Most people view flies as a common nuisance at best and a harbinger of disease at worst, but folklore has occasionally given these pests a more impressive role. Let's take a look at...
- The Mark of Nergal
- The Fashionable Fly Jewelry of Egypt
- The Fighting Flies of St. Narcis
- The Dragonspawned Golubatz FLies
- Myiagros, the Fly Catcher
- Familiar Flies and Crooked Pins
- The British Cult of Mercury
- Metis, the Titan That Turned into a Fly
- Gand Magic
- Loki's Flirtation With Flyhood
- The Gadfly That Felled a Greek Demigod
- Fly Forensics
- The Oracle of the Well
 |
| A symbol of divinity? (Tobias Roth) |
1. The Mark of NergalThe god Nergal hailed from ancient Mesopotamia, where he was considered the master of pestilence, death and the underworld. He also seems to have had a role in war, possibly refining his sphere to the inflicted death rather than just death in general. Records are rather sketchy, but it's thought that a fly could represent Nergal on Old Babylonian seals, symbolizing his role as a deity of death and disease.
This particular seal contains the banner of Nergal along with symbols of Adad (god of storms and winds) and Enki or Ea (god of water, craftsmanship and magic.) It also features a number of animals including a frog and fish (associated with Enki) a locust (possibly linked to Adad - one ancient inscription reads "May the god Adad, canal inspector of heaven (and) netherworld, tear out (his) name (and) attack like an onslaught of locusts so that his land collapses." Adad is also invoked to counter locust swarms in the Zu-buru-dabbeda, a book of magical rituals intended to protect crops) and a fly which may have represented Nergal. There's also a mongoose which doesn't really seem to fit the pattern, but the mongoose was well known and well-liked for its anti-snake properties - and a common motif in Babylonian glyptic art.
 |
| Some are quite pretty, I suppose... (Luca) |
2. The Fashionable Fly Jewelry of Egypt
Would you want an amulet shaped like a fly? I'm guessing not, but it seems that the ancient Egyptians were big fans of these trinkets. They been found made of materials ranging from lapis lazuli to the ceramic faience or gold - even the royalty of Egypt wore them!
It may seem strange when viewed through modern eyes, but flies may have appeared to have some merits to the ancient Egyptians. They're tenacious and while they were linked to disease and death, their life-cycle was also a reminder of life coming back from death. It's also possible that the amulets were intended as protective jewelry, intended to ward off the attentions of insects and other evils.
One theory regarding these flies was that they may have been handed out as a military award for valor in combat. It's a controversial theory - the fact that many of these tokens (some sources say the vast majority) have been found in the tombs of women and children rather than men that may have served as soldiers raises questions and implies they may have simply been charms. On the other hand, the autobiography of Ahmose Pen-Nekhebet (an Egyptian official) claims that Pharoah Thutmose I gave him two bracelets, four necklaces, an armlet, two axes, three lions and six flies (all made of gold) after victory in battle. Perhaps the flies were awarded posthumously? After all, those showing valor on the field were likely putting themselves in danger.
Interestingly, the serpent goddess Uatchet (she had several names, including Wadjet) was considered to have domain over the marshes of the Nile delta and thus have power over swarming flies - though in the story of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, she was unable to stop plague number four!
 |
| Get 'em lads! (Егор Камелев) |
4. The Dragonspawned Golubatz Flies
Some species of fly are blood drinkers, and the Golubatz flies (Simulium colombaschense) have to be among the worst offenders. They're one of the rare flies to have routinely killed animals through direct attacks, either by exsanguinating them or by causing toxic shock.5. Myiagros, the Fly Catcher
Did you know that the ancient Greeks had a divine figure dedicated to warding off flies? The role of Myiagros (which actually translates to fly-catcher) was typically assigned to heroes of legend, and it played a vital role in sacrificial rituals.
Imagine you're an ancient Greek trying to sacrifice an animal to honor the mightiest of gods. It's hot, and you're trying to lead a bull to a temple and its death. Of course you're going to get flies - and a lot of them at that. The story goes that a preliminary sacrifice was made to the Myiagros to win his favor - and that once satisfied, the flies would be kept away from the main event!
In the bird section of his Natural History, Pliny notes that the people of Elis (an area in Southern Greece) invoke the god Myacores when flies bring plague - and that the insects die as soon as a sacrifice is accepted!
 |
| Up to no good? (Muhammad Daudy) |
6. Familiar Flies and Crooked Pins
Have you heard of familiars? These small imps were said to take the form of animals and aid witches in working mischief... and it seems that the 1664 witch trial of Amy Duny and Rose Callender featured them taking the form of evil flies.
