Generally associated with spiders, Anansi is one of the most prominent figures from West African folklore, appearing in the folktales of all Akan-speaking tribes as well as those of diasporic groups in the United States and the Caribbean.
One of the complicated aspects of Anansi tales is the differentiation between myth and folktale. While many prominent tricksters are considered by their cultures to be gods, Anansi rarely receives such a distinction and instead serves as an intermediary between Nyame, Anansi's father the sky god, and the world. Anansi's status as a mortal culture hero rather than a god has led to debates over the status of Anansi tales as myths, a category in which many trickster tales are placed. Due to Anansi's mortal status, the Anansi tales are more frequently classified as folktales rather than myths. Anansi's association with the spider is complicated but is typical among trickster figures. Within many of his tales, Anansi interacts with archetypal animals such as Lion, Tiger, Turtle, and Canary. Within these tales, Anansi is represented as the archetypal Spider. However, in other folktales, Anansi is represented as more humanoid, especially when interacting with people. This is typical of trickster figures, including the Native American Coyote and Iktomi, and reveals the variety of tales attributed to Anansi.
In folktales, Anansi has a number of different deeds attributed to him. He is said to have taught the people to sow grain. He is described as sculpting man, to whom Nyame then gave life. He married a princess, he won a singing contest, and he found a magic stone whose name, if mentioned, would kill the speaker. All of these deeds Anansi accomplished through trickery, his hallmark. While Anansi is successful in many of these stories, like other trickster figures, he also falls victim to chicanery himself. One characteristic Anansi tale is that of Anansi and the Lion and Tiger. In response to an attempt to enslave him, Anansi was able to trick the Lion into killing the Tiger and then drinking poisoned water, thus allowing Anansi to escape enslavement. Anansi is among the most adapted figures in folktales. Many of his tales have been adapted to other folktale characters. One of the best examples of this is the story of Anansi and the Tar Baby, which in Joel Chandler Harris's Uncle Remus collections was attributed to Br'er Rabbit. This story, adapted into Walt Disney's Song of the South (1946), achieved popularity in this form.
Anansi has also appeared in a number of modern adaptations. In graphic novels, authors have used Anansi, most prominently in issues of Spiderman and Hellblazer, both times appearing as a god. He also appears in a number of fantasy novels including Neil Gaiman's books American Gods (2001) and Anansi Boys (2005), Charles De Lint's Forests of the Heart (2000), and China Mieville's King Rat (1998).
