Fluttering by a Folktale Trivia Quiz

Answer: Psyche

Psyche was a beautiful maiden whom Cupid fell in love with after striking himself with his own arrow. The two married, but Cupid hid himself from sight so that his mother, Venus, would not find out about the marriage, as she hated Psyche.

The links between the life of a butterfly and Psyche are the emptiness in Psyche's life before marriage (caterpillar stage), Psyche's grief after losing her husband (chrysalis stage), and finally regaining her husband and becoming immortal (emergence from chrysalis into her new life).

For more information on the story of Psyche, please take my quiz "Psyche - the Second Curious Woman".

Answer: Sumatra

The tribe also claims that their wives were sent down from above, fully grown.

Tribes in Madagascar and Myanmar have also claimed to have descended from butterfly eggs.

Answer: Serbia

Many countries' tales tell us that butterflies are the souls of the dead. In Indonesia, it is said that a butterfly which enters your house will be the soul of a deceased family member. Also, if a family member dies in your house, you are to leave the door/window open so that their soul can escape and become a butterfly.

Folklore of a certain ethnic group, the Vlasi, tells us that if you are able to prevent a butterfly returning to the witch whose soul it possesses, the witch will die. Some tales also tell us of how butterflies were witches and evil fairies, who would steal butter and cream. This is thought to be the reason for the name, "butterfly". The Vlasi can also be found in Bulgaria and Romania.

Answer: Ireland

Etain was loved by Midir, but was turned into a puddle by the wrathful goddess, Fuamnach. The puddle dried and what was left was a "worm" (a caterpillar). This "worm" then grew into a butterfly (or "scarlet fly"). The insect continued to be pursued by the goddess, until being blown into the cup of a woman who swallowed her and, as a result, later gave birth to her. Midir eventually found Etain, and the two married and flew off together in the form of swans.

Answer: Butterflies were born from the sun

The Zuni tribes believed that butterflies could predict the weather, Shoshone Indians say that butterflies were pebbles, into which the Great Spirit breathed life, and the Blackfoot Indians thought that these insects delivered dreams to those who slept.

Indeed, butterfly tales are rife throughout North America. The reason for the frequency of butterfly-related tales throughout the world can perhaps be put down to the almost magical ability of something which most regard as ugly turning into something beautiful.

Answer: Adonis

Adonis was a handsome youth who was loved by Aphrodite. He was also a successful hunter, but was killed by a wild boar sent by Artemis in response to his claims to be a superior hunter to the goddess. Variations of the myth tell that the boar was sent by Ares (Aphrodite's angered lover), or Apollo (as revenge for Aphrodite blinding Erymanthus, his son).

Answer: Aztec

In Mexico butterflies are seen as symbols of joy, happiness and fertility. The name Itzpapalotl means "clawed butterfly", referring to the usual depictions the deity where she possessed wings tipped with flint. This image has led some to believe that she was more similar to a bat than a butterfly.

Sometimes depicted as a beautiful woman, Itzpapalotl could also be seen as a terrifying skeletal warrior.

Answer: Loki

Palamedes was a character in the Trojan War. Plexippus aided Melleager in the hunt for a giant wild boar. The gorgon was a female monster from Greek mythology.

The butterfly's role in mythology has not only been immortalised by the documented tales and names of species, but in their inclusion in ancient structures and jewellery.

Answer: Arizona

It is said that shortly after the birth of the Earth, a beautiful butterfly mourned the loss of her partner in battle. She travelled the world and eventually found a stone so beautiful that she adopted a new lust for life and once again donned the incredible wings which she had hidden away.

The Hopi tribe perform the same dance which this butterfly was said to perform after finding the stone. The dance symbolises a new start.

Answer: Chuang-tzu

In this tale, Chuang-tzu dreamt that he was a butterfly, fluttering blissfully. This happened each night. In the morning, Chuang-tzu would wake and not know if he had been dreaming about a butterfly, or if he was a butterfly dreaming of being a man. He consulted his teacher, Lao-tzu - founder of Taoism - who told him that he was a white butterfly in a previous life and was killed by a gardener for stealing his food.

After this, he was reincarnated as a man.