Buzz
Humans have long sought meanings and signs in nature, and which creature is more present in our everyday lives than the humble insect? Over time, many traditions and legends have developed surrounding insects, from the idea that spiders bring wealth to the belief that snails can cure warts. So the next time you're about to swat a bug, maybe it's worth pausing to think if its very presence holds a deeper meaning.
1. BEES // A SYMBOL OF FAMILY
Bees, admired for their beauty and crucial role in nature, are associated with hard work, creativity, and productivity. Numerous superstitions have emerged around bees, including a Central European custom where a bride leads her future husband past a beehive to test his loyalty; if a bee stings him, it's said to signal that he will not be a faithful husband. In Greek folklore, a bee landing on your head is believed to mean that you'll achieve great success, and if a bee touches a child's lips, it’s said the child will grow up to be a talented poet.
In both Britain and Ireland, a rich tradition of bee-related folklore exists—one superstition suggests that if a bee flies around your house or buzzes at your window, it means a visitor is on their way. However, if anyone harms the bee, it is believed that the visitor will bring only bad news. Bees are considered highly sensitive creatures in Britain, and it’s said they should be spoken to politely, keeping them informed about family matters (in fact, if you want to get rid of them quickly, you can simply curse at them, as they detest foul language). The practice of 'telling the bees' differs by region, but the most important news to share is the death of the beekeeper—if not told gently, the bees might leave the hive, stop making honey, or even die. In some parts of Britain and America, bees were treated like family, invited to weddings and funerals, and offered a slice of wedding cake.
2. SPIDERS // GOOD FORTUNE WITH MONEY
Although many people fear spiders, they are frequently linked with prosperity. In fact, the Linyphiidae family of small spiders is commonly referred to as money spiders, and it’s believed that spotting one brings luck in financial matters; in English tradition, if one crawls across your palm, it’s said that wealth will soon come your way.
Spiders are often associated with wealth due to their diligent work in building webs that ultimately yield rewards. This hardworking image has led to spider symbols being used in jewelry and good luck charms worldwide. Killing a spider is considered extremely unlucky because their presence is believed to symbolize health, prosperity, and cleanliness. Some cultures hold the belief that if you must kill a spider, you can reverse the bad luck by apologizing to it beforehand.
In Vietnam, it’s believed that when you sleep, your soul leaves your body and takes the form of a spider. Therefore, killing one is considered taboo and regarded as a tragic act.
3. BUTTERFLIES // SMALL MESSENGERS
Butterflies are symbols of transformation and renewal, due to their remarkable journey from caterpillar to butterfly. In Japanese folklore, butterflies are seen as the souls of the deceased and are treated with great respect. If a butterfly enters your home, it is believed to signal that a loved one will soon visit. In some cultures, butterflies are thought to bring good fortune, especially if the first butterfly you see in a year is white; however, if the first butterfly is black, it may bring less favorable news.
Certain traditions hold that butterflies have the ability to predict the weather. The Zuni people, a Native American tribe, believed that the color of the first butterfly you encounter each season could forecast the upcoming weather: a white butterfly meant the start of summer, a yellow butterfly predicted sunny days ahead, and a black butterfly indicated a stormy period.
4. LADYBUGS // OUR LADY’S BEETLES
These charming red beetles with black spots are widely regarded as harbingers of good fortune. Various folkloric beliefs center around the number of spots on a ladybug’s back—some say it can predict the number of children you’ll have, others believe it indicates the duration of your good luck, or even how much money you are about to receive.
In the Middle Ages, ladybugs were considered a symbol of protection. Farmers, whose crops were being overrun by aphids, would pray for ladybugs to come and devour the pests, thus saving their harvests. Ladybugs have long been linked to the Virgin Mary, with their name referring to her as 'Our Lady.' The spots on their backs have been interpreted as representing Mary's seven sorrows or her seven joys. According to English folklore, if a ladybug lands on your hand, it is said that you will marry within the year.
Ladybugs are also symbols of renewal. It was believed that if a ladybug landed on old clothes, it foretold that the garments would soon be replaced, and that a sick person might find a ladybug flying away with their illness, bringing them renewed health.
5. SNAILS // DEFEND AGAINST ILLNESS
In some regions, snails were used as protective charms against illness. In Brittany, France, when a villager fell ill, they would visit the local chapel in May and collect snails from the chapel walls. These snails would be placed in small linen bags and worn around the neck until the fever subsided. Once recovered, the patient would return to the chapel to bury the snail’s body as an act of gratitude.
Snails were also believed to have the power to cure warts. A traditional Welsh remedy involved rubbing black snails onto warts while reciting a specific rhyme, then placing the snail on a thorn bush, fastening it with as many thorns as there were warts. The belief was that once the snail had decayed, the warts would vanish.
6. MOSQUITOES // BUZZING FOR LOVE
Mosquitoes might not enjoy the same endearing reputation as some of our more charming insects, but they are universally dreaded for their painful bites. It's no surprise then that many superstitions concerning mosquitoes focus on ways to avoid their bites. One belief suggests that if you consume green vegetables on Maundy Thursday (or Green Thursday), mosquitoes will leave you alone for an entire year. Another old wives' tale claims that making your bed on fresh hay during harvest time will protect you from mosquito bites.
A West African folktale sheds light on why mosquitoes buzz in your ear: In ancient times, Ear was a beautiful woman who had many suitors among the animals. Mosquito, wishing to marry Ear, asked for her hand, but she turned him down, explaining that she could not marry someone with such a short lifespan. Heartbroken, Mosquito would buzz around Ear, constantly reminding her, 'Here I am, I’m not dead!' every time they met.
Not all mosquito-related superstitions are born from fantasy, though: When the British first arrived in Somalia in the 1850s, they dismissed the local belief that mosquitoes spread malaria as mere superstition—only to suffer the consequences of their mistake.
7. DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES // TOOLS OF THE DEVIL
Damselflies
Although damselflies and dragonflies both belong to the same insect family (Odonata), damselflies can be distinguished by their four wings, all of which are about the same size. In contrast, dragonflies have much larger front wings and smaller back wings. In English folklore, damselflies were often referred to as 'The devil's knitting (or darning) needle,' due to a belief that if you slept next to a stream, these insects would use their long bodies to sew your eyelids shut.
The association of dragonflies and damselflies with the devil runs deep in European folklore, and various colloquial names have emerged as a result. In German, these creatures are known by names like Teufelspferd ('Devil's horse') and Wasserhexe ('Water witch'), while in Danish, they are called Fandens ridehest ('Devil's riding horse'). In Sweden, people believed that a dragonfly could take your eyes, and in Old Swedish, they were called Blindsticka ('Blind stinger').
In Norse mythology, dragonflies and damselflies are linked to Freya, the goddess of fertility and love, possibly because the wings of mating dragonflies often form a heart shape. According to American folklore, dragonflies were known as 'snake doctors,' as they were frequently seen alongside snakes. It was believed that if a snake was cut in half, the dragonfly would use its slender body to stitch the reptile back together.
8. CATERPILLAR // WEATHER PREDICTORS
American Woolly Bear caterpillars, recognized by their brown and black striped bodies, are believed to be dependable indicators of the coming winter's severity. The thicker the black stripes, the harsher the winter forecast. In European folklore, it is considered unlucky to touch a hairy caterpillar, possibly because handling one may result in painful spines being left behind on your skin. Nevertheless, the superstition suggests that tossing the caterpillar over your left shoulder can reverse the bad luck.
All images via iStock.
