Spindles have always played an important role in mythology
and culture. In the Myth of Er from Plato’s Republic, Plato compares the
universe to a spindle. He calls it the spindle of necessity and on its whorl he
places eight orbits which represent the celestial bodies. Plato writes that The
Fates, or daughters of the Goddess Necessity attend to the spindle, and by ensuring
its rotation they keep the Universe ordered (Plato tr. Jowett 375 BC).
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| The Three Fates |
Holda is the patron saint of spinners in German folklore. In the popular fairytale, she drops her spindle into a well and is kept in the otherworld as a servant for weeks before finally being released. She is sent home with a bundle of gold in return for her services. As a goddess, Holda is said to have taught women how to make linen from flax. She also rewards those
who work hard and punishes the idle (Grimm 1812).
Spindles can even be found in more contemporary fairy tales
like Rumpelstiltski, Sleeping Beauty and the Six Swans. In these stories the
spindles referred to are often those found on spinning wheels instead of the
drop spindle. In Rumpelstiltskin, the miller’s daughter must spin straw into
gold in order to save her life. In Sleeping Beauty, the princess pricks her
finger on a spindle and falls into a deep sleep from which only a handsome
prince can rescue her. Finally, in the Six Swans the heroine spins stinging
nettles into shirts for her brothers so that they can regain their human form.
The spindle has long been associated with magic and the
supernatural. This may be because it is predominantly a woman’s tool and
historically women were seen as mysterious, enchanting beings. Furthermore, while spinning, a person’s mind
can easily drift and enter other realms McCloy 2000). This may also have led to the use of
spindles in mythology.