Meet the legend of Anansi, a mythological being that comes to us from Africa and is remembered for his power to deceive those who call him.
Anansi the Spider
Anansi King of stories, the trickster, the trickster and the teacher of those who follow these traditions. He can be invoked by those who have a gift for stories, either to listen to a well-told tale or to help someone who has talent but is just beginning to become a master storyteller.
who is Anansi? Origin and Influences
He is commonly described as a spider, although in some stories he may take the form of a man with arachnid features. Anansi is resourceful and cunning, but can also be selfish and manipulative. He is often portrayed as an ambiguous character, who can be both hero and villain, depending on the situation and how he uses his cunning.
In traditional stories, Anansi faces challenges and enemies by using his intelligence and skills to deceive and overcome obstacles. Often, his antics have a moral message or teaching that can range from lessons about the importance of wit and cunning to warnings about the dangers of pride and arrogance.
Origin
The origins of Anansi can be traced back to the Ashanti people of Ghana, who brought the traditions to the Caribbean with them, where they really flourished. Other stories are told throughout West Africa, but are most prolific in places like Jamaica.
Family
Anansi is the son of the godly manifestations of his mother the Earth (Asaase Yaa) and his father the Sky (Nyame), so he is a true representation of all things in heaven and earth. He has many children with his wife Aso, but the most notable is Ntikuma, a child who plays an important role in one of the most popular legends, when it comes to bringing wisdom to the world or when talking about mythological beings.
History
Anansi resembles those he interacts with as a spider, a man with spider-like features, or some mixture of the two, most commonly a spider with the face or head of a man, or a man with eight legs. He is always playing tricks, telling stories, or causing some other form of mischief. His interactions in the world have been very important because he brings both stories and wisdom.
Anansi brings stories to the world
Anansi looked around, enjoying the world, but seeing that it was a rather boring place. Realizing that people had no stories to tell because her father, Nyame, was hoarding them in a box in the sky, Anansi embarked on a plan to take them away from her father.
She took to the sky on a spinning silk thread, and approached Nyame to ask if she could give them to the people so they could enjoy the stories and learn from her wisdom. His father was impressed that Anansi had found a way to get close to him, so although he did not want to publish the stories, he assigned Anansi what he considered an impossible task.
Nyame told his son that if he could bring him four creatures, he would trade the stories to Anansi for them. The creatures were the most fearsome in creation; Onini, a huge python, Osebo, a hungry leopard, the deadly Moboro Hornets, and the invisible fairy Mmoatia who was famous for her pride, greed and quick temper.
When Anansi left, declaring that he would do these tasks, Nyame laughed to himself thinking that each was impossible, and that all four together would be insurmountable. Anansi himself wondered how he could do this, but he was determined. He soon realized that to defeat the best traits of the four creatures, he would have to use his best trait – his deception. He devised plans to defeat each of them and set them in motion.
Onini
First, he sat outside Onini’s lair and pretended to argue with himself. First he would say, “No it isn’t!” and then follow it up with “Yes, it is!” Soon the python’s curiosity was aroused and it asked Anansi what he was doing. Anansi told Onini that his wife said the stick she was holding was longer than the snake, while he thought the snake was longer.
Onini said there was an easy way to work it out. He would stretch next to the stick. Anansi suggested that since it was difficult for the snake to stretch its curves along the entire length of the stick, they should tie it to him or it might not be longer. Onini agreed, and that is how his vanity allowed Anansi to capture it for Nyame.
Next was Osebo, whose strength was legendary. Anansi dug a deep well. The next morning, he found Osebo trapped in it. Offering help, he spun a rope from his webs, challenging Osebo to use his strength to climb out of the well. As Osebo began to climb, he became entangled in the web. The more he struggled to reach higher, the more entangled he became. Finally he could not move, and so Anansi used Osebo’s own strength to capture him.
For the next creature, Anansi cut a small hole in a gourd and made a plug for the hole. Then he collected water in a huge leaf. He poured half of it over his head, and the other half over the hornet’s nest, ruining it.
Mmoboro
When the Mmoboro hornets flew out angrily, Anansi exclaimed that the rains had come early, but the hornets could hide in the gourd. The first one flew in, and the rest of the hornets followed close behind. This is how Anansi used the hive-mind that gave the hornets strength in numbers against them.
Finally, he had to catch the wily fairy Mmoatia. He knew this last task would be the most difficult, but he also knew her weakness for yam paste. Anansi created a baby out of gum, put a line of cloth on his head and put a bowl of yam paste that Ano had made in his lap. Soon Mmoatia arrived and saw the yam paste. She could not resist and asked the gum baby’s permission to take some.
Anansi pulled the web, making the gum baby’s head. Mmoatia dug in, eating all the paste. When she finished, she thanked the gum baby. Now, Anansi did not pull the net. Mmoatia got angry and thanked the gum baby again, who was silent.
This made Mmoatia angry and she slapped the gum baby. His hand became entangled in the gum, and he lashed out with his other arm, which also became entangled. As her rage grew, she attacked with her legs, until finally she was totally trapped. Anansi had used Mmoatia’s pride and anger against her.
Taking the latter creature to her father, Nyame announced that Anansi had successfully completed the tasks set before her, and handed Anansi the box containing all the stories of the world.
Anansi brings wisdom to the world
There are many stories of Anansi because of his global influence. But the other story that matters most is how he also brought wisdom to the world, even if only by accident. The first thing to note is that it is possible that wisdom and stories are the same thing in this case. This is because the stories Nyame gave Anansi were often teaching tools as well as entertainment.
Anansi was troubled. He had a pot that contained all the wisdom in the world, and every day Anansi would look into the pot and learn something new and wonderful. He wanted to keep it safe, and for himself, even though his father Nyame had ordered him to share it.
Anansi began to look for a hiding place. His son, Ntikuma, was very curious, and when he saw his father hanging around, he decided to follow him. Anansi looked everywhere for the perfect hiding place. Finally he came across a very tall tree and decided that he would tie the pot to the top of it, where no one but him would know it was. He fashioned a long rope of vines and began to climb it while holding the pot.
The pot
However, try as he might, the pot prevented him from climbing very high. He kept falling, endangering the pot each time. Finally, Ntikuma could not maintain his silence. He came out and said, “Father, why don’t you use some of your vines to tie the pot to your back? That way you can carry it without it hitting your belly or requiring you to grab it!”
Anansi did this and was able to quickly climb to the top. But as he sat there, contemplating what his son had said, he realized that even with the pot of wisdom his son had given him sage advice that he had not thought of himself. This taught him that wisdom is best when it is shared.
He threw the pot from the top of the tree and when it hit the ground and broke, the wisdom scattered into the water and the winds to anyone who wanted some of it. That is why everyone has some wisdom, but no one has all of it.
Current Influence
As the King of Stories, Anansi is the patron of both storytellers and those who live by their wit. Like many primarily Caribbean deities, he can be summoned with an offering of treats, cigarettes and liquor. But if you can’t tell a good story to keep him interested, don’t expect him to stay long, because he won’t tolerate boredom.
