Frog inspired jewellery
Frog inspired jewellery
Traditionally, in many nations frog played the role of amulets and talismans of fertility, preservation of sexual power. Dried frogs even today serve as a home wards in South-East Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand. In China, where the frogs are called “heavenly chicken”, their figures are made of jade, as talisman of long life and wisdom. In Latin America, the frogs are considered fore mothers, and therefore protectors of all human spirit.
Many peoples associated the frog, and even more so toads, with a number of unpleasant properties. In Chinese tradition, the frog symbolizes the moon “Yin”. The spirit of frog from Qing Sheng Island is associated with healing and success in business. The “frog in the well” refers to a silly person. In European folklore toads were associated with witches as the source of the ingredients for magical potions, and sometimes had their own magical properties. The Moche of ancient Peruvian culture tailless frogs were among the revered animals and often appeared in works of art. Panama Legend says that frog brings luck to those who saw the Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki). In a variant of this legend is said that, by dying, the frog turns into gold mascot.
Hecate – Ancient Egyptian goddess. Depicted as a frog or a woman with a frog head. She is the goddess of moisture and rain. Since ancient times Hecate associated with childbirth and fertility magic, it has contributed to the resurrection of the dead. The fresco of the temple of Isis on the island of Philae (the Nile) preserved the image of Hecate sitting near Khnum potter’s wheel. Breathing it brought life into just made of sacred clay figurines of people.
Frog inspired jewellery
“The Frog Princess” – Russian folk fairy tale. Tales with a similar plot also known in some European countries. In particular, Italy and Greece, as well as some peoples – Buryats, Bashkirs, and Tatars. The book “Russian Fairy Tales” by AN Afanasyev “The Frog Princess” features a beautiful girl with the knowledge of witchcraft (Vasilisa the Wise). She has to live for some time in the skin of a frog.
“The Tale of King Frog, or Iron Henry” -by the Brothers Grimm. The first story of the collection, it tells the story of a spoiled princess who does not keep her promises. Ungrateful to the frog, she pulled her golden ball, which fell into the well and the frog miraculously turned into a handsome prince.
Traditionally, people associated Toads with the devil. For example, John Milton in his Paradise Lost, depicted Satan as a toad pouring poison into Eve’s ear.
Monetary toad (you can also find other names: Money Frog, Chu Chan, Chan Chu) is a very powerful Feng Shui talisman. It symbolizes the growing abundance of family, great money luck, wealth and longevity. One of the ancient Chinese legend says that Chan Chu, was once a very evil being, for what Buddha punished him. Since then, the toad had to atone for his sins, “spitting out gold coins” and helping people to get rich.
Frog inspired jewellery
In Hinduism tortoise was the second Avatar of Vishnu. Vishnu took the form of a half-man, half-tortoise, the lower half being a tortoise, and with four arms. Tortoise shells were used by ancient Chinese as oracle bones to make predictions.
According to Celtic folklore frogs are magical creatures. There is a Scottish tradition of the King Frog, who wore on his head a jewel that had great power for healing. The only way to obtain the stone was to locate the King Frog, who hid in a fen or bog, then let down a tame otter into the water in hopes of scaring the frog to the surface. When he appeared, one rapped him on the head, thus dislodging the stone, which had to be grasped quickly lest it disappear beneath the water’s surface.
