If any of you want Tidbits emailed directly, let me know and I'll take care of it. Additionally, if you have friends who you think would enjoy Tidbits, please make them aware of us...and help me increase my circulation. URL
Quick note: Below are alternate versions (not mine) I have come across of mythological tales. They suit this article so I use them. For those avid readers of Bullfinch or Graves or Hamilton or others ... forgive these trespasses.
Tiamat ... the gigantic Babylonian Dragon representing Chaos and salt water and whose sons were the Scorpion Men--giant warriors who were men from the waist up but scorpions from the waist down and who fought with both their tails and with bows and arrows in order to protect the sun god Shamach ... unites with Apsu--she who represents sweet water--so that she may ultimately give birth to Gods and to Existence.
Egyptian born Selket--daughter of Ra--is associated with the Scorpion. The beastie graces her crown and may therefor well be the first piece of significant Scorpion jewelry ever made.
Isis gives birth. She names her son Horus. She wants him to grow up strong. She does what any mother in her right mind would do. She takes him to the desert and exposes him repeatedly to scorpion stings. Quaint ... wouldn't you think? Was it Nietzche who said: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger?
A saint is bathing in a river. A scorpion is struggling near him ... fighting the current for its life. The saint ... as saints are wont to do ... cups his hand under the scorpion and lifts him out of the water and begins to wend his way toward shore. The scorpion stings him ... and stings him again ... and stings him again. The saint is smiling. Once on shore ... the scorpion scurries off and the saint's disciples--watching the saint in pain while still smiling --question him as to why he bothered to save the life of such a wretched creature. Ah, said the saint. The scorpion is only following his nature which is to sting ... as I am following the nature of a saint ... which is to save its life. Everything is in its proper place.
As I review this last little ditty which exemplifies Dharma (nature) ... I wonder in which way this ties in with jewelry? After all ... the first few mythological snippets easily explain why a brooch ... or earrings ... or rings or pendants or bracelets ... would be made representing that venomous cousin to the spider. But a tale of a stinging creature ... filled with malevolent poisons ... should we make jewelry of that? The answer my friends is: Yes. Of course? Why not? Nothing is immune in the hands of the jeweler. An ant ... a snake ... a scorpion ... a dung beetle ... they're all fodder for the artist of note.
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits...may I direct you to my home page at
And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark
All issues of Tidbits are copyrighted and available from our home page. All rights reserved.
_________________________________________________ SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE E-MAIL NEWSLETTER: TIDBITS Available From Our Home Page At: