Ladybird Folklore
Have you ever read or heard this traditional rhyme about Ladybirds?
Ladybird! Ladybird! Fly away home;
Your house is on fire, your children are gone;
All but one, and her name is Pam,
And she crept under the frying pan.
The traditional poem above is still loved and repeated by children today. However, many people say it began in Medieval Folklore and referred to the burning of hop vines to clear the fields after the harvest.
It is said that the ladybirds would fly away and their larvae would crawl away, however, their pupae would remain fastened to the vine and unfortunately burn with the harvest.
Another folklore tale is about the Middle Ages in Europe. It is said that insects were destroying the crops, so the Catholic farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary for help.
After a while the Ladybirds came. They ate the plant-destroying pests and saved the crops! The farmers began calling the ladybirds ‘The Beetles of Our Lady’, and they eventually became known as Lady Beetles.
The red wings represented the Virgins cloak and the black spots represented her joys and sorrows.
There are many other folklore tales about Ladybirds, here are just a few more!
It is said in Sweden that if a Ladybird lands in a young maidens hand, she will soon get married! Here in England, if a farmer finds a Ladybird, they will have a good harvest! Some say that if you find a Ladybird in your house in winter, it brings you good luck!