Toriyama Sekien.]]

Nanabozho (in syllabics: , ), also known as Nanabush, is a spirit in Anishinaabe aadizookaan (traditional storytelling), particularly among the Ojibwe of North America. Nanabozho figures prominently in their storytelling, including the story of the world's creation. Nanabozho is the Ojibwe trickster figure and culture hero (these two archetypes are often combined into a single figure in First Nations mythologies, among others).

Areop-Enap () played a major part in the creation of the world in the indigenous myths of the people of Nauru.

spider appearing only in works of fiction

figure in native American mythology

Possible goddess of the Teotihuacan civilization

thumb|250px|Aiapaec in a wall in the Huaca de la Luna

folktale from Eastern Europe

thumb|400px|Iktomi depicted sitting by the fire. In Lakota mythology, Iktómi is a spider-trickster spirit, and a culture hero for the Lakota people. Alternate names for Iktómi include Ikto, Ictinike, Ksa , Inktomi, Unktome, and Unktomi. These names are due to the differences in languages between different indigenous nations, as this spider deity was known throughout many of North America's tribes.