This post has two parts, a video of a storytelling performance and a written version of the talk given at the University of Northampton on Thursday 10th October 2024.
I first heard of Anansi whilst working for Northamptonshire Black History Association. Colleagues had taken Anansi stories into schools in the local area (Northamptonshire Black History Assocation, 2008). However, it was not until years later that I was able to engage with Anansi storytelling. There were two events which brought Anansi storytelling to my life. While working at Black Cultural Archives, I was curating a community exhibition to take place at Brockwell park. While researching for the exhibition I found a box of Anansi stories written by students of an African Caribbean Saturday School in the 1980s. The students had learnt about the story tradition and then made up their own stories. Amongst the stories I found a ‘hare and torteoise’ story where Anansi is challenged to race around Brockwell Park, too lazy to run himself Anansi gets a car ride to the finish line where goes to sleep and then loses the race. This story was the centre piece of the exhibition. At around the same time I took a storytelling course at the Royal and Derngate led by Jo Blake one of the stories featured was the Anansi Story “Why All Stories are Spider Stories”. After this workshop I created my own version of this story which I told in school workshops and community settings for about 15 years.
My fascination with Anansi comes from his ambiguity he is neither spider nor man, nor god, he is tricky to pin down. Anansi exists in in between spaces, and this feels familiar to me as someone of mixed heritage being British but not fully British and Mauritian but not ‘properly’ Mauritian. In answer to the question “Where do you come from?” I often want to answer everywhere and nowhere. Despite Anansi stories not being part of my cultural canon, he demonstrates human qualities and not always the best ones – but that makes him relatable. After seeing a piece of children’s theatre, I was inspired to create an ensemble piece based around Anansi stories which was the catalyst for me revisiting storytelling and writing this talk.
Anansi storytelling happens around the world, but it is especially popular in the Caribbean where it is often performed in the local Creole, there are some fantastic storytellers whose use of language make the stories sound like music, one of the most famous is Jamaican performance artist Louise Bennett-Coverley also known as Miss Lou (National Library of Jamaica, [n.d.]). The National Library of Jamaica (2019) have a collection of stories recorded which have been shared on YouTube such as this one “Anancy and Smoked Pork” . This article is based on two talks that I gave in Black History Month 2024; it discusses the evolution of the Trickster Spider over the years and the link between the distribution of the story across the globe through the Triangular Trade.
Anansi – The Trickster Spider
Anansi is a male with the pronouns he/him. He is married and there are stories about how he got his wife. Some stories say that she already had a husband, but Anansi liked her and tricked her husband into giving her up using clever word play. In another story, she is the fair maiden of the village who gets captured by a snake, Anansi kills the snake and marries her. Anansi also has many children, however in the stories, we only get to meet his oldest son. Through my research, I identified four phases of Anansi’s development, divine, defiant, dream-time and deviant (Marshall, 2009; Marshall, 20212; Marshall, 2018; van Duin, 2007).
Anansi originated from the Asante peoples in West Africa, the land is in the nations of Nigeria and Ghana . The divine phase links to the religious significance of the stories which explores the forces which shape the world and universe. In Ghana, the word for story telling is Anansiseem; the Asante saw themselves as part of a cosmic force which governs the universe natural world and humanity. All these things are inextricably linked, intertwined in a way that is unrecognisable to a European mindset where man and natural are separated. In these Asante communities Anansi stories where often told to have a cathartic effect after a time of disorder. In this tradition, Ananse Korkoro is a lesser god (similar to Loki in Norse mythology). A spider is a symbol of wisdom. It could be argued that wisdom is the preserve of the rich and righteous whereas cunning is for the low and poor. In Anansi stories the village is a place of peace and order while the forest is a place of chaos and unpredictability (Marshall, 2012).
Over time, Anansi changes from being a deity to a folk hero, a hero of plantation slaves. This fall from grace from not quite a god to not nearly a man mirrors the changing fortunes of those telling the stories. Nevertheless, he is a symbol of resistance and hope; his cunning and resilience exemplifies defiance. In the Caribbean storytelling tradition, the stories are usually told in the local Creole. Creole is a hybrid form of cross-cultural communication, a melding of languages. Speaking Creole itself is a form of resistance as it reappropriates language from standard English which enslaved peoples were forced to speak (Marshall, 2012). Anansi, himself, has a dark side, he is a manipulator and revels in the deprivation of others, stealing their status, power and place. Anansi is perfectly selfish and shows no remorse for deeds of violence, treachery and cruelty. However, Marshall (2009) these Anansi tactics enable people to carve a space for themselves quoting the former Jamaican Prime Minster, she argues that Anansi’s journey exemplifies the way slavery failed in its attempts to destroy its victims or eradicate cultural practices arguing that they are parables of survival in which the weak prevail over the strong and therefore give hope. Enslaved people were stripped of their names, families culture (Walvin, 2007) there Anansi stories told in field and by fire gave them a connect to what was lost and showed them how to navigate their present circumstances. in additon, Anansi stories help the listener to find humour in adversity, for example, Anansi cheats death by shoving the grim reaper’s head into a bucket of lime. This treatment mirrored experiences that as enslaved peoples who were often punished by having lime rubbed into cuts. These stories enabled enslaved people to reclaim and make sense of experiences. The incorporation of negative stereotypes also enabled enslaved people to reclaim them those as well. For example, one such stereotype depcits Anansi as speaking with a lisp known, at the time, as Bungo talk a stereotyped speech pattern of African enslaved people. Another stereotype was that of the Quasie and subservient, ingratiating servant who seeks to gain favour and advantage for themselves (Marshall, 2006:; Marshall, 2018) . These stories, Marshall (2009) argues gave enslaved people strategies for survial through, resistance and reclamation often through underhand or Anansi Tactics.
