Reading A Week 7: Anansi

For this reading I chose stories about Anansi from the West African Folktales Unit and got to know the trickster of African legend a little better. Bottom line: he's pretty much a selfish jerk.

How Wisdom Became Property of the Human Race:
In this short story, the people of the world upset Anansi and so he vows to punish them by taking wisdom away from them and hanging it up high in a tree. He puts all the wisdom in a pot and tries to climb the tallest tree he can find with the pot hanging in front of him. Of course, this gets in the way and he finds himself frustrated because he can’t get more than a little ways up without becoming hindered.
His son, Kweku Tsin, watches for a while and then says, “Did you ever think about hanging the pot on your back?”
Anansi, irritated and tired, throws the pot on the ground out of frustration because apparently his son has more wisdom than he does.
And that’s how the humans acquired wisdom. See, it’s okay to be a smart-alec every once in a while. Look how it benefitted us!

Anansi (MrPsMythopedia)

Anansi and Nothing:
This story was clever in its own little way. In some ways it reminded me of the myth of Odysseus and his men tricking the cyclops and escaping, but not entirely.

Anansi lives in a crappy little hut while his neighbor, Nothing, lives in a great palace. Somehow they’re friends they decide to go get wives from a nearby town one day. Nothing, of course, is decked in full regalia. Anansi is in his rags. Because Anansi is Anansi, he convinces Nothing to let the two of them exchange clothes. Nothing does so, and when the two of them stroll into town, Anansi has women practically begging to become his wife. Nothing, still dressed in rags, has pity taken on him by a woman and she gives him his daughter. They all go back to their homes and Anansi’s wives are shocked to discover that he actually lives in a hovel. Nothing is greeted by his servants and his wife is looked upon with much envy.
After a few days, Nothing’s wife takes pity on the women because all they can afford to eat is unripe bananas and peppers (what a strange combo) and she invites them over for a feast. Of course, his wives decide to stay in the palace.
Enraged, Anansi enlists the help of his rat friends to dig a hole in front of the palace doors, where he then fills it with sharp knives and broken bottles. Then he tricks Nothing into coming outside, where he trips and falls into the death pit.
Nothing’s wife, distraught, mashes yams and feeds them to the children of the city to help her cry for her husband.
SO NOW… whenever a child is crying and they’re asked what they’re crying about, they say they are crying for nothing! See? Hahaha… cute little origin story right there.

Thunder and Anansi:
In this tale we learn that Anansi is greedy and selfish. After attempting to get some coconuts, Anansi throws himself into the sea rather than go home empty handed. He finds himself on the sea-floor in front of the cottage of Thunder. Thunder asks him why he has come and Anansi tells him that he and his family are starving. Thunder, taking pity on him, gives him a magic cooking pot.
Eager to test it out, Anansi brings it back onto shore and recites the magic words: “What you used to do for your old master, now do for me.” Lo and behold, food appears! He scarfs it down and thinks to keep it only for himself and not share any with his family, lest the magic wears off too quickly.
His family soon becomes suspicious as to why they keep getting thinner as Anansi gets plumper. His clever son, Kweku Tsin, rummages around Anansi’s room while he’s gone and discovers the cooking pot. He shares the pot with his entire family and to punish Anansi, they bring it down to the village to cook for everyone. The pot gets too hot from cooking all these meals and melts, so the family decides not to say anything about it.
Anansi comes home, can’t find his pot and, knowing his family had something to do with it, goes out to to Thunder’s place again, telling him a sad tale of why he no longer has the pot. Thunder, being wise and immune to false truths, gives Anansi a stick. This time when Anansi recites the magic words, the stick starts to beat him.
I thought this was a great story on the morals of greediness. As I read these stories, I find myself disliking Anansi more and more. How could you keep food from your starving family? I guess that must be a trait of tricksters.