JAMAICAN ANANSI STORIES - 149 Anansi (Aunt Nancy) folk and fairy tales
This book was especially republished to raise funds for these charities & many more...
33% of the publishers profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities.
THE STORIES in this collection were recorded from the lips of over sixty negro story-tellers in the remote country districts of Jamaica during two visits to the island in the summer of 1919 and the winter of 1921. The role of Anansi, the trickster spider, is akin to the Native American Coyote and the (Southern African) Bantu Hare.
Herein you will find 149 Anansi tales and a further 18 Witticisms. The stories are categorised into ANIMAL STORIES, OLD STORIES (CHIEFLY OF SORCERY), DANCE AND SONG and WITTICISMS. You will find stories as varied in title and content as THE FISH-BASKET, THE STORM, THE KING'S TWO DAUGHTERS, THE GUB-GUB PEAS, SIMON TOOTOOS, THE TREE-WIFE and many, many more unique tales.
In some instances, Martha Warren Beckwith was able to record musical notation to accompany the stories. As such you will find these scattered throughout the book. In this way the original style of the story-telling, which in some instances mingles story, song and dance, is as nearly as possible preserved.
Two influences have dominated story-telling in Jamaica, the first an absorbing interest in the magical effect of song which far surpasses that in the action of the story; the second, the conception of the spider Anansi as the trickster hero among a group of animal figures. "Anansi stories" regularly form the entertainment during wake-nights, and it is difficult not to believe that the vividness with which these animal actors take part in the story springs from the idea that they really represent the dead in the underworld whose spirits have the power, according to the native belief, of taking animal form. In the local culture, magic songs are often used in communicating with the dead, and the obeah-man who sets a ghost upon an enemy often sends it in the form of some animal; hence there are animals which must be carefully handled lest they be something other than they appear. The importance of animal stories is further illustrated by the fact that animal stories form the greater part of this volume.
33% of the net profit from the sale of this book will be donated to SENTEBALE, a charity supporting children orphaned by AIDS in Lesotho.
YESTERDAYS BOOKS RAISING FUNDS FOR TODAYS CHARITIES
Excerpt from JAMAICAN ANANSI STORIES - 149 Anansi folk and fairy tales
2B. THE GUB-GUB PEAS.
(by George Parkes, Mandeville)
A man plant a big field of gub-gub (black eyed) peas. He got a watchman put there. This watchman can't read. The peas grow lovely an' bear lovely; everybody pass by, in love with the peas. Anansi himself pass an' want to have some. He beg the watchman, but the watchman refuse to give him. He went an' pick up an' old envelope, present it to the watchman an' say the master say to give the watchman. The watchman say, "The master know that I cannot read an' he sen' this thing come an' give me?" Anansi say, "I will read it for you." He said, "Hear what it say! The master say, 'You mus' tie Mr. Anansi at the fattest part of the gub-gub peas an' when the belly full, let him go.'" The watchman did so; when Anansi belly full, Anansi call to the watchman, an' the watchman let him go.
After Anansi gone, the master of the peas come an' ask the watchman what was the matter with the peas. The watchman tol' him. Master say he see no man, no man came to him an' he send no letter, an' if a man come to him like that, he mus' tie him in the peas but no let him away till he come. The nex' day, Anansi come back with the same letter an' say, "Master say, give you this." Anansi read the same letter, an' watchman tie Anansi in the peas. An' when Anansi belly full, him call to the watchman to let him go, but watchman refuse. Anansi call out a second time, "Come, let me go!" The watchman say, "No, you don' go!" Anansi say, 'If you don' let me go, I spit on the groun' an' you rotten!" Watchman get frighten an' untie him.
Few minutes after that the master came; an' tol' him if he come back the nex' time, no matter what he say, hol' him. The nex' day, Anansi came back with the same letter an' read the same story to the man. The man tie him in the peas, an', after him belly full, he call to the man to let him go; but the man refuse,--all that he say he refuse until the master arrive.
