Anansi ( /əˈnɑːnsi/ ə-NAHN-see) the trickster is a spider, and is one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore.
He is also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy; and in the Southern United States he has evolved into Aunt Nancy. He is a spider, but often acts and appears as a man. The story of Anansi is akin to the tricksters Coyote, Raven or Iktomi found in many Native American cultures.
The Anansi tales are believed to have originated in the Ashanti people in Ghana. (The word Anansi is Akan and means, simply, spider.) They later spread to other Akan groups and then to the West Indies, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles. On Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire he is known as Nanzi, and his wife as Shi Maria.
Read more about Anansi: Stories, Relationship Between Anansi and Br'er Rabbit, Mythology, References in Popular Culture, Other Names
Other articles related to "anansi":
... Another story tells of how Anansi once tried to hoard all of the world's wisdom in a pot (in some versions a calabash) ... Anansi was already very clever, but he decided to gather together all the wisdom he could find and keep it in a safe place ... The pot was too big for Anansi to hold while he climbed the tree, so he tied it in front of him ...
... or Anancy (Jamaica, Grenada, Costa Rica, Colombia, Nicaragua) Anancyi Anansi (Trinidad and Tobago) Ananansa Ananse Anansi Drew (The Bahamas) Aunt Nancy (In South Carolina, Aunt ... Quanderer) Compé Anansi Kwaku Anansi (Akan) Nansi Anansi the one who tricks (Anansiil) Ba Anansi (Suriname) Ayiyi Kacou Ananzè ...
... Colombia, Nicaragua) Anancyi Ananansa Ananse Anansi Drew (The Bahamas) Aunt Nancy (In South Carolina, Aunt Nancy is sometimes used as folk name for the spider, because the term is the Americanized version ... Quanderer) Compé Anansi Kwaku Anansi (Akan) Nansi Anansi the one who tricks (Anansiil) B'anansi (Suriname) Ayiyi Kacou Ananzè ...
... Josie Jump decides to tell the children a story about Anansi the spider, although Miss Hoolie appears to be arachnophobic ... Edie McCredie and Suzie Sweet learn about Anansi story ...
... Anansi appears in two episodes of the Disney cartoon series Gargoyles ... Anansi was depicted as a giant spider-spirit in the episode "Mark Of The Panther" ... In the Kid's WB television program Static Shock, Anansi the Spider is a major superhero in Africa ...