Anansi: The Trickster Trivia Quiz

Answer: Spider

The trickster lives off their wits and, more often than not, is characterised as a mischief-maker. Whilst Loki is more broadly known, particularly since the emergence in popular culture of Norse-related movies, Anansi is a much-revered and popular mythological figure. Anansi, the spider, is often characterised as the "owner" of all the stories in the world; reverence indeed for our eight-legged trickster given the centrality of storytelling in folklore.

Answer: Africa

Anansi means "spider" in the Ghanaian language of Akan. Whilst this menacing mythological arachnid takes its name from an African language, his legend is preserved in tales from as far afield as Jamaica and Suriname.

Answer: The Sky

Gods of the sky are very often associated with tales of birth and genesis - the beginning, so to speak. In the case of Nyame, the Sky God of Akan folklore, "there were no stories in the world" apart from those in his gift. Nyame was covetous, but Anansi convinced his father to agree to pass on his stories in exchange for the trickster capturing a panoply of mythological beasts.

This process - echoing the labours of Hercules - democratised stories and storytelling and, in Anansi's honour, all tales of the Akan became "Spider Stories".

Answer: Fertility

Asase Ya - the goddess of fertility - is the Akan personification of "Mother Earth" and is a core part of the identity of the Bono people of Ghana. Fertility and agriculture is central to the culture of the Bono people and this is codified in a prayer to Asase Ya. The seventh stanza is particularly powerful in its references to fertility, agriculture and the strength and essence of the feminine in just a few short lines:

"The Fertile Fields and the Woman's Yield
All Have felt thy Hand
Hail and Thanks Be Great Mother
For your Back upon which we Stand"

Answer: Atlantic slave trade

The prevalence of West African folklore in the Caribbean has its troubling origins in the Atlantic slave trade. Where there is movement of people, there is inevitable movement of ideas, stories and traditions. Despite the hardships suffered by those caught in the ugly net of slavery, stories that existed in the minds and hearts of those snatched from their homeland were passed on by continuing the oral tradition, and thus not only survived, but flourished.

Answer: No

In the tale of "Anansi and the Dispersal of Wisdom", the eight-legged trickster desired all the knowledge in the world. He collected any wisdom he could find and secured it in a pot. Carrying all of the wisdom in the world is an overwhelming burden; the pot became so heavy that when Anansi attempted to climb a tree to place the pot in the safest place he knew, he was destined to fail.

The more attempts he made to ascend the tree, the more spectacularly he failed until eventually the pot dropped and its contents dispersed. Anansi's covetousness ultimately ensured the spread of knowledge and wisdom across the world.

Answer: Death

The tale of "How Death Came to the City" is one of a few stories that warns the listener about the peril that may befall those who cannot control their greed. Death (the personification thereof) came to own all the meat in the world and Anansi lived in a city that had fallen into a state of famine. In the trickster's hunt for food, he stumbled upon Death peacefully residing in the bush and noticed Death's ample supply of meat. Initially Anansi politely asked Death for food to alleviate suffering in the city. Death obliges and allows Anansi to take what he wishes from Death's plentiful reserves. Anansi's greed and hubris eventually overcomes him and he begins to take from Death's reserves without asking. Death takes note and follows Anansi to the city. Many residents could not evade Death - try as they might - and Death took them as his own.

In Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld', "Death" is something of a parody and is first met in the initial instalment of the series, 'The Colour of Magic' (1983).

Answer: Br'er Rabbit

The stories of Anansi and Br'er Rabbit share many common trickster motifs, including the use of wit rather than physical prowess to emerge victorious. Br'er Rabbit arose from the folklore of peoples including the Bantu and Yoruba but also with influence from Native American culture.

Much like the "Spider Stories" of Anansi, many of the tales of Br'er Rabbit made their way across the Atlantic and became a staple of the African-American oral tradition. Br'er Rabbit was interpreted by Joel Chandler Harris in his 'Uncle Remus' stories including 'Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit' (1907).

Answer: Pandora's Box

'Pandora's Box' (1999) is a superb - though dated - game for PC that challenges a player to a series of creative tiling and jigsaw-style puzzles. The player would travel to cities around the world where they would encounter a trickster from the mythology of that area (Maui in Honolulu, Eris in Athens and Anansi somewhat curiously in Nairobi).

The puzzle to capture Anansi reveals a picture of a spider in its web when completed. Whilst there are now far better puzzle games in existence, this is a real gem of a game that provides a fun introduction to mythology for children and adults alike. Where better to learn about Eris and the Golden Apple of Discord?

Answer: Neil Gaiman

The essence of Anansi is captured in Neil Gaiman's characterisation of Mr. Nancy, a mythological character living in modern America. As would be expected for a character derived from a folkloric trickster, Mr. Nancy is typically involved in mischief, most notably including shenanigans and plots to assist a prison escape. Other characters in the novel include Mr. Jacquel (Anubis, Egyptian myth), Low-Key Lyesmith (Loki, Norse myth) and Mr. Wednesday (Odin, Norse myth).

Anansi lives on and modern literature, television and film provides creative ways to bring the legend to life for yet another generation.