Fly, Louse, and Flea in Religion, Myths, Mythology and Folklore

In the biblical book of Exodus, the fourth plague sent by Yahweh when the pharaoh refused to release the Israelites was a plague of gadflies that filled the palaces (8:1-20), a particularly insulting punishment since these insects are generally attracted to cattle. The Egyptians, however, seem to have admired the appearance of houseflies, which they frequently used in decorative pins. Pendants of gold in the form of flies were awarded to soldiers for valor. In the play Prometheus Bound by the Greek tragedian Aeschylus, Hera changed the maiden Io into a heifer as punishment for having an affair with Zeus. Then the goddess sent a gadfly to drive the unfortunate creature across Europe and Asia. A similar image is used, though in a positive way, in Plato’s “Apology,” where Socrates compared himself to a gadfly sent by God to prod the Athenians out of their complacency. In a similar spirit, the Greek poet Melegros called upon a mosquito to buzz in the ear of his beloved to remind her of his love. In many cultures, especially in East Asia, insects have represented the soul. In Journey to the West, a mythological epic written by Wu Ch’eng-en in late medieval China, Old Monkey sometimes took the form of a fly to escape from demons or to elude detection. Among the Montagnards of Vietnam, fireflies have traditionally been considered the spirits of departed heroes. In Japan and China, fireflies are the companions of impoverished scholars engaged in nocturnal study. Because they provide moments of illumination, short poems written on fans or pieces of silk have been known as fireflies.

The name of the demon Beelzebub, originally a Phoenician deity, literally means Baal of the Flies or Lord of the Flies. In the Old Testa ment, Beelzebub tempted King Ahaziah of Israel away from Yahweh (2 Kings 1:2-6), and later he was called the “prince of devils” (Matt. 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 12:15). In the Christian Middle Ages, demons were frequently depicted as flies, and so people often thought of swallows and other insectivorous birds as holy. There are several stories of devils taking the form of insects to enter the bodies of people by mouth. According to a local chronicle, for example, in 1559 a maiden in the Harz Mountains near Joachimsthal inadvertently swallowed an evil spirit, disguised as a fly, in her beer. The demon immediately possessed her and began to speak through her, though it was finally exorcised by the parish priest.