Cultural Influences
Both the constellation Cancer and the astrological sign Cancer are named after the crab, and depicted as a crab. William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse drew the Crab Nebula in 1848 and noticed its similarity to the animal; the Crab pulsar lies at the centre of the nebula.
The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped nature, especially the sea, and often depicted crabs in their art. In Greek mythology, Karkinos was a crab that came to the aid of the Lernaean Hydra as it battled Heracles.
Crabs are also prevalent in pop culture including films and TV programs. Sebastian in The Little Mermaid is a popular character who sings the famous song "Under the Sea". Others are not quite so likeable. Mr. Krabs, the crab in SpongeBob SquarePants, is money-obsessed and not very likeable. Gigantic monster crabs are featured in some Hollywood movies such as Attack of the Crab Monsters, a "camp" horror movie of the 1950s. Crabs are the subject of annual festivals in many coastal states, particularly because they are the featured food there. Images of crabs are also popular in jewellery and t-shirts.
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Famous quotes containing the words cultural and/or influences:
“Somehow we have been taught to believe that the experiences of girls and women are not important in the study and understanding of human behavior. If we know men, then we know all of humankind. These prevalent cultural attitudes totally deny the uniqueness of the female experience, limiting the development of girls and women and depriving a needy world of the gifts, talents, and resources our daughters have to offer.”
—Jeanne Elium (20th century)
“Professors of literature, who for the most part are genteel but mediocre men, can make but a poor defense of their profession, and the professors of science, who are frequently men of great intelligence but of limited interests and education, feel a politely disguised contempt for it; and thus the study of one of the most pervasive and powerful influences on human life is traduced and neglected.”
—Yvor Winters (1900–1968)