Week 8 Extra Credit Reading: West African Folktales

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How We Got the Name "Spider Tales:"
  • Spider wanted stories to be told about him, not chief of gods
  • asked chief if the men could tell Anansi (the spider) stories--agreed if he brought him 3 things: jar of live bees, boa-constrictor, and tiger
  • went to find bees but was unsure if they could fit in jar
  • bees asked what was wrong--explained that he needed them to go in jar and they did
  • took long stick but was unsure if the boa was as long as the stick
  • boa asked what was wrong--explained he needed to measure him while spider tied him to each end
  • sewed eye with needle and thread then went to tiger den--began to shout as he approached
  • tiger asked what was wrong--spider said his eye is sewn and making him see wonderful sights
  • tiger wanted that so he let spider sew his eyes--took to chief
  • got permission to call all tales Anansi tales
How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race:
  • Father Anansi=all wisdom--people came fro advice/help
  • someone offended him, so he punished them by hiding all wisdom in a pot
  • son=Kweku Tsin--followed father to see what his secret was
  • watched father climb a tree to hang pot but couldn't climb without it falling
  • son cried out to put it on his back to climb--Father says son possess the true wisdom--angry so he threw pot--broke and wisdom went to world
The Squirrel and the Spider:
  • squirrel=hard-working--good at climbing trees
  • spider was hunting near squirrel's neighborhood and at his farm
  • no roadway to his farm (went by tree) so spider told his family
  • all set out to make a road
  • cut down and carried away corn--squirrel noticed he was being robbed but didn't know by who
  • staked out and figured out it was spider--confronted him
  • spider said it was his farm bc he established road--squirrel says his bc he had been there longer--law agreed with spider
  • storm hit before they could sell crops--went to crow to hold onto it for them
  • crow said it was his and took them
(Photo of squirrel from Wikipedia)


How the Tortoise Got Its Shell:
  • chief Mauri=God threw yam festival
  • sent servants to buy goats, sheep, and cows for feast; Mr. Klo (tortoise)=get palm wine in Koklovi (chicken)
  • he was very fast and a powerful traveller
  • got to Koklovi during his breakfast--asked why he was here--Klow said for Mauri--can't buy wine with $, only if win fight (can have palm trees too)
  • Klo agreed bc he was strong--won after several hours--took wine and palm trees, drinking some of the wine
  • made him sleepy and tired--had to stop with his load and rain began=even more difficult to travel
  • by the time he got back, gates were locked and everyone was in the party--rain continued, so everyone stayed until it stopped in two months 
  • Klo died under weight of load--found and taken to palace to treat--came back to life, but couldn't stand upright anymore--now has shell and crawls
Bibliography: West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair (1917).

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