Name

[Pyrdacor]

Hi there,

just got a small question.
Why do you call the spiders "Tarantulas". In my eyes that's another species of spiders.
Here in Germany we have two different names for the two species. That's on the one hand "Vogelspinne" which means "bird spider" translated word for word. And "Tarantel" which means tarantulas. I think according to the fact how the first name of such a spider was born, which was started by Sybille Merian who painted a spider sitting on a tree eating a bird in 1705. This was the basis on which Linne gave this spider a name: "Aranea avicularia" (from 'avis' (latin) bird). So I think it would be more correct to call them "bird spiders" as well or "bird eating spiders" or something. What do you think?
Greets
Pyrdacor

 

[MrT]

Well, to start out with. I dont know.
But welcome to the group. I see its your first post, and a darn good one I might add.
I'm sure you'll get a very good response as the night rolls on.

BTW, I was born in Bremerhaven..

Ernie

 

[Jobe]

Welcome aboard the board

Hmm...wish i knew the answer to that questoin...i always thought the name came from the dance called the tarantella wish was believed to have originated as a cure for a bite from a big spider, although this is just something i heard and never gave much thought to...

Cheers!

 

[ArachnoJoost]

Here in Holland the correct name is also 'vogelspin' (just as vogelspinne in german and birdspider in english), but most people seem to relate more to the word tarantula, don't know exactly why that is. But birdeaters would also not be an accurate name, because they don't generally eat birds (on the other hand, cricketeater would be a bit of a lame name... ).
You're right about the tarantula being an other species of spider (a wolf spider from italy). Here's the link to the story of that spider: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artoct98/baspid2.html .
Welcome to the boards, always nice to have another member coming from Europe!
greetz,
Joost

 

[Tangled WWWeb]

Originally posted by Jobe
Welcome aboard the board

Hmm...wish i knew the answer to that questoin...i always thought the name came from the dance called the tarantella wish was believed to have originated as a cure for a bite from a big spider, although this is just something i heard and never gave much thought to...

Cheers!

That's basically it. The dance was thought to be a cure for the bite of the wolf spider that got its name from the town of Taranto Italy. As a result, any large spider was suspected to cause the supposed disease " tarantism". According to The Tarantula Keeper's Guide , Renaissance explorers often returned with fearsome tales of giant spiders, tarantulas, through the warmer temperate zones and tropics. Gradually, English-speaking North Americans applied the name to the spiders that we still refer to as tarantulas in the U.S.

 

[Tangled WWWeb]

Originally posted by Pyrdacor
Hi there,

just got a small question.
Why do you call the spiders "Tarantulas". In my eyes that's another species of spiders.
Here in Germany we have two different names for the two species. That's on the one hand "Vogelspinne" which means "bird spider" translated word for word. And "Tarantel" which means tarantulas. I think according to the fact how the first name of such a spider was born, which was started by Sybille Merian who painted a spider sitting on a tree eating a bird in 1705. This was the basis on which Linne gave this spider a name: "Aranea avicularia" (from 'avis' (latin) bird). So I think it would be more correct to call them "bird spiders" as well or "bird eating spiders" or something. What do you think?
Greets
Pyrdacor

I do agree that tarantula is not accurate because it refers to an entirely different spider. I don't like " bird eating spider" because that would seem more appropriate for a group of animals that specialized in eating birds. However, if that is how they were first described in science then perhaps that term would be the more proper one.

John

 

[Botar]

Is this the big hairy spider version of PC?

Botar

 

[Kenny]

Hi

Hi

The same in Sweden where tarantulas are called either "fågelspindel" ( birdspider) or "tarantel".

I have also seen something with the dance "tarantella", I think in Italy that they perfomed this dance for someone to "cure" him/her that supposedly had got sick by a bite from a big spider.

 

[Jobe]

Originally posted by Botar
Is this the big hairy spider version of PC?

Botar

LOL! =D
heh heh...good one Botar...

 

[Pyrdacor]

Re

I totally agree with you, when you admit that the main food are not birds. It was just that I wondered why the name of a different species is used. If you speak of "Tarantel" in germany, nobody would think of "Vogelspinnen" (birdspiders). But I think, just as you said, that according to history of names, "birdspider" would fit more. To the dance I can say that I have never heard of it but I guess it might be right because we have a proverb in germany that goes: "Von der Tarantel gestochen" which means translated "bit from a tarantula". You say that speaking of people running around nervous and hectical. Maybe thats a quite good description of the dance.
Greets
Pyrdacor

PS: Thx for the nice welcome greets

 

[Nikos]

During the Tarantella dance you jump and spin around until you drop down exchausted, so assume that's where the "Von der Tarantel gestochen" comes from.