Week 8 Extra Credit Reading: West African Folktales

-
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).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introduction to an Aspiring Dermatologist

-
Image
Hello, everyone! I figured if y'all are going to be reading my blog posts all semester that I should probably tell you a little bit about myself.  Hi! My name is Libby Helm and I am from Dallas, Texas (for all my Dallas people--I grew up in Carrollton, now I live in Coppell). My declared major is Chemical Biosciences (Pre-Med) but I have been teetering between medical school and PA school. If I decide PA--which I *think* I am leaning towards--then I will switch to a Planned Program major, which will mirror Chemical Biosciences very closely. So, yes, my major is very complicated! However, the end goal is the same: to become a dermatologist. Here is a summed up version of why: As a child I had gotten acne long before any of my peers did, while moles and freckles covered my body, as they did my father's. Earlier diagnosed with Basal Cell Carcinoma, which turned into Melanoma, my father had to undergo surgery to remove the cancer. Between the premature acne and suspicious moles, my...
Read more

Week 7 Story: The Real Story of the Lovers' Leap

-
Image
  A long time ago lived a girl and a boy who were madly in love. But, like Romeo and Juliet, their families did not accept their love and forced them apart. This was due to the ancient family feud between the families (but that is another story). Of course, the lovers tried to sneak out and see each other, but they were always caught. They were miserable without each other! One day, they snuck out again and met in the woods. Just as they ran into each other's embrace, they heard shouting from not far away. They bolted together, trying to have a few more moments together. It was then that they decided to just wait patiently for the right moment. They stopped and kissed just as both fathers yanked them away. Days, months, and years went by as the lovers patiently waited for the right time to escape. It was on day 1982 that the girl's father thought she had forgotten about the boy. In celebration, he decided to throw a feast! He wanted to invite all of the other noble men in the ...
Read more