John Constantine (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
talentforlying) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2019-07-19 09:59 am
talentforlying) wrote in fandomhigh2019-07-19 09:59 am
Gods & Monsters: Divine Trickery, Friday, Second Period.
"We'll start with one you might actually run into, given his reach spans continents," Constantine began as the last student arrived. "He's even shown up here at least once, which isn't too surprising. Don't let his pretty songs fool you; Anansi's webs run long and deep."
"Considered to be the spirit of all knowledge of stories, Anansi tales are some of the best-known amongst the people of Ghana, the place of their origin, as Anansi's name comes from the word in the Akan language for 'spider'. He's a bit of a shapeshifter, though he usually chooses to appear as a man, a spider, or somewhere between the two. His tales later spread to West Indies, Suriname, Sierra Leone and the Netherlands Antilles; also Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire."
"So, how did an old spider like him get so popular and stay that way? Well, Anansi's stories were originally part of an exclusively oral tradition, and Anansi himself is seen as synonymous with skill and wisdom in speech. That oral tradition is what introduced Anansi tales to the rest of the world, especially the Caribbean, via the people that were enslaved during the Atlantic slave trade. As a result, the importance of Anansi didn't diminish like some other gods when slaves were brought to the Americas. Hells, Anansi was often celebrated as a symbol of slave resistance and survival, because he is an utter bastard, willing and able to turn the tables on his powerful oppressors by using his cunning and trickery. Which, let's be blunt, was pretty much the only option available to slaves trying to gain the upper hand within the confines of the plantation power structure, and he enabled enslaved Africans to establish a sense of continuity with their African past and offered them the means to assert their identity within the boundaries of slavery."
"So, what makes him so dangerous? His greed. Tales of Anansi entertain just as much as they instruct, highlight his avarice and other flaws alongside his cleverness, and feature the mundane just as much as they do the subversive. Anansi isn't just an ideal to be aspired toward, but a cautionary tale against the selfish desires. There are stories that say he brought disease, death, and jealousy to the world, has almost been eaten more times than anyone can count, and killed his own mother, all because he lets his desires drive his actions." John leaned forward, deadly serious. "Doesn't matter how good you are with your tricks, kids. Even if your hubris doesn't catch you, like it sometimes does with Anansi, payment always comes due sooner or later. Trust me on that."
[OOC:Plz hold for the OCD UP!]
"Considered to be the spirit of all knowledge of stories, Anansi tales are some of the best-known amongst the people of Ghana, the place of their origin, as Anansi's name comes from the word in the Akan language for 'spider'. He's a bit of a shapeshifter, though he usually chooses to appear as a man, a spider, or somewhere between the two. His tales later spread to West Indies, Suriname, Sierra Leone and the Netherlands Antilles; also Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire."
"So, how did an old spider like him get so popular and stay that way? Well, Anansi's stories were originally part of an exclusively oral tradition, and Anansi himself is seen as synonymous with skill and wisdom in speech. That oral tradition is what introduced Anansi tales to the rest of the world, especially the Caribbean, via the people that were enslaved during the Atlantic slave trade. As a result, the importance of Anansi didn't diminish like some other gods when slaves were brought to the Americas. Hells, Anansi was often celebrated as a symbol of slave resistance and survival, because he is an utter bastard, willing and able to turn the tables on his powerful oppressors by using his cunning and trickery. Which, let's be blunt, was pretty much the only option available to slaves trying to gain the upper hand within the confines of the plantation power structure, and he enabled enslaved Africans to establish a sense of continuity with their African past and offered them the means to assert their identity within the boundaries of slavery."
"So, what makes him so dangerous? His greed. Tales of Anansi entertain just as much as they instruct, highlight his avarice and other flaws alongside his cleverness, and feature the mundane just as much as they do the subversive. Anansi isn't just an ideal to be aspired toward, but a cautionary tale against the selfish desires. There are stories that say he brought disease, death, and jealousy to the world, has almost been eaten more times than anyone can count, and killed his own mother, all because he lets his desires drive his actions." John leaned forward, deadly serious. "Doesn't matter how good you are with your tricks, kids. Even if your hubris doesn't catch you, like it sometimes does with Anansi, payment always comes due sooner or later. Trust me on that."
