Together they began to stage an argument as to the length of the python. He gathered some vines and the branch of a palm tree and met his wife at the river where Onini would be. “Then fetch me the most dangerous animals: Onini the python, Osabo the Leopard, the Mmoboro Hornets, and the Fairy Mmoatia.” Nyame commands.Īnansi accepted the challenge, but before he set off, Nyame added Anansi’s mother to the list.Īnansi returned to his home and devised a plan of action with his wife Aso and his mother to capture the python. He gave him a set of labours, tasks that he deemed impossible. Nyame contemplated how the spider could keep his promise. “I promise I can! Name your price!” Anansi replied.
Nyame scoffed! “And how would you afford such a price? The biggest and richest kingdoms have tried to purchase my stories and yet, none could afford them.” Anansi wanted these stories and the wisdom that came with them and so, he visited the sky god and offered to buy them. There was a time when no stories existed, except the ones owned by the sky god. One of the most well-known stories is how all the sky god stories became Anansi’s. How all the Sky God Stories Became Anansi’s There is usually someone bigger or stronger who underestimates Anansi, but they do so at their peril as the spider outsmarts them. This was also a very common theme in these spider stories. You can see how stories like this may have resonated with those who are enslaved. Whilst preoccupied with the tiger, the lion had not seen Anansi poison his drinking water, and so, he also died, and Anansi was now free. “You are the rightful ruler, mighty Lion” Anansi accepted, presenting the lion with some water. When the lion next saw the tiger, he killed him and thanked Anansi for his servitude.
He whispered in the lion’s ear to be careful as the tiger thinks he is the rightful ruler. The tiger accepted his position, however, Anansi did not. In this story, the lion considered himself the mightiest and so the tiger should bow down to him and Anansi, who was below the tiger would have to bow down to both of them. One story used to highlight this is the story of the Lion and the Tiger. They will have to display qualities like Anansi if they wish to overcome their oppressors. It’s not difficult to see why Anansi was a symbol of hope and rebellion during this period. Many of these spider tales see Anansi overcoming impossible odds, outwitting individuals who were much more powerful than himself. Those who were taken from their homes and transported to this new world would only really have their memories and stories-their traditions-and so Anansi’s importance was even greater than before. Similar to how the Vodun religion spread from West Africa and became Haitian Vodou, Anansi and the Akan folklore were transmitted and travelled through the Caribbean and North America via the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Many of Anansi’s tales were told through oral storytelling they were not recorded until much later. Sometimes, he is a man, other times a spider and he can also be both-a spider with a man’s head, or a man with spider-like qualities such as eight legs or arms. With the language being spoken by 80 per cent of those who live in Ghana, many consider this to be the origin of Anansi and his stories.Īnansi derives from the word meaning spider, and he does appear as an animal as well as several other forms. Today we examine the Legend of Anansi, the Spider.Īnansi is a character that appears in Akan folklore, which primarily covers the countries of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. There is no singular story or pantheon that encompasses African mythology and folklore as a whole, so when choosing where to start, I’ve chosen one of the few figures I had heard of-a figure prominent in West Africa, but one whose stories and identity have evolved and travelled across Africa to the Caribbean and North America.Ī figure that possessed ideals many wish to emulate but also one with flaws that served as cautionary tales and lessons. Anansi, like his wife Aso, may change forms and may be shown as a human, even though his regular shape is a spider.
These spider tales originated in West Africa and were spread to the Caribbean during the transatlantic slave trade. Despite playing the trickster, Anansi’s acts and parables frequently cast him as the protagonist due to his capacity to change his seeming flaws into virtues. He is one of the most significant figures in West African, African American, and Caribbean mythology, playing the role of trickster.Īnansi is well recognised for his ability to outwit and defeat more strong opponents by employing cunning, ingenuity, and intelligence.
He frequently assumes the form of a spider and is sometimes regarded as a deity of all storey knowledge. Angolan Witch Spider- Fiction! Who is Anansi the Spider?Īnansi the spider is a figure from Akan folklore.
0 kommentar(er)
