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Insects in Recreation
Abstract
Insects form biological foundations of all terrestrial ecosystems. The magnanimity of insects and their role in ecosystem services has fascinated mankind in various ways. The fascination has led insect enthusiasts to study these creatures in detail. As these insects are an inseparable part of our society, the poets, writers use them in their writings as metaphors to convey certain emotions. Similarly, the beauty of insects like butterflies, moths, beetles have fascinated painters, artisans, which have painted or craved them on stones, walls, metals, wood. In this article we have discussed the influence of insects in literature, art, music, paintings and recreation.KeywordsLiteratureArtsMusicDanceRecreation
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VICTOR BENNO MEYER-ROCHOW, KENICHI NONAKA & SOMKHIT BOULIDAM
Summary: The general public does not hold insects in high regard and sees them mainly as a nuisance and transmitters of disease. Yet, the services insects render to us humans as pollinators, entomophages, producers of honey, wax, silk, shellac, dyes, etc. have been estimated to be worth 20 billion dollars annually to the USA alone. The role holy scarabs played to ancient Egyptians is legendary, but other religions, too, appreciated insects: the Bible mentions honey 55 times. Insects as ornaments and decoration have been common throughout the ages and nowadays adorn stamps, postcards, T-shirts, and even the human skin as tattoos. In many parts of the world, insects serve as objects of entertainment and represent a considerable value: large, single, live stag beetles are known to have sold for approximately 3,000 US dollars in Japan. In New Zealand and Malaysia luminescent insect displays have become lucrative tourist attractions. In forensic investigations insects have gained more and more in importance as incidences of homicide and smuggle of
contraband rise. Insects as parts of comic strips, horror movies, video games, etc. have also become very popular. Insects appear in sarcastic and science fiction novels, but are also frequently the subjects of romantic or humorous poems. Folk music of virtually all countries of the world knows certain insect songs and in probably all languages of the world idioms exist that make reference to insects. Very often such idioms, just like the many insect-based folk medicines of the different ethnic groups of the world, disappear, before they have even been scientifically analyzed. There is some hope, however, with regard to insects as human food. Insects contain easily digestible fats, valuable protein, fibre, minerals, and vitamins. Under threat through “westernization” in many parts of the world, entomophagy has seen some resurgence in certain areas. In southern Africa mopame worms are now being canned and exported to many countries and in Laos a veritable crickets-as-food industry has evolved over the last 18 years. Children and women collect wild (not farmed) crickets, sell them to middlemen (which are mostly ladies), who take the insects to the
towns and sell them there for a profit to customers like snack bar and restaurant owners. Crickets are, of course, not the only edible insects (there are hundreds of species belonging to virtually all insect orders), but in Laos they are considerably more valuable than rice and even meat. We conclude that any investigation dealing with humankind in nature, be it from the viewpoint of sociology, ecology, economy, or philosophy, will remain incomplete unless the substantial role of the insects is included in such investigations.
This volume traces the prehistory of English from Proto-Indo-European, its earliest reconstructable ancestor, to Proto-Germanic, the latest ancestor shared by all the Germanic languages. It begins with a grammatical sketch of Proto-Indo-European, then discusses in detail the linguistic changes - especially in phonology and morphology - that occurred in the development to Proto-Germanic. The final chapter presents a grammatical sketch of Proto-Germanic. This is the first volume of a linguistic history of English. It is written for fellow-linguists who are not specialists in historical linguistics, especially for theoretical linguists. Its primary purpose is to provide accurate information about linguistic changes in an accessible conceptual framework. A secondary purpose is to begin the compilation of a reliable corpus of phonological and morphological changes to improve the empirical basis of the understanding of historical phonology and morphology.
This chapter discusses cultural entomology, which is the study of the role of insects in those human affairs that are practiced for the nourishment of the mind and soul, such as language and literature, music, folklore, religion, art, and recreation. These activities that pervade primitive and modern human societies are concerned primarily with life's meaning rather than its function. Insects figure prominently in the creation myths of many cultures. Entomological mythology commonly employs transformations of beings between the insect and the human form, the acquisition of souls by insects, and ultimately the deification of insect forms. Insects are also used symbolically throughout the world's religions in a variety of roles. Throughout human existence, many insects have been admired for their ingenuity, beauty, fantastic shapes, and behaviors. In some instances, the use of insects as totemic figures that may symbolize ancestry or kinship of humans with these organisms leads to a deep sense of adoration and reverence. The songs, sounds, and other qualities of insects have inspired many musicians and songwriters. The sounds produced by various insects serve as songs for direct enjoyment or as the inspiration for man-made music.
Cultural entomology. Insects and Human Life Berg
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