The Spider Woman

It is fabled that in deep in the heart of the forests there are giant spiders that rule over a domain of web strewn land. All creatures that lives in the area are devoured by the spider and her offspring. It is also rumored that the spiders in the woods don’t have a mind of their own, they are just slaves to The Spider Queen. The Spider Queen is said to awaken every hundred years and hunt on her own, outside of the forest, dragging full grown goliaths back to her nest so her children can feast. There have been tales of farmers seeing an eight legged monstrosity crawl out of the woods or brush. The farmers all watched in horror at two or three of their cows or pigs were attacked and viscously murdered. The cattle where then said to have been wound in silk being produced from the beast’s abdomen and dragged into the forest. Multiple adventurers has gone after their monstrosities, some have come back claiming they killed it and disposed of the body, while other come back half insane raving about the spider’s feast, some adventurers don’t come back at all.

Summary

The story’s of The Spider Queen usually have to do with some hideous legged beast crawling out of the woods and stealing cattle, and sometimes people, and then retreating back to the woods.

Spread

This story is generally told to make sure kids don’t wander to far into the woods and get lost or encounter something dangerous.

Variations & Mutation

The story stated as a shapeless monster, but parents found it more effective if the beast was a spider like entity.

In Literature

It is mostly used as a scary bedtime story or a campfire story.