Temple of Spider Grandmother

Names of Spider Grandmother

• Kanene Ski Amai Yehi-Cherokee
• Hatai Wugti- Hopi
• Habetrot- Celtic
• Sreca- Siberian
• Moirae- homeric Greek
• Biliku- Andamanese Islands
• Arachne-Greek

"The Weaver" Painting by Ginger Strivelli


Spider Grandmother is known to nearly all American Indian tribes, and has also made a few appearances in tales all over the whole.
She is a Goddess of Weaving, storytelling, art and crafts, and all creativity. Usually seen in her crone phrase, she is also seen as a protective and guiding spirit to her followers.


She is said to have brought the Sun to the heavens for the great Spirit when He was creating the heavens, and also brought fire to the Earth's people.
This perhaps her most haunting story as it is told among nearly all American Indian tribes and the same tale was told of
Biliku, the Spider Woman, from the Andamanese Islands, nearly half a world away.

Photo taken by Keitha Parton in Jackson Co. NC

Biliku brought the gift of fire from the other Gods to the humans of the Andamanese Islands, but the Kingfisher stole it from her, and in Her anger,
She deserted the islands and fled to an unknown land, and the people of the islands never saw her again. Perhaps, She beat Columbus and Leif Erickson to the 'new world!'

"Kanene Ski Amai Yehi," the Cherokee, Spider Grandmother saved her tribe by bringing them the fire they needed,
after a long list of other animal spirits failed in their attemps to retrive the sacred fire.


The Gods had sent the magical substance to the Earth in a bolt of lightning,
and it laid waiting in a hollow tree, where it had landed. but the owls, and snakes, and other Spirit guides who had tried to get it were all burned.
Spider Grandmother told the animal council, She would get it,
She wove a basket of her magical webs and carried the last glowing coals back to her people.

This story is nearly identical in all the other tribes.
Spider Grandmother remained with the tribes as their storyteller Goddess...as She could weave a tale as well as She wove her webs.

In the Mountains of Appalachia, Spiders are still seen as being little messengers of this Goddess, often, it is said, messages from the other realms will appear woven into a spiders' web.
It is considered bad luck to clear away any webs, for fear of disturbing the divine messengers.



Detail from "Spider Grandmother" drawing by Ginger Strivelli

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