Anansi ATC (Folklore ATC #7)

Are you a fan of folklore? Would you like to create (and receive) ATCs of creatures from folklore from around the world? Then welcome to the Folklore ATC series!

ATC #7 features Anansi (AKA Kwaku Anansi + many others)! Anansi is an Akan character who spread through oral tradition -- first in West Africa (Ghana), then through the Caribbean and Americas by way of the Atlantic slave trade. He is shaped like a spider with a human head, or, alternately, a human with spiderlike features. Anansi is a god of stories and is also a trickster, using his wit and skills with language -- something that made him a powerful symbol during times of deep oppression. Over time, he has evolved to take on more roles -- sometimes having deep flaws, sometimes being the hero, and always managing to teach a lesson (or at least evoke a few laughs).

The Wikipedia page for Anansi is great because you can actually read some Anansi stories there! Google image searching Anansi will also provide some examples of what he may look like. I urge you to be creative while paying homage to the character, and to keep in mind that some search results contain imagery related to specific social/political/religious movements that are best left out of your depiction unless you identify with said movements.

Here is a short story from the Wiki page to better illustrate his role:

Another popular story tells of how Anansi once tried to hoard all of the world's wisdom in a pot (in some versions a calabash).

In this story, Anansi was already very clever, but he wanted more knowledge, so he decided to gather all the wisdom that he could find and keep it in a safe place. Soon Anansi collected all of the wisdom found throughout the world and sealed inside of a pot. However, he was still concerned that it was not safe enough, so he secretly took the pot to a tall thorny tree in the forest (in some versions the silk cotton tree). His younger son, Ntikuma, saw him go and followed him at some distance to see what he was doing. Ntikuma noticed the pot was much bigger than Anansi could handle; he couldn't hold it while trying to climb the tree. As a result, Anansi tied the pot in front of him and then resumed his attempt. Yet, the pot still obscured Anansi and caused him to slip down the tree as he climbed. Each failure caused Anansi to become increasingly frustrated.

Ntikuma laughed when he saw what Anansi was doing. "Why don't you tie the pot behind you, then you will be able to grip the tree?" he suggested.

Anansi was so annoyed by his failed attempts and the realization that his child was right that the pot slipped from his possession. The pot soon crashed into the ground, and all of the wisdom that the Spider had stored inside of it spilled out of it. To make matters even worse, a storm arrived and caused a mighty rain throughout the forest. The deluge of rainwater covered the ground and washed the wisdom that had spilled away from them, until it washed into the river stream nearby. The currents of the stream carried the wisdom Anansi had collected out to sea, and soon it spread throughout the entire world, ruining Anansi's plan and making his goal impossible. This angered the Spider.

Anansi then chased his son Ntikuma home throughout the rain, but he soon came to an epiphany and accepted his loss once he finally caught up with his son: "What is the use of all that wisdom if a young child still needs to put you right?" Thus, Anansi failed to steal the world's wisdom that day, and instead, a little of it lives in everyone.

Swap rules!

• 1 ATC to one partner

• standard 2.5" x 3.5" size, use a sturdy backing, landscape or portrait are acceptable. On the back, write your name, date, and the name of the swap. Make sure you include your username somewhere in the package (on the back of the card is fine).

• ATC can be any medium, please just put in effort. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN ARTIST. You just have to be willing to make art. The card you receive may reflect this.

• send the card in a protective sleeve -- you can buy trading card sleeves for cheap, or make one out of things like sticker cellophane, thin paper, etc. Make sure you have sufficient postage.

• open to newbies with full profiles, no unexplained 1's or 3's. Message me if you are unrated. I reserve the right to remove anyone for any reason, or to message you if I have any concern. This is not an insult to you, it is active hosting -- these swaps can get quite large, please respect my time & that I care enough to ask instead of just dropping people.

• rating is expected. 5 if it's done correctly and sent in a timely fashion, heart if you love it.

• I will angel, but please give 8 weeks after send date for your ATC to arrive!

Don't be shy to ask me anything you're unsure about. Also, feel free to leave suggestions for future subjects for the series in the comments.

Past Folklore Swaps

#1 - Baba Yaga

#2 - Yōkai

#3 - Gremlins

#4 - Shadow People

#5 - Banshee

#6 - Dragon

Upcoming Folklore Swaps

#8 - Medusa

#9 - The Monster of Lake Tota

#10 - Wendigo

While this ATC series will continue for the foreseeable future, join Monsters, Myths, & Legends -- US ATC Swappers! if you want more swaps, a wider array of subjects and themes, art challenges, and to get in on hosting! Plus forums with RAKs, games, and more! MM&L: we're not just ATCs, but SB won't let you change a group name!