When exploring the collection of Anansi stories , it becomes apparent that he is a chameleon changing in response to the needs of the teller which is why I think Anansi stories have endured. In the Dream-time phase, Anansi becomes a children’s story told in nurseries. In contrast to Anansi dark side, where many of his stories feature lewd and bawdy language and behaviour involving sex, death and violence, in this phase, his stories are recreated for children and sanitised . This happened when Anansi moved from the plantation field to the Great House, the home of the plantation owner. Anansi stories were often told to the owners’ children by their enslaved nannies. Many families of the Great House became fascinated and started to record them in writing further changing the dynamic of storytelling from the immediate spoken form to the written form which is more crystallised. The earliest example of Anansi stories being used in British education we have of Anansi stories being used in multicultural education is 1936 when 6 stories were published stories, but they saw them primarily as children’s stories similar to nursery rhymes. Published through the European lens Anansi is depicted as a golliwog with 8 legs in illustrations demonstrating who Anansi reflects the perspectives and sometimes the prejudices of the teller (Marshall, 2012)
At the turn of the millennium, there was a national debate about Jamaica’s attachment to Anansi stories with people arguing that as a society they were suffering from Anansi Syndrome (Marshall, 2001). There were argument about whether having Anansi as a totem for the Jamaican national disposition was healthy or helpful given his deviance. This fixation with Anansi and his more negative qualities is described as Marshall (2001) as Anansi syndrome. The debtate highlightes the tension between celebrating cultural heritage and the bad example that Anansi sets. Educationalists across the spectrum disagreed on whether or not he provides a positive link to the past for varying reasons; some leaders argued that Anansi was a poor role model encouraging unchristian behaviour particularly noting its pagan origins , while a Rastafarian educationalist argued that Anansi was the epitome of corrupting white influence or Babylon, and instead young people should be encouraged to be honest and upstanding Lions of Judah. Marshall (2201) argues he is a key to understanding precarity of Jamaican society being both a symbol of tradition and post modern individualism. This highlights Anansi’s embodiment of duality, hybridity and the tensions between order chaos, culture and destruction.
The Triangular Trade and Global Spread
The triangular trade describes the 3 journeys taken during the transatlantic slave trade in the from the 1600 to the 1800s. The first leg is Europe to West Africa, areas now known as Ghana and Nigeria on this leg slave traders took tools and guns to trade for humans (Falloyin, 2022; Walvin, 2007). The Second leg went from Africa to the Americas (including the Caribbean) during which slave traders carried people and crops for planting. The third leg went from the Caribbean to Europe which involved taking goods, cotton, tobacco, spices and most importantly sugar to feed Europe’s increasingly sweet tooth (Walvin, 2007). Britain did not invent the slave trade, this was a system already in existence which colonisers such as the Dutch, Portuguese and British sought to exploit for their own business interests whoever the through state sponsorship and royal patronage the British refined and monetised the slave trade on an industrial scale contributing to the forcible removal of 100s of thousands of Africans from their homeland (Wavlin, 2007; Reddie, 2007; Falloyin, 2022). Much has been said about the horrors of this industry built on human lives and I would encourage you to do your own research. James Walvin as an eminent scholar of the British slave trade is a good place to start. Although it is worth noting that there are scholars who are apologists for the slave trade and would seek to diminish its impact not only on those enslaved but also the societies both gutted and bloated by it, so read widely and wisely.
Marshal (2018) suggests that Anansi stories became vital in the middle passage, the second journey between Africa and the Caribbean. Men, women and children were trapped in slave ships like cargo with little space to move had little opportunity for comfort or entertainment so they would share stories. She also claims these conditions gave rise to limbo dancing. She argues that later on, Anansi stories became a way that enslaved people could connect to their heritage without detection. It is worth noting that not only were enslaved people stripped of their cultural heritage but they were also, in many cases, forbidden from exploring them. Some common examples are that enslaved people had their names taken from them; were forbidden from speaking their native language; practicing their religions or engaging in other cultural practices. Marshall (2018) argues that in this situation Anansi represented humour and warmth and was used as a way to alleviate great suffering with laughter to combat resentment, anger and hatred, helping his people laugh in the face of adversity.