Part of the testimony from the trial was that children were falling into fits and eventually coughing up pins... even after all the pins had been removed form their clothing. The children had claimed that varying animals were bringing them the pins and forcing them to swallow them - and the eldest said "That fhe faw Flies bring her crooked Pins, and then fhe would fall into a Fit, and vomit fuch Pins."
7. The British Cult of Mercury
When the Romans invade Britain they brought their gods with them - but in true British fashion, the locals put their own spin on the Roman pantheon.
Many people wore amulets, tokens or brooches depicting the attributes and animals sacred to the gods. Those of the messenger deity Mercury often included winged sandals or a cockerel, but in Britain they seem to have been joined by the humble fly. Brooches of these common insects have been found at known sites of Mercury worship in Colchester and Uley!
 |
| A winged messenger, I guess... (Juan Pablo Mascanfroni) |
8. Metis, the Titan That Turned into a Fly
You may have heard of the Greek Titanomachy, the war between the titans and the gods. If not, the story goes that the titan Chronus had heard a prophesy that his children would overthrow him, so made a habit of eating them as soon as they were born. He'd already consumed Hestia, Hera, Poseidon, Hades and Demeter, but when Zeus was born, his mother handed Chronus a rock bundled in cloth instead - this allowed Zeus to escape grow up and eventually lead a rebellion against his father.
The lines were more burred than god and titan, however. The shape-shifting titaness Metis helped Zeus throughout the war, administering an emetic to Chronus that caused him to vomit his swallowed children.
Zeus eventually heard an unwelcome prophecy of his own - Metis would give birth to powerful children, including a son that would be greater than Zeus. Desperate to avoid this fate, Zeus tricked Metis into transforming into a fly... then ate her alive. There's gratitude for you!
9. Gand Magic
Gand (or Gandr in Old Norse) is a Proto-Germanic word used to describe the sorcery of the Sami people. One aspect of gand was launching a magical projectile to afflict enemies from afar - and sometimes, this was described as a literal cursed arrow fired into a picture of the victim. Alternatively, the shaman could reach out to otherworldly spirits that would then fire elf-shot at the intended victim.
In the 17th century, Norwegian clergyman Peder Claussøn Friis wrote that the Sami wrote that gand was kept in the form of flies, stored in a special pouch called a gand hiid. He went on to claim that these flies would be released into the wind, where they could strike people, animals or the landscape in general!
 |
| I'm sure there are better options for a shapeshifter... (Anagha Murugan) |
10. Loki's Flirtation With Flyhood
Loki (the trickster god of Norse mythology) was known for his sense of mischief - and as demonstrate in the Skáldskaparmál, his ability to get himself in trouble.
The story goes that Loki decided to cut off the hair of Sif as a practical joke... but Thor wasn't amused and would have broken every bone in the mischief-maker's body if he hadn't quickly promised to have a replacement made by the black elves (dwarves.)
Loki convinced the dwarven sons of Ívaldi to make the desired hair, Skídbladnir (a magical folding ship) and a spear for Odin. Always one to push his luck, Loki then challenged another set of dwarves (Brokkr and Sindri) to make three better items, offering his own head as the prize for success!
Obviously Loki wanted to sabotage the contest, so he transformed into a fly and harassed the brothers with bites as they worked. His interference nearly ruined the hammer Mjölnir after the dwarf working the bellows took away his hand to wipe away the blood!
11. The Gadfly That Felled a Greek Demigod
You've probably heard of Pegasus, the winged horse that carried Greek hero Bellerophon as he slew the Chimera... but what you might not know is how he fell from grace.
It's said that the hero grew arrogant from his successes, eventually deciding to fly directly to the peak of Mount Olympus, home of the gods. Not being the sort to take that lightly, Zeus sent a gadfly (a biting fly) to harass Pegasus, causing the flying steed to throw Bellerophon. In some legends the hero falls to his death, in others he survives the fall (albeit with life-changing injuries) but lives the rest of his days despised by gods and men for his arrogance!
 |
| Elementary, my dear Watson... (VD Photography) |
12. Fly Forensics
13. The Oracle of the Well
A fly actually shows up as a guardian spirit in The Statistical Account of Scotland (1794, Volume XII) for Kirkmichael in Banff. Supposedly a healing fountain or well was looked after by a spirit guardian in the form of a fly.
As well as protecting the water, the fly was said to pull double-duty as an oracle. Local women hoping to glean information about an illness (or potentially a lack of faithfulness) afflicting their partner would observe the fly as it patrolled the well, hoping to decode the answer from the insect's movements and general demeanor.
Curiously, the fly was said to be capable of reincarnation as well - folklore claimed that though it may at times have appeared dead, it would return in the body of a new fly at a later date!