The master take Anansi an' carry him to his yard an' tie him up to a tree, take a big iron an' put it in the fire to hot. Now while the iron was heating, Anansi was crying. Lion was passing then, see Anansi tie up underneath the tree, ask him what cause him to be tied there. Anansi said to Lion from since him born he never hol' knife an' fork, an' de people wan' him now to hol' knife an' fork. Lion said to Anansi, "You too wort'less man! me can hol' it. I will loose you and then you tie me there." So Lion loose Anansi an' Anansi tied Lion to the tree. So Anansi went away, now, far into the bush an' climb upon a tree to see what taking place. When the master came out, instead of seeing Anansi he see Lion. He took out the hot iron out of the fire an' shove it in in Lion ear. An Lion make a plunge an' pop the rope an' away gallop in the bush an' stan' up underneath the same tree where Anansi was. Anansi got frighten an' begin to tremble an' shake the tree, Lion then hol' up his head an' see Anansi. He called for Anansi to come down. Anansi shout to the people, "See de man who you lookin' fe! see de man underneat' de tree!" An' Lion gallop away an' live in the bush until now, an' Anansi get free.
Table of Contents for JAMAICAN ANANSI STORIES - 149 Anansi folk and fairy tales
ANIMAL STORIES |
TYING TIGER |
a The Fish-basket |
b The Storm |
TIGER AS SUBSTITUTE |
a The King's Two Daughters |
b The Gub-gub Peas |
TIGER AS RIDING-HORSE |
TIGER'S SHEEP-SKIN SUIT |
TIGER CATCHING THE SHEEP-THIEF |
a The Escape |
b The Substitute |
c In the House-top |
TIGER'S BREAKFAST |
EGGS AND SCORPIONS |
TIGER'S BONE-HOLE |
THE CHRISTENING |
EATING TIGER'S GUTS |
a The Tell-tale |
b The Monkeys' Song |
THROWING AWAY KNIVES |
a Tiger and Anansi |
b Sheep and Anansi |
GRACE BEFORE MEAT |
a Monkey and Anansi |
b Goat and Anansi |
DAY-TIME TROUBLE |
a Rabbit and Anansi |
b Rat and Anansi |
c Goat and Anansi |
NEW NAMES |
LONG-SHIRT |
SHUT UP IN THE POT |
HOUSE IN THE AIR |
a Tracking Anansi |
b Rabbit and Children going up to Heaven |
c Duppy's House in the Air |
d Carencro's[] House with a Key |
GOAT ON THE HILL-SIDE |
DOG AND DOG-HEAD |
TACOOMAH'S CORN-PIECE |
ANANSI AND THE TAR-BABY |
a The Escape from Tiger |
b The Substitute |
c The Grave |
INSIDE THE COW |
CUNNIE-MORE-THAN-FATHER |
THE DUCKANO TREE |
FOOD AND CUDGEL |
a The Handsome Packey |
b The Knife and Fork |
THE RIDDLE |
ANANSI AND BROTHER DEAD |
a Brother Dead's Wife |
b Goat and Plantain |
BROTHER DEAD AND THE BRINDLE PUPPY |
THE COWITCH AND MR FOOLMAN |
DRY-HEAD AND ANANSI |
a Go-long-go |
b Dry-head |
c Brother Dead |
THE YAM-HILLS |
THE LAW AGAINST BACK-BITING |
a Duck's Dream |
b Guinea-chick |
c Dry-head at the Barber's |
FLING-A-MILE |
BUT-BUT AND ANANSI |
TUMBLE-BUG AND ANANSI |
HORSE AND ANANSI |
ANANSI IN MONKEY COUNTRY |
a Bunya |
b Christen Christen |
CURING THE SICK |
a The Fishes |
b The Six Children |
ANANSI, WHITE-BELLY AND FISH |
GOAT'S ESCAPE |
a The Rain |
b The Dance (1) |
b The Dance (2) |
TURTLE'S ESCAPE |
FIRE AND ANANSI |
QUIT-QUIT AND ANANSI |
a Tailors and Fiddlers |
b Fiddlers |
SPIDER MARRIES MONKEY'S DAUGHTER |
THE CHAIN OF VICTIMS |
WHY TUMBLE-BUG ROLLS IN THE DUNG |
WHY JOHN-CROW HAS A BALD HEAD |
a The Baptism |
b The Dance |
WHY DOG IS ALWAYS LOOKING |
WHY ROCKS AT THE RIVER ARE COVERED WITH MOSS |
WHY GROUND-DOVE COMPLAINS |
WHY HOG IS ALWAYS GRUNTING |
