Week 7 Storytelling : The spider tales

There was a party. The part was held in the house of Nyankupon. Nyankupon prepared many stuffs for his guests. The most delicious foods were served to his guests, and the most pleasant views were shown in the eyes of his guests. All guests were having a great time. They were dancing and singing along with music. While enjoying the party of Nyankupon, three of guests gathered. First one was the bee. The bee with the golden crown on top of his head. Many other bees were following him as if they were worshiping him. The second one was the snake. His body was longer than any other snake. He had a long stick behind his back. The third one was the tiger. The tiger with weird looking eyes. 

"So how did you guys end up here?"

The bee, who was in charge of all bees in the world spoke. Others, the snake and the tiger, stayed silent. They did not want to talk. The bee figured they would not speak unless he started. 

"Bring the jar!"

The bee ordered the jar. Other bees brought the jar and placed it in front of three. 

"I came here, to Nyankupon's world, in this jar."

"A bee in a jar?"

The snake asked as if he could not believe what he heard. 

"Yes. I was tricked by the spider. This spider told me he had a dispute with Nyankupon. Of course, there was no such dispute. He lied so he could put me, and my friend into this jar. Then he sent us to Nyankupon. Nyankupon was nice enough to let us free and gave us a new hive."

"Interesting."

The snake moved his tongue. He licked the jar as if he could tasted it. 

"I was tricked by the spider as well. He told me he had a dispute with Nyankupon. I wanted to prove that I was long than the stick. When I straighten myself to prove that I was longer, he tied me to the stick and gave me to Nyankupon. He told me there was no dispute between him and the spider."

The snake showed his stick to the bee and the tiger. 

"That spider!"

Suddenly, the tiger growled. His voice was full of anger.

"That spider is the evil one! He tricked me as well!"

The tiger smashed the table with his paws. The bee quickly grabbed his jar. 

"He told me that I would be able to see some surprising sights if I sewed my eyes!"

The tiger pointed his eyes. Although most of the strings that were used to sew his eyes were gone, some of them remained. The snake and the bee shook their heads. They were all tricked by the spider.

"So what is this spider doing now?"

The bee asked. 

"I am not sure, but by giving us to Nyankupon, he got his name in all tales. People will know his name, and his name will be told."

The snake answered. Then he was trying to think of name of this spider. It took awhile but he remember what this spider was referred as. Anansi, that was the name of the spider.

(Anansi by Mariano Colantoni)

Author's note: This is the story that I wrote based on the reading of How We Got the Name "Spider Tales" from West Africa folktales. The original story focuses on how Anansi, the spider tricked others to have a permission over having his name for old tales. Nyankupon is the cheif of gods in the West Africa myth. Just like Zeus, or Odin from the other mythology, he was the most important character. However, Anansi, the spider wanted his name to be told. Because all stories that were told by men were stories of Nyankupon, Anansi had to convince him. To convince him, he tricked the bee to fly into the jar by saying he had a dispute with Nyankupon. He obtained bees in the jar which was the first thing Nyankupon asked. Then Anansi tricked the snake by saying he had a dispute with Nyankupon that the snake was not long as the stick. When the snake straighten him to prove that he was longer, Anansi tied him to this stack and gave it to Nyankupon. This was Anansi's second task, and finally Anansi tricked the tiger to sew his eyes by saying Anansi could see the most wonderful things because his eyes were sewed. Anansi completed his finally task by leading the tiger who could not see because of sewed eyes. I thought this was the most important story of West Africa Tales because Anansi Tales are the main tales in West African tales. 

Bibliography : West African Folktales : How We Got the Name "Spider Tales"

Week 7 Reading Diary : West African Tales continued

This is the second part of the reading Diary. The Moon and Stars is the first story that I want to possibly rewrite.

"ONCE upon a time there was great scarcity of food in the land. Father Anansi and his son, Kweku Tsin, being very hungry, set out one morning to hunt in the forest. In a short time Kweku Tsin was fortunate enough to kill a fine deer—which he carried to his father at their resting-place. Anansi was very glad to see such a supply of food, and requested his son to remain there on guard, while he went for a large basket in which to carry it home."

I was surprise by how Anansi appeared in the story once again. Anansi appeared almost every West African Tales. I think he might be the one who leads the stories of the West African folks, just like Odysseus from Odyssey, Achilles from Iliad. Sometimes they do not appear on the story or not the main character of the story but they are always involved in almost every story.

What I find interesting in the story was the presence of the dragon. Some of the cultures have a dragon in the story who is the symbol of wisdom, generosity, and kindness. Especially in Asian cultures, the dragons are shown as the helper of the human, the protector of the world, and the symbol of the kings who rules his people and sworn to protect his people. However, from the tale, the dragon is appeared as greedy, brutal and powerful creature. Just like western cultures.

"Soon after, Father Anansi made his appearance. He was greatly interested in his son's tale, and wished to see the dragon for himself. He soon had his desire — for the monster, smelling human flesh, hastily returned to the spot and seized them both. They were carried off by him to his castle, where they found many other unfortunate creatures also awaiting their fate.......The dragon then went off in search of more prey.....When Kweku was quite close to the top, the dragon had very nearly reached him again.."

I think I can rewrite story about dragons from two cultures or three gather up and talk about their stories.

(dragon by Ville Miettinen)

From The Moon and Stars from West Africa Tales

Week 7 Reading Diary : West African Tales

Several stories were selected for my reading diary.
First one is How We Got the Name "Spider Tales." From the tale, I was amazed how many mythology that I have read so far, had a head of the gods. For example, Zeus from the Greek mythology, and Ra from the Egyptian Tales. Just like both tales, from African tales,Nyankupon was the head of the gods.

"IN the olden days all the stories which men told were stories of Nyankupon, the chief of the gods. Spider, who was very conceited, wanted the stories to be told about him."

I like how wise the spider of the story was. Although he was tricking others to accomplish his goal, it was his ability to be clever. "Spider immediately did so. Having thus made the tiger helpless, he led him straight to Nyankupon's house. Nyankupon was amazed at Spider's cleverness in fulfilling the three conditions. He immediately gave him permission for the future to call all the old tales Anansi tales."

Second story is Anansi and nothing.
I think this story was so interesting because the story was telling how phrase 'cry for nothing' was produced. Anansi in this story is also the same character for the spider from the spider tales. He got the approved of his story because he could trick others and accomplish the task that Nyankupon gave.

From this story, Anansi did same to get what he desired. The wives. He tricked "nothing' a rich man so he would have no hard time finding the women.

"Nothing, being a rich man, wore a very fine velvet cloth, while Anansi had a ragged cotton one. While they were on their way Anansi persuaded Nothing to change clothes for a little while, promising to give back the fine velvet before they reached the town. He delayed doing this, however, first on one pretext, then on another—till they arrived at their destination."

I like how people judge Anansi with his clothes, while Nothing was a rich man who had many things that Anansi did not have.

"Nothing's wife was queen over the whole district and had everything her heart could desire. Anansi's wives could not even get proper food; they had to live on unripe bananas with peppers."

The 'cry for nothig' was created by Anansi and his trick once again. He maybe clever but he only cared about himself.

"His wife was terribly grieved at his untimely death. She boiled many yams, mashed them, and took a great dishful of them round the district. To every child she met she gave some, so that the child might help her to cry for her husband. This is why, if you find a child crying and ask the cause, you will often be told he is "crying for nothing."

(Spider by sez9)

From West African Folktales