D7a. The Spider and the Fire. .31.48.

The spider either possesses the first fire or steals it from its original owner (texts in which the spider acts together with other animals and does not play a major role are not included).

Estonians, Livs, Latvians, Sinkyon, Vailaki, Kato, Mattol, Yuki, Coastal Yuki.

Baltoscandia. Estonians (Pärnu County: Vändra) [the king says that whoever gets fire can dine with him forever, and all his descendants too; no one succeeds; a spider lowers its thread into Hell, brings back fire and falls asleep; a fly steals the fire from him, brings it to the king and is allowed to dine; since then the spider is the mortal enemy of flies]: Annom et al. 2020, no. 375: 604 (=Kippar 1986, no. 283 I*: 174); Livs [3 similar variants; God: whoever gets fire from Hell can dine wherever he wants; the spider descended there on a thread, brought back a firebrand; fell asleep; the fly took it and delivered it to God, who allowed it to dine wherever it wants; therefore the spider hates flies; either the spider complains to God and He allows it to catch flies; or: now the spider hangs the fly, now the fly the spider (i.e. they both swing on the web)]: Loorits 2000(4): 172-173; Latvians [the king of the world promises a reward to anyone who gets fire; the spider descends on a rope into Hell, gets a firebrand, returns to earth, falls asleep; the fly carries off the firebrand, receives from the king the right to eat and drink at any table; upon waking up, the spider tries in vain to prove that it got the fire; since then spiders have been catching flies]: Alksnīte et al. 1958: 93-95.

California. Spider is made to laugh by dancing indecently before him; he releases fire. Sinkyon [child cries, says he is afraid of fire ; animal people learn that Spider keeps fire in his body; they try to make him laugh; Skunk dances with his tail in the air; everyone, including Spider, laughs; people are ready to set fire to the resin; eel-tail sets fire first; runners carry off the fire; Vulture flies zigzagging over dry grass]: Kroeber 1919, #4:347; Wailaki [(text difficult to understand; it is clear that the sun is being stolen from its original owners)]: Goddard 1923, #8:102-104; Kato [orphan spots fire in the distance; chief sends runners to fetch it; Spider clasps the fire in both hands; he begins to laugh when Coyote, dancing in front of him, licks his genitals; Hummingbird seizes and carries off the fire]: Goddard 1909, no. 5: 195-197; mattol [2nd variation; Coyote leaves the child in the sun, it dies; Coyote goes to kill the Sun, finds himself in the sky, cannot come down; Spider starts to bring him down three times, each time telling him not to open his eyes and laugh; Coyote sees Spider's backside, laughs; Spider throws him off; Coyote breaks down, two girls kick his bones, he comes back to life]: Nomland 1938: 119-120; yuki : Curtis 1976(14) [beginning as in Kroeber; Mouse and Skunk dance, dragging their guts on the floor; The Spider laughed, the fire burst into flames, Dove stuck a stick in the fire, set the grass on fire, everyone ran away; the Spider could not pursue them through the burning grass]: 170; Kroeber 1932b [people live in the dark, eat meat raw; Spider controls fire by sitting on it; people drive an orphan Rabbit out into the street; he notices the reflection of the fire; Coyote leads his people to the Spider; they dance to make him laugh; Mouse scratches his bottom; the Spider laughs, rises up, Dove puts a rotten piece under him, carries away the fire, sets the vegetation on fire; the Spider is burned in a world fire; people save themselves in a lake; many are burned; since then Woodpecker has a red head, Coyote has yellowish fur, etc.]: 918-919; Coast Yuki [little Salamander cries, parents throw him out of the house; Coyote discerns words in his cry, Fire is there on the other side ; people come to Spider, who hides fire in his body; everyone dances, moves funny; finally Coyote does something very funny; Spider laughs, fire falls out of his mouth, Coyote seizes the fire; thus people get fire; parents take the child back]: Gifford 1937, no. 8: 121.