Marshall (2012) argues that, in common with enslaved people, Anansi is an innocent creature swept up in circumstance surviving by secret might while Anansi was born in Africa, he was raised on a plantation. However, his journey goes beyond the plantation as the African diaspora spreads to new, neighbouring countries and ‘the colonial ‘motherlands’ including Britain, Portugal and Netherlands. As the people moved Anansi stories traveled to the America’s and Europe through the mass migration. The experiences of these migrants saw them looking for ways to reconnect with their sense of home under often inhospitable and unwelcoming conditions. Due to this, Anansi stories featured in black consciousness movements and alternative education provision in the 1960s to 1980s. In addition, the western fascination with Anansi stories is another factor leading to their spread which saw the scholarly study by anthropologists and missionaries documenting and sharing the stories. An example of this is shown in Van Duin’s (2207) work which states that in 1952 a dutch missionary became fascinated with Nanzi Stories and he carried out a study of the stories from the Dutch Antilles to compare them with stories from the Gold coast recorded in the 1930s; the collected stories are held in a Dutch archive. As Marshall (2012) puts it “Anansi set off to see the world” with stories being found in often unlikely countries, for example the story Anansi and the Melon is known in Japan and China, while the story of Anansi crossing a river on the back of crocodiles is known in Northern Russia.
Conclusion
Van Duin (2007) argues that Anansi is a classic hero belonging to the epic genre comparing him to such storytelling traditions as Greek Odyssey; Hindu Ramayana; Norse Edda and the Chinese Monkey King, Journey to the West. Personally, I think the writer may be pushing the definition, as all these examples feature a hero’s journey. As previously discussed, Anansi is neither a hero nor does he have a single coherent narrative but many different often conflicting narratives. However, although his stories are not epic in themselves the trajectory of this character has taken on an epic quality with Anansi stories being told in countries for beyond the reach and imagination of the Asante communities of Anansi’s origin. He is a contentious and ambiguous character, plus being a spider, he isn’t going to be winning any popularity contests, spiders being amongst the creatures which evoke the most fear and disgust (Jarret, 2019). While it is true that Anansi is not dog or a Panada and is therefore no popularity contest winner; audiences are fascinated with him. He has evolved from being a demi god to the underdog and I would argue his fortunes reflect the circumstances of the communities who have held these stories the dearest. Anansi is ever changing, and yet, all too human, he is not a hero nor is he a winner, his gains are often tinged. As the saying goes if you can’t be a good example, be a horrible warning. Instead, I would argue Anansi is a survivor, he has the eye of the tiger, he probably stole it while tiger slept. For me, Anansi’s ambiguity and refusal to be kept in a box makes him all the more compelling. Thinking back to that archive box full of children’s stories, I am reminded that storytelling is a powerful, transformative practice, it affirms bonds, enabling us to align or malign others, it tell us who we are and who we want to be, so what stories will you tell?
In the new year, three workshops will be held at the University of Northampton that aim to build confidence in presentation skills through Anansi storytelling. Watch this space for more information.
Reference List
Faloyin, D. (2022) Africa is not a Country. London: Random House
Jarret, C. (2019) Psychologists have identified the creatures we find most scary and revolting. The Psychologist[online]. Available from: https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/psychologists-have-identified-creatures-we-find-most-scary-and-revolting [Accessed 20.10.2024]
Marshall, E. Z. (2001) ‘The Anansi syndrome’: A debate concerning Anansi’s influence on Jamaican culture. World literature written in English 39 (1), 1.27–136; Marshall, E. Z. (2007) Liminal Anansi: Symbol of Order and Chaos An Exploration of Anansi’s Roots Amongst the Asante of Ghana. Caribbean quarterly. 53 (3), pp.30–40
Marshall, E. Z. (2009) Anansi Tactics in Plantation Jamaica: Matthew Lewis’s Record of Trickery. Wadabagei. 12 (3), pp.126–152
Marshall, E.Z. (2012) Anansi’s Journey: A Story of Jamaican Cultural Resistance. University of West India Press
Marshall, E. Z. (2018) “Nothing but Pleasant Memories of the Discipline of Slavery”: The Trickster and the Dynamics of Racial Representation. Marvels & tales. 32 (1), pp.59–75
Northamptonshire Black History Association (2008) Sharing the Past. Northampton: Northamptonshire Black History Association
National Library of Jamaica ([n.d.]) Miss Lou Archives. The Hon. Louise Bennet-Coverley (1919-2006). National Library of Jamaica[online] Available from: https://nlj.gov.jm/archives/Miss_Lou/ [Accessed 02/12/2024]
National Library of Jamaica. (2019) Anancy and Smoked Port. YouTube [online]. Available from: https://youtu.be/9UAWbeRkwwc?si=xrifCNQc5NqopsN1 [Accessed 02/12/2024]
Reddie R., (2007) Abolition! The Struggle to Abolish Slavery in the British Colonies. Lion Publishing
van Duin L., (2007) Anansi as a Classical Hero. Journal of Caribbean Literatures. 5(1) pp. 33-42. Available from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40986316 [Accessed 02/10/2024]
Walvin, J. (2007) A Short History of Slavery. London: Penguin
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