Frogs and toads have been living and evolving on earth for over 250 million years now.
In the multitude of cultures, folklores, and mythologies around the world, frogs are considered important and auspicious.
So, what do frogs represent in different mythologies around the world? What do they symbolize? Are they positive or negative creatures?
We will answer these questions in this article and take a look at the different frog dream meanings to understand what different frogs symbolize in different dream settings or scenarios.
General Representation or Symbolism of a Frog
A frog is considered a harmless and friendly creature associated with positive energy and purity in most cases.
Frogs predominantly represent purity, chastity, good luck, change or transformation, as well as fertility.
Also, frogs appearing in your dreams can broadly mean that something good or positive is about to happen in your life. It’s an indicator that good luck might be on its way.
Frogs also symbolize adaptation or adjustment as amphibians or beings that can thrive on land and water.
Chinese Mythology
In Chinese mythology, frogs are considered symbols of immortality, healing or recovery, monetary gains or profit, and happiness. They are believed to bring immense prosperity too.
The most popular frog in Chinese culture is the Ch’an Chu, which symbolizes prosperity. The famous statue of the three-legged money frog is widely known and respected for its wealth-protecting abilities. And not only is it believed to provide security to its owner’s wealth and possessions, but it also attracts it toward its owner.
Another positive connotation of the three-legged frog is that it also bestows long life on its owner.
According to the Chinese, frogs in water are a sign of good luck. Ancient Chinese made images of frogs on drums to summon rain and thunder gods for a better harvest.
Here’s the significance of the three legs of the frog: Three. The number 3 is similar to words or phrases such as “to live” or “life” in Cantonese. Therefore, it’s believed to be a number with positive connotations.
In Cantonese, the number 4 has a negative concept attached to it as it sounds exactly similar to the word “death” in Chinese. This is also very similar to the negative connotations associated with the number 4 in Vietnamese.
Also Read: The Best Chinese Mythology Movies + The Most Popular Chinese Myths and Heroes
Egyptian Mythology
In Egyptian mythology, Heket, the ancient Egyptian deity of fertility and childbirth, had the head of a frog. Therefore frogs also are largely seen as symbols of fertility and regeneration or procreation of life.
Women in ancient Egyptian civilizations wore neckpieces with frog-shaped pendants to seek blessing, success, and good luck that could help them with the painful process of childbirth.
Heket was also the primary goddess who was summoned to protect the spirits of the dead while they traveled to their afterlife.
Did you know – Frogs have a negative connotation in the Hebrew culture, wherein they were one of the seven curses according to the Hebrew Bible. The frog is associated with one of the plagues out of 10 plagues in order to disrespect and damage the reputation of the Egyptian goddess Heket.
According to the Exodus story, Yahweh, the sacred god of the Israelites, plans an act of revenge against the Egyptian Pharoah when the Pharoah denies releasing the Hebrew slaves trapped in Egypt and prevents them from traveling to Canaan.
So, Yahweh turns the river Nile into the blood and sends an alarming number of frogs, considered unholy and dirty in Hebrew culture. He also sends eight more plagues through the river Nile to cause flooding in Egypt.
However, these frogs are believed to survive in the marshy swamps and bring immense abundance to the Egyptian lands.
Aztec Mythology
The Aztec god Centeotl also called the god of corn or American maize, personified fertility and childbirth. And transformed into the form of a frog or toad with many mammary glands. He was the son of Tlazolteotl, the supreme earth goddess or the prime goddess of fertility and childbirth, and the god symbolizing the planet Mercury, Piltzintecuhtli. According to another account, he is also the son of the goddess Xochiquetzal, goddess of love, childbirth, and fertility.
In Aztec mythology, frogs are considered auspicious and a creature heavily worshipped to bring rain for a good harvest. Therefore, the Aymara tribe, the origin of the Tihuanacota Empire, summoned frogs and toads in several rituals performed to bring rain and abundance along with it. They placed frog statues or idols on top of higher hills, mountains, and cliffs for a good spell of rain.
The Aztecs also worshipped Tlaltecuhtli, also known as the earth monster deity. She is represented as a squatting toad with rough skin resembling the skin of a crocodile symbolizing the topography and varied uneven landscapes on earth. She also had an enormously sized mouth and extremely long, sharp claws. Her mouth indicated the river of blood through which the dead souls passed.
