Scorpions in Popular Culture
Scorpions are living beings not very well accepted in our society because they cause fear and are related to deadly poison, however, throughout history, they have been present in several representations that show the footprint they have in our culture and what is the opinion that people from other places have about them.
There is a traditional belief that scorpions are always in pairs. Some testimonies affirm that this is true, but others assert that it is not always accurate. However, if you find one take the time to review the place to avoid missing the other.
Ancient indigenous populations were keen of superstitions and considered the scorpion as bad luck since they believed that it was a “spy of the devil.” On the other hand, it was the symbol of the god Xiuhtecuhtli, the deity of the fire and the heat, because the sting of a scorpion was related to a pain followed by a sensation of heat.
The Aztecs named Malinalxochitl as the goddess of serpents, insects, and scorpions of the desert.
Continuing with mythologies, the Aztecs named Malinalxochitl as the goddess of serpents, insects, and scorpions of the desert. For the Egyptians, Hededet was a goddess represented with a scorpion head and a woman’s body nourishing a newborn. Serket, another prominent Egyptian deity, was the goddess of fertility, medicine, and animals, as well as the healer of venomous stings of scorpions and bites of snakes. His image is that of a woman with a scorpion on her head. Finally, we have Chelamma, a scorpion goddess venerated in regions of India that protected people from deadly stings.
Scorpio is a constellation that is visible in the southern hemisphere of the Earth and is also part of one of the twelve zodiacal signs, which represent sound temperament and security in decision making.
Moving on to the children’s plane, in the famous animated series Pokémon, we find Skorupi, a purple scorpion with special powers that comes equipped with two stingers, strong jaws, and powerful claws. It defends with the injection of poison and has a great capacity to live a year without food.
The Scorpion King is a feature film starring Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) that premiered in 2002. In such movie, you see steel swords, gunpowder, period architecture, wizards and lots of adventure.
We know that China is a nation very well known internationally for having a unique gastronomy, considered exotic for some and repugnant and cruel for others. Scorpions are also part of their very comprehensive food menu. Their mode of preparation is not the most pleasant since they are perforated alive with sticks and then introduced in boiling oil. They eat them as skewers, and their flavor is one of the most preferred by visitors.
For all those lovers of heavy metal and hard rock music, they likely know Scorpions, a very famous German band which got great success on the 80s and featured a logo with scorpion and a look of strength and aggressiveness with a shiny metal coating, something which reflects the personality of the band.
For all those lovers of heavy metal and hard rock music, they likely know Scorpions.
The scorpion and the frog is a traditional fable with a clear moral. It tells the story of a scorpion that wants to pass to the other side of the river but has no way to achieve it by itself, so it asks for help to a frog that gladly transports it on its back. In the end, the scorpion stings the frog under the argument that he could not avoid it since it is part of his nature.
If you’re a comic book lover, you’ll probably meet some of these characters: Mac Gargan, Silver Scorpion, and Le Scorpion. These have something in common: characteristics related to scorpions to use as defense mechanisms.
There are many other cultural examples of stories, books, movies, logos, stories, legends, etc. related to scorpions. We can not deny their importance in human culture and the connotative aspect they represent, which is security, strength, and temperament.
Sources:
wikipedia.org
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