History of Anansi

Tales, in various styles and in various countries, about Anansi the Spiderman, have travelled from generation to generation. Anansi originated from the Ashanti people of Ghana and travelled as a slave from Africa to the West Indies.

The variety of ways his name is spelt (“Ananse,” “Anansi,” “Anancy”) shows his versatility.

Anansi has been featured in many books, plays and poems and although he is still a popular household name in the West Indies, America and England, especially within the black culture.

Anansi is an enchanting character, who has the amazing ability to turn into a spider at his own will, especially when he finds himself in trouble. And in a lot of trouble Anansi always finds himself, all self-inflicted.

For example, greedy Anansi loves his food but because he is also lazy, he often devices ways and means to get food, causing trouble along the way.

He always seems to make wrong decisions and pays the consequences. But you can’t help warming to this colourful and enticing character.

Although Anansi is known as a trickster (the Jamaicans call him a ginnal, which means cheat), he is also associated as a symbol of black history; a reminder of the slave trade and the struggle many Africans faced.  Anansi is a hero because Anansi is a survivor.

Caribbean folktales and many other folktales play an important part in connecting children with their own ancestry and Anansi has done just that.