


In 1952, an archetypal figure of speech used by Casey stated: the Western allies were debating whether to hack at the tentacles or the head of the Chinese octopus. The word Chinese octopus has a political meaning. If someone gets whooping cough, seven legs of the octopus are drawn on paper and pasted onto the earthen stove. In some rural areas, the octopus symbol is used to prevent whooping cough. In some parts of Japan, the octopus is a sex symbol as it is supposed to make amorous advances to eight diving maidens. According to some Japanese folktales, the octopi could transform themselves into human forms to seduce women. To the Japanese, the octopus is an important source of food and is considered quite a delicacy. The Japanese buy octopus pre-boiled from the fishmongers to cook sushi and other delicacies from it. The sea creature is shown with its tentacles in knots and a surprised look on its face.

Japanese art depicts octopus or the squid in a humorous manner. Plateau Indians made these bags and they were called so because of the 8 fringes at the bottom. Native American octopus bags and Athapaskan octopus smoking bags are very popular these days as a fashion statement. But it was a long time before Raven ever went back to the beach and he never bothered octopus ever again. The villagers somehow managed to save Raven out and revived him with the help from Raven’s wise cousin – the Crow. When he was close enough, the octopus used her braids to capture Raven and dragged him into the ocean.Īs the tide started to come in, the Raven drowned while the octopus survived as she could breathe in the water. With each question, he moved closer and closer to the octopus. He kept asking her what she was doing and although she paid him no attention, he continued asking her the same question again and again. One day, she was digging for clams at the beach, just at the edge of the water during low tide.Ī man with beautiful black hair (the Raven disguised as a man) came and started bothering the octopus. In the story, the octopus was a woman with eight braids for each of the 8 tentacles. There is a famous Native story of the Raven and the Octopus. In addition to it being entertaining – the role of animal stories was to encourage acceptable behavior in children. The Natives often told stories about animals and these tales had moral lessons that helped kids learn concepts. Octopuses’ 8 arms could symbolize prolific catches. Primarily, they are considered amorous symbols and believed to have made advances to 8 girls diving for shells or pearls. Shaman amulets often have the octopus tentacles and suckers symbols that depict this sea-creature as a supernatural being. In parts of North West, the 8-tentacled creature is considered the devil-fish and is believed to be a powerful creature of the undersea. Octopus and squid are also prized for flesh in many parts of the world today.Īncient Greeks used octopi for their aphrodisiacal properties. There is a sinister association to the octopus owing to the black inky material it ejects when they are threatened or frightened. Octopi medallions have been discovered and they were probably carried by seafarers for protection in the high seas. In many cultures, the octopus has the same symbolism and meaning as other multi-armed creatures. The octopus, Kraken, and squid symbol are also linked with sea serpents, spirals, whirlpools, and the spiral.

These intelligent beings are able to grasp things, learn quickly, and even make decisions based on visual, tactile, and chemical cues. They have eight legs and no skeletal system. Octopuses (octopi) are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean. In this guide, we will study the meaning of octopus and also analyze the squid symbol and Kraken symbolism. The arms of the octopus thus symbolize a problem and its many facets or layers. Octopus symbolism is usually derived from its tentacles and the way the creature uses them to entangle its prey.
