Anansi
Anansi, also known as Ananse, is a deity originating from Africa, notably the Akan people. He often takes the shape of a spider and is sometimes considered to be a god of all knowledge of stories.
Over time he also became the patron god of the African slave-diaspora in the Americas, being revered as trickster who challenged authority.
Overview[]
He is also seen as a bridge between Nyame (the supreme god of the Akan people) and humans, using visions and oracular wisdom. Anansi is most well known for his ability to outsmart and triumph over more powerful opponents through his use of cunning, creativity and wit. Despite taking on the role of the trickster, Anansi's actions and parables often carry him as protagonist due to his ability to transform his apparent weaknesses into virtues.
Worship of Anansi came to the americas among the African slaves and transported throughout the United States and the Caribbean. After witnessing the grand erasure of african history during the times of slavery, Anansi has now become a guide to storytellers and is devoted to restoring the memory of African culture to those searching for their forgotten origins.
History[]
Nyame's Wager[]
Anansi's most popular tale involves his wager with Nyame the Supreme God of the Akan. The Sky-God Nyame, who is also known as Nyankonpon, had all the stories. Anansi wanted Nyame's stories so he went to Nyame and asked if he could buy them from him. Nyame did not want to give up his stories, even though the Spider insisted he could afford to pay for them. Unconvinced, Nyame then told Anansi that many great kingdoms like Kokofu, Bekwai, and Asumengya tried to buy the stories from him yet could not afford them; he then pondered how Anansi, completely insignificant in comparison, would succeed where they had failed. Anansi, however, was not intimidated and promised he could afford them, asking Nyame their price. As a result, Nyame entertained Anansi's offer, but nonetheless set a high price, hoping that it would be impossible for Anansi to accomplish the difficult labours that he devised for him: Anansi had to capture four of the most dangerous creatures in the world, namely Onini the Python, the Mmoboro Hornets, Osebo the Leopard, and the Fairy Mmoatia. Undaunted, clever Anansi promised to bring Nyame those four things and even added his own mother Ya Nsia for extra measure. Nyame accepted his offer and advised him to begin his journey, so Anansi set about putting his schemes into motion.
Onini the Python[]
First, Anansi went to his family and told them about his plan, including Ya Nsia. Then, he asked his wife Aso for advice, as he wished to capture Onini the Python first. Aso advised him to cut a branch from a palm tree and gather some string creeper vines. Anansi returned with them, and Aso told him to take them to the river where Onini lived nearby, pretending to argue with her to draw the Python's attention. Anansi agreed with her plan and took them. He then pretended to debate with her in an imaginary argument over the length of Onini's body while he headed there, pretending Aso had claimed Onini's body was longer than the branch of a full-grown palm tree.
Onini eventually heard Anansi pretending to argue with Aso, so he approached the Spider and asked Anansi what he was talking about. Anansi explained and Onini (unaware of Anansi's trickery) quickly agreed to help Anansi prove that he was longer than a palm tree branch. Thus, Anansi told the Python to stretch himself beside the branch Anansi had gathered and Onini then did so eagerly, unaware he had fallen into a trap. Anansi then took the string creeper vines he had gathered and tied up Onini completely. Anansi then lost no time in carrying Onini off to Nyame, mocking the Python along the way as he informed Onini of his bargain with Nyame. Triumphant, Anansi soon arrived and presented Onini to Nyame; the Sky-God acknowledged Anansi's accomplishment but reminded him that he still had the other challenges, imagining in secret that Anansi would fail.
Mmoboro Hornets[]
Next, Anansi returned home to Aso and informed her of what he had accomplished, deciding to capture the Mmoboro Hornets next. He asked her for advice, and his wife obliged, telling him to find a gourd and fill it with water. He was then to carry the gourd along with him to see the Hornets. Anansi followed her advice, heading toward the bush where the Hornets roamed in search of them. Soon, the Spider noticed a swarm of Hornets loitering near one, and he crept close to them, readying his gourd. Anansi then sprinkled some of his water at the Mmoboro Hornets, careful to save some for himself. The Spider then doused himself with the remaining water he had collected and cut a leaf from a Banana tree nearby, covering his head with it.
Soon the Hornets flew to him in a fit but Anansi showed them his banana leaf – still wet – and explained that it had been raining. Clever Anansi then warned the Hornets that the rain was dangerous, suggesting that they could enter his gourd so that they would not be overcome. The Hornets agreed and thanked Anansi for helping them – unaware of his scheme – and they all flew inside, filling the gourd as they sought the shelter Anansi had promised them. Once all of them had entered, Anansi stoppered the mouth of the gourd and taunted them for succumbing to his scheme. The Spider told them of his plan to trade them to the Sky-God for his stories and took the Hornets to Nyame. Nyame accepted the Hornets, but reminded Anansi that he still had other tasks left in spite of his successes so far, certain the Spider still could not complete his task. He bade the Spider to continue his search, and Anansi left for home.
