Frogs and toads have always been something of a mystery to humans. Today, encounters with frogs seem nearly unavoidable - in popular culture, zoos, museums, and the environment around us - but our ancestors had frequent encounters too. Amphibians were, after all, the first vertebrates to invade the land and frogs probably “fathered all of the vertebrae music on earth” One reason frogs have such and enigma is their ability to change from one life form to another. Some ancient societies saw this transformation as an omen and worshiped frogs for their mystical power; others however regarded them as harbingers of bad fortune.

To the Egyptians, frogs were a symbol of fertility. Egyptian women wore gold amulets with depictions of frogs, hoping to incur the god’s favor of fruitfulness. And in Egyptian tombs, embalmed frogs were laid to rest beside human mummies. In Asian cultures however, frogs and toads were believed to be a sign of bad luck. A wrinkled toad for example was believed to be the reincarnation of an ugly or evil old man, and when the “toad in the moon” managed to swallow itself, the result was an eclipse.

To Australian aborigines and North American Indians, the croaking of frogs was a portent of rain, and on occasion Americans and Europeans reported that the heavens “rained” frogs ( which were transported, scientists speculate by tornadoes or water sprouts that sucked up the frogs and brought them miles from their homes).

In Shakespeare’s day, people believed that the glittering eyes of frogs and toads betokened a precious jewel or “toad stone”, within the animals head; if worn, one of these stones purportedly would protect the wearer from poisons or other evils. Some also believed that if one were to place a frogs tongue on the head of a sleeper, it could induce the individual to talk in his or her sleep.

Witches, shamans and scientists have all been drawn to the unusual features of frogs and toads. The “weird sisters” - or witches - in Shakespeare’s Macbeth chant about “eye of newt and toe of frog” as they stir the boiling, bubbling contents of their cauldron. And who can forget all of the frog fables? The “Frog Prince” most certainly rings a bell.