Anansi is an important folklore character that originated from West African and Caribbean folklore traditions. As a character, Anansi is often depicted as a spider but can also take human form. The stories of Anansi first came from the Ashanti people of Ghana, where the character's name means spider. These folktales spread throughout West Africa and the Caribbean over time. Anansi tales teach cultural values and lessons that are passed down orally between generations.

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Folklore
Part 1
A. La Barrie 2021

2. z
What is a Folklore?
 Folklores can be
described as characters,
literature, knowledge, and
practices that are passed
on in large part through
oral communication
(storytelling) and example
from generation to
generation.
 The information thus
transmitted expresses the
shared ideas and values
of a particular group.

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Anansi
 Anansi is an African
folktale character. He often
takes the shape of a spider
and is considered to be the
spirit of all knowledge of
stories. He is also one of
the most important
characters of West
African and Caribbean
folklore.

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Anansi
 He is also known
as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse,
and Anancy; and in the
southern United States he has
evolved into Aunt Nancy. He
is a spider, but often acts and
appears as a man or
sometimes as half man, half
spider.

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Anansi  The Anansi tales originated
from the Ashanti people of
present-day Ghana. The
word Ananse is Akan and
means "spider". They later
spread to other Akan groups
and then to the West
Indies, Suriname, Sierra
Leone (where they were
introduced by Jamaican
Maroons) and
the Netherlands Antilles.
On Curaçao, Aruba,
and Bonaire he is known as
Nanzi, and his wife as Shi
Maria.

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Do you remember?
 What is a folklore?
 Who is Anansi?

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Assignment
 List folklore characters
associated with Trinidad and
Tobago or those in your country
 List three others that can be
found in other parts of the world
 Explore the story of the silk cotton
tree
 Ask parents, guardians or
persons in your community about
their stories about folklores

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Bibliography:
 https://mythology.net/mythical-creatures/Anansi/
 https://face2faceafrica.com/article/kwaku-anansi-the-only-
folklore-character-to-travel-out-of-africa-and-become-a-global-
symbol-of-resistance