Islamic Mythology
Frogs and toads are massively revered and respected in Islamic mythology as they are rightly called the army of Allah.
So, if you are a follower of the religion of Islam who frequently dreams about frogs and toads, you can rejoice as it symbolizes your compassionate quality. It also portrays the fact that you are extremely devoted to Allah, a kind, generous person who is also a highly respected figure in the family and among friends and relatives.
Hindu Mythology
Frogs have multiple meanings and positive connotations when it comes to Indian culture.
The pastoral communities have deep respect for the creature across many states of India. A ritual involving the union or marriage of two frogs is performed in several regions to please the supreme rain deity in Hindu mythology, the god Indra. Such rituals are commonly performed in most drought-affected areas of India to bring good rainfall.
Frogs and toads have also been regularly depicted in various folk art forms made by these agricultural communities, such as Warli from Maharashtra, Gonds from Madhya Pradesh, Pichwai from Rajasthan, Madhubani art from Bihar, and more.
The art pieces and artifacts not only showcase the cultural importance of frogs inspiring the daily lives of these communities. But they also highlight the larger issue here about the dire need to conserve them in order to maintain the much-needed environmental balance. As a mark of respect, the only temple in the world worshipping frogs is built in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, in a place called Lakhimpur Kheri.
Frogs have a great sensory system. Their skin can sense changes in temperature and moisture levels in the air. This is primarily why frogs are adept at pre-sensing the change in seasons.
According to a popular Sanskrit myth, the croaking voice of frogs is the curse of lord Agni, the supreme god of fire in Hindu mythology. After many years of brahmacharya or shunning of sexual activity, lord Shiva engaged in an erotic activity with goddess Uma. To stop this sexual union from happening, lord Agni was called upon. However, the power of the union was enough to destroy the world.
Lord Agni was threatened, so he fled to seek refuge in the waters. This affected the frogs inhabiting the waters whose survival was at stake due to the heat produced by lord Agni. It was impossible for the frogs to coexist with Agni in the same waters. So, the frogs approached Lord Agni’s higher gods to resolve the situation. Angered by this, Lord Agni cursed the frogs and hampered their speech. This is how the frogs ended up losing their articulation abilities and having a croaking, rough, and unpleasant voice, in a way, forever.
Did you know – In a sincere attempt to create more awareness regarding the conservation of frogs, the World Wildlife Fund India launches informative exhibitions to celebrate frogs and depict them in different interesting ways in art and nature.
Frog Dream Meanings in Different Scenarios – Explained
Depending on the cultures and traditions, there are varied perceptions about frogs, and people derive different meanings when they see frogs in their dreams. Here is how they believe.
1. Seeing a Frog in the House
This means that everything you’ve wished for or worked hard for is finally going to happen. It symbolizes dreams and aspirations changing into reality. It could be buying your own house, cracking a prestigious exam that you have been preparing for all these years, successfully building your own business, etc.
2. Seeing a Talking Frog
A talking frog dream symbolizes that you haven’t been attentive enough toward some people in your life who have an important life-changing message or advice for you. The dream is a hint to recognize such people and take their piece of advice.
3. Seeing a Frog Outside Your House
This symbolizes the future opportunities in your life. All these opportunities have a positive connotation and will leave you feeling good and elated. It could be reviving old relationships, friendships, making new friends, and positive developments in personal or professional life.
4. Seeing a Croaking Frog
This has different interpretations based on your occupation. But in general, it points to the representation of gaining a good amount of wealth and prosperity.
5. Seeing a Frog in Water
A frog dream where the frog is inside the waters indicates that you would possibly have to make travel plans in the near future. It could be related to a family vacation, a fun outing with friends, or even a business trip.
Verdict
Frogs are cold-blooded animals which means that they are very sensitive to temperature changes in the environment where they live in.
A frog jumps into the cold water when its body temperature on land increases due to an increase in the temperature of the surroundings. This brings us to another hidden aspect of the jumping frog dream. It symbolizes that you may be in a complicated life situation, and things are getting out of control. So, you want to reanalyze the situation to look at it from a different perspective and evaluate things for an overall better outcome.
Another important and most overlooked aspect of frog dreams is that these creatures are amphibians, so they can survive on both land and water. From a dream point of view, it means that there are some situations in your life that are merely illusions. They appear completely different on the surface but mean an entirely different thing. Such situations in your life can be hard to spot and address, but they definitely warrant your attention.
