Insects in the Mythology of Native Americans

Abstract

The importance of mythology to people both in the past and in contemporary societies has been elegantly described by Joseph Campbell (1988) in his popular book The Power of Myth . More specifically, Native American culture is rich in mythology including numerous examples of animals as mythological figures. Powerful animal gods such as the plumed serpent, Quetzalcoati, of Central America and the Thunderbird of the North American plains are prime examples. Large mammals such as the bear, buffalo, jaguar, and wolf also frequently are assigned mythological properties by various Native American cultures. However, although lesser known, insects also occur frequently in Native American mythology in roles ranging from trivial to cosmology. This is especially true of Native Americans inhabiting tropical areas, probably because of the richness of insects in their surroundings (Hogue 1987).

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