Anansi Stories
Anansi Stories are popular West African folk tales which provide communities with moral guidance through the tales of Anansi the spider.
Who is Anansi?
Anansi was a mischeivious God, who was made into a spider by his father Nyame (the sky God) for his troublesome ways.
While there are multiple narratives of the power of Anansi, it is generally considered by many that he is the God of all knowledge of stories. Often, he acted as a communicator between humans in their dealings with Nyame, and it is believed by some that Anansi persuaded Nyame to give both rain and the night to people.
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In the tales, he often plays tricks on his opponents, and uses whatever means to outsmart those he comes across, which promotes intellectual strength over physical strength. While there are various morals to the Anansi stories, the stories generally teach about the consequences of making bad decisions.
The History of Anansi Stories:
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It is believed that the telling of Anansi stories originated in Ghana hundreds of years ago, a creation of the Ashanti tribe. These stories of a 'spider God' were passed down through generations via oral tradition. Gradually, these 'Anansesem', or 'spider stories', spread throughout West Africa and the Caribbean.
It is believed that the first illustrated storybook of Anansi the Spider was published in 1899 by Pamela Coleman-Smith, who learnt of Anansi when her family moved to Jamaica.
Click to listen to an Anansi Story!