WHY TOAD CROAKS |
WHY WOODPECKER BORES WOOD |
WHY CRAB IS AFRAID AFTER DARK |
WHY MICE ARE NO BIGGER |
RAT'S WEDDING |
COCKROACH STORIES |
a Cock's Breakfast |
b Feigning Sick (1) |
b Feigning Sick (2) |
c The Drum |
HUNTER, GUINEA-HEN AND FISH |
RABBIT STORIES |
a The Tar Baby |
b Saying Grace |
c Pretending Dead |
THE ANIMAL RACE |
A HORSE AND TURTLE |
b Pigeon and Parrot |
THE FASTING TRIAL (FRAGMENT) |
MAN IS STRONGER |
OLD STORIES, CHIEFLY OF SORCERY |
THE PEA THAT MADE A FORTUNE |
SETTLING THE FATHER'S DEBT |
MR LENAMAN'S CORN-FIELD |
SIMON TOOTOOS |
THE TREE-WIFE |
SAMMY THE COMFEREE |
GRANDY-DO-AN'-DO |
a Moses Hendricks, Mandeville |
b Julia Gentle, Malvern, Santa Cruz Mountains |
Jack and Harry |
Pea-fowl as Messenger |
a John Studee |
b Contavio |
THE BARKING PUPPY |
THE SINGING BIRD |
a Fine Waiting Boy |
b The Golden Cage |
TWO SISTERS |
ASOONAH |
THE GREEDY CHILD |
a Crossing the River |
b The Plantain |
ALIMOTY AND ALIMINTY |
THE FISH LOVER |
a Timbo Limbo |
b Fish fish fish |
c Dear Old Juna |
JUGGIN STRAW BLUE |
THE WITCH AND THE GRAIN OF PEAS |
BOSEN CORNER |
THE THREE DOGS |
a Boy and Witch Woman |
b Lucy and Janet |
ANDREW AND HIS SISTERS |
THE HUNTER |
a The Bull turned Courter |
b The Cow turned Woman |
MAN-SNAKE AS BRIDEGROOM |
a The Rescue (1) |
b The Rescue (2) |
b Snake Swallows the Bride |
THE GIRLS WHO MARRIED THE DEVIL |
a The Devil-husband |
b The Snake-husband |
BULL AS BRIDEGROOM |
a Nancy |
b The Play-song |
c Gracie and Miles |
THE TWO BULLS |
BALLINDER BULL |
BIRD ARINTO |
TIGER SOFTENS HIS VOICE |
HIDDEN NAMES |
a Anansi and Mosquito |
b Anansi plays baby (1) |
b Anansi plays baby (2) |
b Anansi plays baby (3) |
ANANSI AND MR ABLE |
THE KING'S THREE DAUGHTERS |
THE DUMB CHILD |
THE DUMB WIFE |
LEAP, TIMBER, LEAP |
a Old Conch |
b Grass-quit (fragment) |
THE BOY FOOLS ANANSI |
THE WATER CRAYFISH |
. |
DANCE and SONG |
THE FIFER |
IN COME MURRAY |
TACOOMAH MAKES A DANCE |
ANANSI MAKES A DANCE |
RED YAM |
GUZZAH MAN |
FOWL AND PRETTY POLL |
THE CUMBOLO |
JOHN-CROW AND FOWL AT COURT |
WOODEN PING-PING AND COCK |
ANIMAL TALK |
. |
WITTICISMS |
OLD-TIME FOOLS |
I, II and III |
DUPPY STORIES |
IV, V, VI, VII and VIII |
ANIMAL JESTS |
IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV |
LIES |
XVI and XVII |
PHILOSOPHY |
. |
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS |
ISBN: 9781909302372 |
LANGUAGE: English |
PAGES: 340 |
BINDING: Perfect Bound Paperback |
DIMENSIONS: 5.5 x 8.5 or 140cm x 216cm |
Worldwide Delivery
We deliver to destinations all over the world, and here at Abela, we have some of the best rates in the book industry.
We charge shipping dependant on the book you have ordered and where in the world you are ordering from. This will be shown below the price of the book.
The delivery time is typically dependant on where in the world you are ordering from, Should you need a estimated delivery time, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We pride ourselves on the quality of our packaging and damage rates are very low. In the unlikely event there is damage please contact us before returning your item, as you may have to pay for return shipping, if you have not let us know.
Returns
Due to the nature of books being read then returned for a refund, unfortunately we do not accept returns unless the item is damaged and we are notified ON THE DAY OF DELIVERY.