Well, what can I say about Meroe turning her rival into a frog?
Frogs are in some cultures sacred. For example, Wikipedia states that God was deliberatly being ironic by sending the Plague of Frogs on Egypt since Egyptians saw frogs as a sign of life and worshipped a frog goddess. Today, frogs still have a valued place in society ("The Princess and the Frog" and Kermit the Frog being but two examples).
However, earlier Christianity saw frogs as evil since they are associated with unclean spirits in Revelation. Frogs were accused of being the familiar of witches in the Middle Ages. Frogs and toads (though more often toads) were long considered the source of warts.
Romans saw frogs as symbols of fertility, harmony, and Venus' legendary lust. However, why would Meroe turn the innkeeper into a frog, specifically, aside from him croaking at his customers? Did they have a fling? Did she want him to drown in his wine?
Anyway, the interplay between lust and magic here is interesting.
No comments:
Post a Comment