Frogs = Fertility

In the Native American culture, the Zuni Tribe specifically, frogs are linked to fertility.

A little background now: the Zuni Indians are known, like other pueblos, for their crafts. I speak specifically about their fetishes. For those of you who have your minds in the gutter, a fetish is a carving made from rock or precious stone. Years ago, a hunter would take a rock with him when he was out hunting that was in the shape of what he was tracking for luck. As the years passed, fetishes became an art form and craftsmen carve the rocks and stones into beautiful figurines.

Now, back to the fertility frogs...each of the animals that are carved have meanings behind them. There are dozens, but here are some examples: the figure of a bear represents strength, the coyote symbolizes trickery and laughter, the turtle is for Mother Earth, the fish is purifying, the mountain lion is for leadership and resourcefulness, the rabbit protects women during child birth and the frog symbolizes abundance and fertility.

When my parents moved out to the southwest, my mother started a collection for me. I began to learn more and more about the carvings and the carvers who made them. My mother would also tell me stories that she had learned. One stuck out to me...that women who were trying to get pregnant would place a fetish of the frog under their pillow or on their bedside table to help promote fertility. I currently have two frog fetishes that I have hidden away, as I do not want to get pregnant at this time.

However, without thinking, I just bought a calendar to put in my bedroom to replace last year's. It hangs next to my bedside table.

It's a calendar of frogs...gulp.