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.
Read more about this topic: Crab
Famous quotes containing the words cultural and/or influences:
“Hard times accounted in large part for the fact that the exposition was a financial disappointment in its first year, but Sally Rand and her fan dancers accomplished what applied science had failed to do, and the exposition closed in 1934 with a net profit, which was donated to participating cultural institutions, excluding Sally Rand.”
—For the State of Illinois, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Without looking, then, to those extraordinary social influences which are now acting in precisely this direction, but only at what is inevitably doing around us, I think we must regard the land as a commanding and increasing power on the citizen, the sanative and Americanizing influence, which promises to disclose new virtues for ages to come.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)