Osebo the Leopard[]
Anansi soon returned to Aso afterward and informed her of his success, then plotted against Osebo the Leopard with her. Aso told Anansi to dig a hole to catch Osebo and cover it; Anansi caught on to her plan immediately and told her it was enough. Then, he went to the place where Osebo normally could be found. Anansi dug a deep pit in the ground, covered it with brushwood, and decided to return home, knowing that Osebo would eventually stumble into the pit as night drew near. Sure enough, Anansi returned to the pit the next morning and found Osebo trapped inside of it. Anansi feigned sympathy and asked the Leopard why he was trapped inside; he asked Osebo if he had been drinking again, something Anansi had constantly warned the Leopard about, and the Spider continued his act, lamenting that he wanted to help Osebo but was certain that Osebo would attempt to eat him afterward.
Osebo insisted that he would not harm Anansi, so the Spider agreed to help him. Anansi went aside and cut two long sticks with his knife for the Leopard to climb out of the hole with and told Osebo to stretch his arms wide, secretly leaving the Leopard vulnerable. Osebo, unaware of yet another scheme by Anansi, then attempted to scale the sticks so that he could escape, but Anansi withdrew his knife again and tossed it at Osebo. The hilt of the knife struck Osebo's head and the Leopard fell down into the pit, now unconscious. Satisfied that his scheme had worked, Anansi gathered some additional sticks and formed a ladder, descending to the bottom of the pit to collect Osebo. Anansi then gloated just as he had before and told the Leopard about his bargain with Nyame, carrying him away to the Sky-God. Anansi then presented Osebo to Nyame when he arrived, and Nyame accepted Anansi's gift. The Sky-God, however, was still not convinced that Anansi would succeed in completing his challenge, and reminded the Spider that he had yet to accomplish all of the tasks he was assigned.
Mmoatia the Fairy[]
The Spider returned home another time, deciding to capture Mmoatia the Fairy after some thought. Anansi then decided upon a plan and carved an Akua doll. Next, the Spider gathered the sap out of a gum tree, covering it until the Akua doll thus became very sticky, but Anansi was not done. He pounded some eto (mashed yams) collected by his wife Aso and covered the Akua doll's hand with it; the Spider then gathered a basin and placed some eto inside of it. Once he had filled the basin, Anansi then took some of his silk and tied a string around the Akua doll's waist so that he could manipulate it, heading off to the land of fairies once he had finished. Anansi placed the doll in front of an odum tree, a place where Fairies often congregated, and sat the basin with the eto in front of it as bait. Anansi then hid behind the odum tree and waited for one of the Mmoatia to appear.
Soon, one came, lured away from her sisters by the eto that the Spider had placed in front of the Akua doll. Enticed by the eto, Mmoatia asked the doll if she could have some of it. Anansi then tugged the Akua doll's waist and it nodded its head in response, which made Mmoatia excited. Mmoatia returned to her sisters and asked if they would allow her to eat some, noting that she (completely unaware of Anansi's trickery) had been offered some eto by the Akua doll. Mmoatia's sisters allowed her to, so the Fairy returned to the basin and devoured the eto. When she had finished, Mmoatia thanked the Akua doll but Anansi did not tug his string. The Akua doll did not nod to acknowledge Mmoatia's gratitude. Slightly upset, Mmoatia told her sisters what had happened and they advised her to slap the doll's face as recompense. Mmoatia agreed and then slapped the Akua doll, but her hand became stuck. Angered, the Fairy informed them of what had happened, and another sister suggested that Mmoatia should slap the doll again, this time with her other hand. The Fairy obliged and tried again, only for her remaining hand to become stuck on the gum that covered the Akua doll.
Mmoatia asked her sisters for help a final time, informing them that both her hands were now stuck. Another sister told Mmoatia to bludgeon the doll with the rest of her body, certain that Mmoatia would be successful this time in punishing the Akua doll. However, the Fairy followed the advice of her sisters and only became stuck to the gum that covered the doll Anansi had laid in front of the Odum tree entirely. Anansi then emerged from hiding and used the rest of the string he had tied around his doll to bind Mmoatia with his string entirely. He then mocked Mmoatia also, just as he had done to the others he had captured before her and told the Fairy of his scheme to offer her to Nyame as well. However, Anansi still had another task he wished to complete before he returned to the Sky-God.
Completing the Wager[]
Finally, Anansi headed to his home to visit his mother Ya Nsia, and reminded her of his agreement with the Sky-God to exchange her as part of the price for Nyame's stories. Anansi's mother complied with him, and the Spider then carried her alongside Mmoatia to Nyame, presenting both of them to Nyame to complete the bargain for the Sky-God's stories. Nyame accepted both of them, thoroughly-impressed at the success of the Spider, and assembled a meeting within his kingdom. The Sky-God summoned his elders, the Kontire and Akwam chiefs, the Adontem general of his army's main body, the Gyase, the Oyoko, Ankobea, and finally Kyidom, who led his rear-guard. Nyame then told them about the task Anansi had accomplished when none else – not even the greatest kingdoms – could afford his stories. Nyame recounted each of the creatures Anansi had presented the Sky-God with, as well as his own mother Ya Nsia, and allowed his audience to see each of these gifts for themselves. Nyame finally acknowledged Anansi's talents and told the Spider he now had the Sky-God's blessings. The people rejoiced alongside Nyame as he then announced that his stories would no longer be known by his name or belong to him; from then on, the Sky-God's stories would belong to Anansi, and all of them would be known as Spider stories for eternity. So it is that every story, no matter the subject or theme, is called a Spider story.