Frogs as symbolism in literature are often used as metaphors for personal growth and change, representing the ability to adapt and evolve. The symbols include transformation, rebirth, fertility, wisdom, trickery, and balance. In all the major cultures, frogs are associated with water and emotions, embodying the depths of the subconscious mind. The frog’s amphibious nature connects it to the realms of both land and water. Thus, they symbolize the interconnectedness of different aspects of life. The word ‘frog’ is derived from the Old English word ‘frogga’ and the Old Norse word ‘froskr’. The word origins may also come from the Proto-Germanic term ‘fruzga’ which refers to the sound made by a frog.
Wisdom
Blue frogs symbolize wisdom, patience, and communication. Native Americans believe painting the frog is touching another animal with its tongue. This is supposed to represent the sharing of ancient knowledge and wisdom. The frog in Japanese culture frog is called Kaeru, and it symbolizes wisdom. Ancient Hindus considered the frog a symbol of wisdom because they believed frogs were put into the world as an orbit of space.
Luck
Frogs are a symbol of prosperity and good luck. In Chinese culture, frogs are considered a symbol of good luck and wealth. According to Spanish beliefs, Casino Gran Madrid in front has a lucky frog statue to symbolize luck. In Panama, golden frogs symbolize good luck to charms. The dead frog inside the house symbolizes bad luck or an omen.
Rebirth & Purity
The frog symbolizes the power of God, according to a few Christian myths, and it represents spiritual rebirth due to its ability to live in water and land. Ancient Egyptian culture believed the frog, was associated with the goddess of Heket, who is a god of water. Hence, the frog is considered a symbol of rebirth. In Aztec mythology goddess Tlatecuhtli was the earth-mother goddess and was associated with the green frog; it is a symbol of rebirth. One of the tribes from Mexico, the Olmec tribe, believes the frog is a symbol of numerous mythology and rebirth. The white frog symbolizes purity and innocence. Frogs represent purity because they remain clean even amidst the murky waters.
Transformation
A frog is a spirit animal and is associated with transformation. Native Americans associated frogs with transformation because they are keepers of rain and bringers of fertile weather. In Hinduism, frogs are a symbol of transformation and caution as they transition at nighttime. Frogs are also a symbol of protection. Dreaming of a frog symbolizes good luck, transformation, and a new beginning. Native Americans also believe the frog is a totem animal, and it represents change and transformation. Water. In Norse mythology, the trickster god Loki transformed himself into a frog to symbolize transformation. African culture considers the frog a symbol of transformation because it survives based on nature. According to The Frog Prince, a Fairy tale, the frog symbolism of transformation, hidden beauty, and potential. Also, the novel The Princess and the Frog represents the transformation and power of true love.
Mythology
According to ancient Egyptian mythology, the goddess Heket is associated with frogs and also protectors of newborns. Native Americans believe the frog is a symbol of cleansing, healing, and transformation. In Chinese culture, the frog symbolizes good luck and prosperity, as well as the three-legged money frog is a symbol of wealth. In ancient Aztec mythology, the god Tlaloc is associated with rain and water. And as per Norse mythology, the trickster god Loki transformed himself into a frog.
Dreams
Seeing a frog in a dream is a symbol of good luck. Dreaming of a green frog symbolizes happiness and mental and emotional wellness. Catching or chasing a frog in dreams represents drastic life changes. A frog is croaking in a dream, considered as receiving good news. According to Christianity, dreaming of a frog is a bad omen and fear. Muslims believe dreaming of a frog is considered kindness and generosity as a follower of Allah. The Hindus believe frogs in dreams are spirits of loved ones who are already dead, still trying to protect them from harm.
Examples of Frog as Symbolism in Literature
Example #1
Wood Frog By Robert Gibb
Looping my way along the trail,
The under boughs swimming in light,
Green growing on the creek wall,
I come upon the frog: first-sized,
Nearly mineral, a clump of so much
Celsius and intelligence
As the earth requires. Amphibian,
I remember, the tadpoles suddenly
Veering into another life.
In this stanza, the poet is describing the life cycle of a frog, the transformation from the tadpole stage to the young frog. Here frogs are a symbol of transformation and survival.
Example #2
The Frog By Conrad Hilberry
A man bewitched into a frog, admiring
The calves of passing ladies, can only croak
or hop ridiculously after them.
And yet his thin legs dangle and stretch
voluptuously in the algae, his mouth
relaxes into speechless green. His ear,
which once distinguished shades of condescension
in a woman’s voice, now hears only
the slap of water on cypress knees,
the hum of insects asking to be eaten.
In this poem, the poet describes the frog as a seducer of women. Here, the frog is a symbol of mystery, seduction, and temptation.
Example #3
The Prince Of Frogs By Henri Coulette
I must be in your next poem,
She says, smiling, her fingers
Autographing my knee.
Flashback, and I Am there,
Fugitive, in a grey garden,
Croaking, Here I am, here I am,
The tall prince, terribly hidden
Under a crown of warts;
And they came, the flaxen, the raven,
In their long gowns, clinging.
They came kissing my green skin,
But their Kisses would not take.
Unhand me, madam. I have
More electric than a kiss,
As promising as change.
All that this frog needs:
Tobacco, alcohol, ink,
And the hue of metaphor crying.
The above poem alludes to the fairy tale of ‘The Princess and the Frog’ where the prince is cursed to be the frog and only a kiss can break its curse. Here the poet adds a twist to the story by frog refusing to be kissed and asking for luxury instead. Here, the frog is a symbol of vanity, cunningness, and humor.
Example #4
Quote By Mehmet Murat ildan
Frog who wants to be a king of the lake by terrorizing other frogs is not a frog but a scorpion or a snake!
In this quote, a frog is a symbol of dominance and authority in the first part of the phrase, and timidity in the second phrase.
Example #5
Trespasser By Paul Doiron
You can’t tell by the look of a frog how far they’ll jump.
In the above example, the frog represents uncertainty and doubt.
Example #6
The Remarkable Rocket By Oscar Wilde
“Conversation, indeed!” said the Rocket. “You have talked the whole time yourself. That is not conversation.”
Somebody must listen,” answered the Frog, “and I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time, and prevents arguments.”
In this example, the frog is the reasonable one. Here the frog symbolizes reason, patience and peace.
Example #7
Cannery Row By John Steinbeck
That is the way it is done, the way it has always been done. Frogs have every right to expect it will always be done that way.
In this example, frogs are considered a symbol of survival.
Example #8
Song of a Nature Lover By Michael Bassey Johnson
Nights can never be real and enjoyable without the croaking of frogs and the chirping of crickets.
In this example, frogs are a symbol of freedom and survival.