Spiders are creepy enough on their own without adding in a
mischievous back story, but that’s the case of the Anansi, a trickster spider
so well known he’s given his name to a whole rich tradition of tales.
Anansi – spider – tales are some of the best-known in West
Africa. The stories once made up an exclusively oral tradition, and indeed
Anansi himself was synonymous with skill and wisdom in speech.
In fact, the once fun-loving spider has made many guest
appearances in everything from cartoon series and comic books (Spiderman
actually becomes Anansi in one comic), to the subject of a Raffi folk song.
Don’t let this
Disney-rated pop culture status fool you, though.
Over time, the Anansi has turned into a vile creature (which pretty much sums up ALL spiders) that
tricks people into allowing him to steal food or money, or something else that
could turn a profit.
Thankfully, the tricks ultimately backfire. At least in the
storybooks, anyway…
Survival Tip: Keep
your eye out for the trickster ANANSI. Chances are, he’s got all eight of his
on you.
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