ANANSI THE SPIDER FOLKTALE

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today we talk about Anansi, the spider, the trickster of
West Africa. It's one of the most beloved and enduring
figures in West African folklore, particularly among the Ashanti people
of Ghana. Known as a trickster in the youngyin psychology world,
or a storyteller, Ananzi is not just a character, but
a symbol of wits survival and the power of words.
A Nasi is typically portrayed as a spider, sometimes fully

(00:21):
in animal form and other times as a half human
half spider. He is clever, cunning, and mischievous, using his
intelligence and charm to outwit larger, stronger, more powerful human
beings and many tales the Anazi tricks gods, animals, and
humans alike, but his cleverness is not always selfish. His
actions often bring important lessons or changes to the world,
including the creation of the moon or the invention of

(00:43):
storytelling itself. One of the most famous stories tells how
a Nazi acquired the world's stories from the sky god
Nami at a time when no stories existed. Anansi wished
to possess them and share them with humanity. Iami agreed,
but only if Anansi could capture these three gangerous creatures,
the leopard, the hornets and the python. Using his wits

(01:05):
rather than brute strength. He succeeded and was rewarded with
the gift of stories, which he then distributed to the world.
This tale explains why storytelling is often associated with spiders
and why a Nazi is seen as the father of folklore.
His stories of travel across the Atlantic during the Transatlantic
slave trade carried by enslaved Africans who the Caribbean and
the Americas more than just entertainment, though. They serve as

(01:26):
moral lessons for children adults alike to offer and explore
themes like justice, greed, humility, and perseverance, showing how intelligence
can overcome brute force in a world where life could
be unfair. You see this common theme about storytelling and
literature and educating among many cultures. We've seen this for
thousands of years, and this is another story that we

(01:46):
share with you today.