Information AboutAnansi |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ANANSI | |
| african gods | |
| creator gods | |
| trickster gods | |
| fictional spiders | |
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He is depicted in numerous forms: a Spider , a Human or combinations thereof. The Anansi legends are believed to have originated in the Ashanti tribe. They later spread to other Akan groups and then to Jamaica , Suriname , and the Netherlands Antilles. On Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire he is known as Nanzi, and his wife as Shi Maria. MYTHS Anansi stories are known as Anansasem to the Ashanti and '''Anansi-Tori''' in Suriname . In some beliefs, Anansi created the Sun , Star s and the Moon , as well as teaching mankind the skills involved in Agriculture . Another story tells of how Anansi tried to hoard all of the world's Wisdom in a Calabash . In the end he realizes the futility of trying to keep all the wisdom to himself, and released it. Most cultures that have Anansi folktales also have the story of how Anansi became King of all Stories, not just his own. In the original Ashanti version of this story, Anansi approaches Nyame, the Sky God, with the request that he be named King of all Stories. Nyame then tells Anansi that if he can catch The Jaguar With Teeth Like Daggers, The Hornets Who Sting Like Fire, and The Fairy Whom Men Never See, he will be King of Stories. Anansi agrees, despite Nyame's doubt that he can do it. Anansi then tricks the jaguar, who intends to eat him, into playing a game that allows Anansi to tie him up. He tricks the hornets by pretending that it's raining, and telling them to hide in a Calabash . He tricks the fairy with the gum/tar baby trick told below. He then takes them to Nyame and becomes King of Story. Other versions of this story involve Anansi getting Snake for Lion/Tiger. The only time Anansi himself was tricked when he tried to fight a Tar Baby after trying to steal food, but became stuck to it instead. The "tar-baby" tale appears in a variety of ethnic African folklore contexts. It is best known from the Brer Rabbit version, found in the Uncle Remus stories. These were derived from African-American Folktale s in the Southern United States . Ultimately this version was adapted and used in the 1946 animated Walt Disney movie Song Of The South . OTHER NAMES
IN MODERN FICTION
EXTERNAL LINKS IN MUSIC The children's singer, Raffi , sings a song called "Anansi" which is found on The Singable Songs Collection on C.D. |
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