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During the Lecture
Story time!
"Well, as the tale generally goes, there were no stories in the world. The Sky-Father, Nyame, had them all in a giant box. Anansi liked the world, but without stories he felt it was boring, so he went to Nyame and asked if he could buy them from him. Nyame did not want to give up his stories, but Anansi impressed him because he'd used silk string to reach Nyame, whose home rested in the sky where no others could reach. As a result, Nyame entertained Anansi's offer, but he set a high price, hoping it would be impossible for Anansi to accomplish: Anansi had to capture three of the most dangerous creatures in the world, known as Onini the Python, Osebo the Leopard, and the Mmoboro Hornets. Hatching up a plan, Anansi set about capturing them.
First, Anansi went to where Onini the Python lived and sat outside of his home. Anansi pretended to debate with his wife, named Aso, over the length of Onini's body and questioned whether the python was as large as Aso claimed, said to be longer than a palm branch. Onini was very vain and soon heard Anansi arguing, so he came to Anansi and asked the spider what he was arguing about. Anansi explained the debate, and Onini quickly agreed to help Anansi prove the claim was true by laying beside a palm tree, unaware of Anansi's trickery. Yet, when Onini stretched beside it, he couldn't do so without coiling. Anansi said that Onini's actual length was impossible to determine because of this, and the snake asked for a solution. Anansi suggested he tie Onini to a palm branch so that the snake's true length could be known, and Onini agreed, oblivious to Anansi's deception. When he was completely tied, Anansi took Onini to Nyame. Nyame acknowledged Anansi's accomplishment but told Anansi he still had the others to capture, and refused to think Anansi would succeed in completing the challenge; he imagined in secret that Anansi would fail on his next try.
Anansi then plotted against Osebo the Leopard, and went to where Osebo normally ventured. Anansi then dug a deep hole inside of the ground, covering it with bush, and waited in the trees overnight, knowing that Osebo would stumble into the pit eventually. Sure enough, when Anansi awoke, Osebo was trapped in the pit that he had dug. Anansi approached the Leopard and then asked if he needed help. Osebo said yes, and Anansi offered to help him with his silken webs, telling the leopard - who often boasted of his strength - that he could simply use it to climb out of the hole. However, Osebo soon became tangled, and Anansi in turn offered him more of his string. Osebo kept attempting to climb, but soon became completely entangled in Anansi's webs by the time he'd reach the top of the pit he was trapped in. Too weak to move, Anansi tied the leopard up and carried him away to Nyame. Nyame also acknowledged Anansi's achievement this time as well, but he still was not convinced Anansi would succeed entirely and told the spider he still had another task, certain that the spider would fail to complete one of the most difficult tasks he'd given him.
Lastly, Anansi went to the land where the Mmoboro Hornets lived, but knew it would not be easy to capture them, as they lived in a nest and never left alone, only together. Anansi wouldn't be deterred, however; he found a calabash and hollowed it out, filling it with water afterward. He collected a banana leaf, holding it above his head. He poured some water from the calabash over him and then poured the rest over the nest. This only made the hornets angry, and they all came out of it, ready to attack Anansi. However, Anansi showed them his banana leaf - still wet - and explained that it had been raining, advising them to seek shelter. The Hornets asked what they should do to avoid the rain, and Anansi suggested they get into the calabash. The hornets flew inside and filled the calabash, then Anansi quickly sealed the opening. Anansi soon returned to the Sky-Father and handed the last of his captives over to him, completing the task Nyame thought it would be impossible for Anansi to fulfill. Though he still didn't want to give over his stories, Nyame was a man of his word and was impressed at Anansi's talent, so he rewarded Anansi by making him the god of all stories.
So, what do you think? Anansi did the impossible tasks, and became a god of stories. Were the tasks fair? They were, in and of themselves, stories, so does that mean Anansi's the most qualified god for the job? Why not pour the stories out of the box altogether, and put the humans in charge? What do you think about all this?"
Talk to John
ooc