Symbol of death, blindness, pestilence, war, souls
The back of the Death’s Head Hawkmoth is shaped like a skull. This moth is regarded as a death emblem. In Celtic mythology, the Death’s Head moth represents death in the family. This moth was also thought to be a sign of impending sickness and war. The Death’s Head moth was considered to inflict blindness in Wales if any portion of it came into contact with a human. The Death’s Head moth was a symbol of impending death in Scotland and Ireland. The Death’s Head moth represents the souls of the deceased in Native American tradition. The Death’s Head Moth is called after the River Styx, which runs between our world and the underworld, and Acheron, which runs through the underworld. The Lachesis species was named after the Indian fate that measures life, while the Atropos species was named after the fate that cuts the life thread.