Anansi
Categories: African gods | Creator gods | Trickster gods
Anansi is one of the most important and famous gods of west African lore. He is a trickster and a culture hero, who acts on behalf of Nyame (his father, the sky god) and brings rain to stop fires and performing other duties for him. His mother is Asase Ya. There are several mentions of Anansi's children. According to some myths his wife is known as Miss Anansi or Mistress Anansi. Eventually, Anansi was replaced by a chameleon.
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.
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Myths
In some beliefs, Anansi created the sun, stars and the moon. He created the first man, but Nyame actually made him come to life. He taught mankind 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.
The only time Anansi himself was tricked when he tried to fight a tar baby/wax girl after trying to steal food, but became stuck to it instead.
Anansi stories are known as Anansasem to the Ashanti and Anansi-Tori in Suriname.
Other names
In modern fiction
Anansi appears in two Neil Gaiman novels, American Gods and Anansi Boys.
Anansi the Spider is a superhero in the Static Shock animated series.
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 folktales in the US South. Ultimately this version was adapted and used in the 1946 animated Walt Disney movie Song of the South.
Anansi appears in two episodes of Disney animated series, Gargoyles.
Aunt Nancy, based on Anansi, is a character in the Charles de Lint novel, Forests of the Heart.
Anansi appears as King of the Spiders in the China Mieville Novel King Rat.
Anansi appears in a painting by Myrea Pettit Anansi and Sweep
Anansi is a superhero in the Astro City comic series by Kurt Busiek.
External link
In Music
The children's singer, Raffi, sings a song called "Anansi" which is found on The Singable Songs Collection on C.D.ca:Anansi de:Anansi sv:Anansi