Tradition: Greek Mythology, Indian Mythology
Alternative Names: Indian Gold-Digging Ants; Myrmekes
Category: Insect

The Myth

Gold-digging ants are enormous, powerful creatures said to inhabit gold-rich deserts in distant lands. Herodotus placed them in the sandy deserts of the Dards in India, within the Persian Empire, while later accounts, including the Ortus Sanitatis, relocated them to Ethiopia. Despite the differences in their supposed homeland, the stories describe creatures that dig up precious gold and fiercely defend their territory.

These creatures are smaller than dogs but larger than foxes. Pliny compared their size to that of an Ethiopian wolf and described their colour as resembling a cat. Skins attributed to the ants and presented before Alexander the Great were said to resemble panther skins. In the Ortus Sanitatis, however, the gold-digging ant looks unlike any ordinary ant or familiar animal. It has a rounded, bird-like head and four legs equipped with long talons. Whatever their appearance, the creatures are described as exceptionally swift, strong, and dangerous.

Gold-digging ants excavate their nests in areas rich in gold dust. As they dig underground, they bring sand containing the precious metal to the surface. This makes their nests tempting targets for treasure seekers, but the ants guard their riches aggressively. Anyone who attempts to steal their gold risks being caught and torn apart by the creatures.

Treasure hunters use camel caravans to raid the nests during hot summer mornings, when the ants remain underground. They rapidly collect the gold-bearing sand and load it into bags before the creatures detect their presence. However, the ants soon catch the scent of the intruders and rush to the surface. The camels must have a substantial head start, because the pursuing creatures are said to be fast enough to catch them and dismember them if they fail to escape.

The true identity of the gold-digging ants remains uncertain. Various explanations have suggested that they were not insects at all, but mammals whose digging habits and ferocity inspired the stories. Proposed candidates include hyenas, whose Persian name may have resembled the Greek word for ant, and Siberian foxes, which are known for digging and fierce behaviour. Another theory identifies the creatures as Himalayan marmots, whose extensive burrowing could bring gold-bearing material to the surface. According to this explanation, the Greek word murmex, meaning ant, may have contributed to confusion between ants and marmots.

Sources

“Gold-Digging Ant.” A Book of Creatures, August 22, 2016. https://abookofcreatures.com/2016/08/22/gold-digging-ant/

The Myth

The Indus worm is a gigantic aquatic predator said to inhabit the Indus River in India. It resembles the worms found in figs or rotten wood, but grows to an enormous size, measuring around seven cubits, or more than three metres, in length. Its body is so thick that a ten-year-old boy could barely wrap his arms around it, and its skin is approximately two fingers thick. Its most terrifying features are two enormous, square teeth, one in its upper jaw and one in its lower jaw, each measuring about eighteen inches long.

During the day, the worms remain submerged in the river, wallowing in the mud. At night, they emerge to hunt animals as large as cows and camels. They seize their prey, drag it into the water, and devour it at leisure, crushing flesh, bone, and even stone with their immense teeth. Only the animal’s paunch is left uneaten. There are also accounts of hungry worms attacking drinking camels and oxen in broad daylight, grabbing them by the nose and dragging them beneath the water.

Despite their terrifying nature, the Indus worms are prized for the oil contained within their bodies. This oil is extraordinarily flammable and can consume wood and animals alike. Fires started with it are said to be almost impossible to extinguish, requiring large quantities of clay and rubbish to smother the flames. Because the oil is so rare and valuable, only the king of India is permitted to possess it, and it is stored in clay vessels for use as a devastating weapon during sieges.

Obtaining the oil requires a dangerous expedition. Hunters capture a worm using a hook baited with a lamb or kid chained to it. Once the creature is hauled ashore, it is killed with javelins, swords, and clubs. The carcass is then suspended for thirty days, with vessels placed beneath it to collect the oil that slowly drips from its body. A single worm yields approximately five pints of oil before its remains are discarded and the precious substance is sent to the king.

The Indus worm has sometimes been compared to the Odontotyrannus, another legendary creature associated with India. Both are described as dangerous predators connected with aquatic environments, although their other characteristics differ.