From Messenger of the Gods to Muse of the People - The Shifting Contexts of Anansi’s Metamorphosis - Vol. 7 - Conference Paper

Aug 23, 2026

Upload by Angel

Emily Zobel Marshall examines Anansi, the trickster spider and Jamaican folk hero, tracing his Asante roots in West Africa and the role of Anansi tales as philosophical commentaries on spiritual and social life. In Jamaica, Anansi shifts into a muse for the people, embodying the enslaved individual’s strategies of survival, yet today these survival strategies are debated. Through interviews and research, the paper asks whether Anansi can metamorphose again and still offer spiritual guidance amid contemporary Jamaican crime, poverty, and violence.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Asante roots and Jamaican transformation

Contemporary debate and new Anansi

EMILY ZOBEL MARSHALL Emily Zobel Marshall has been lecturing at the School of Cultural Studies at Leeds Metropolitan University for four years and is undertaking a PhD entitled ‘The Journey of Anansi: An exploration of Jamaican Cultural resistance.’The main emphasis her research is an exploration of the ways in which the Anansi tales, as cultural forms, may have facilitated methods of resistance and survival during the plantation era. The Society For Caribbean Studies Annual Conference Papers edited by Sandra Courtman Vol.7 2006 ISSN 1471-2024 [http://www.scsonline.freeserve.co.uk/olvol7.html](http://www.scsonline.freeserve.co.uk/olvol7.html) From Messenger of the Gods to Muse of the People: The Shifting Contexts of Anansi’s Metamorphosis. 1 Emily Zobel Marshall Abstract Anansi, trickster spider and national Jamaican folk hero, has his roots amongst the Asante of West Africa. Amongst the Asante Anansi played the role of messenger between the gods and mankind. The Asante Anansi possessed the power to restructure both the world of the human and the divine, and his tales played a key role as complex and philosophical commentaries on Asante spiritual and social life. In Jamaica his interaction with the gods was lost as he became a muse to the people, representing the black slave trapped in an abhorrent social system, and his devious and individualistic characteristics inspired strategies of survival. However, in the face of rising crime and violence in Jamaica today many argue that these survival strategies are being misdirected towards fellow citizens rather than implemented to thwart oppressive powers. Drawing from interviews conducted on the Island, this paper explores whether it time for Anansi to metamorphose once again, and asks if he can he still provide a form of spiritual guidance to the Jamaican people. Introduction I recently returned from a three-month research trip to Jamaica. During my stay I collected material for my PhD, which explores the history of the Anansi tales and focuses on the ways in which they were utilised as vehicles for cultural resistance in Jamaica. I went to Jamaica hoping to answer some questions regarding the popularity and significance of Anansi in contemporary Jamaican society and his place in the memory of the Jamaican people. Whilst on the Island I combined in-depth interviewing with observation techniques and archival and library research to collect my material. I interviewed many Jamaican citizens, including storytellers, academics, teachers, taxi drivers, Maroons and school children. My information gathering was made easy by the willingness of many Jamaicans to share their thoughts, and the warmth with which they treat outsiders. However, I came back to the U.K saddened by the levels of poverty, crime and corruption on the Island and with the realisation that any discussion of the national folk hero Anansi inevitably leads back to these issues. In West Africa Anansi reflected key elements of Asante thought and culture; not only were the stories employed as vehicles for political discourse, but they were tightly bound to traditional Asante religious belief. A mediator between humankind on earth and the Asante gods of sky, Anansi was perceived as a chaotic and liminal force, bridging the gap between culture and nature and testing the boundaries of Asante society by wreaking havoc in their tightly regulated world. In Jamaica Anansi came down to earth, he became more man and less spider and pitted his wits against Tiger rather than the Asante God Nyame. Much of the religious symbolism of the tales was lost, apart from the continued use of the stories at wakes to entertain the spirits ofthe dead. On Jamaican soil Anansi’s devious ways reflected the vital strategies of survival implemented by the slaves. However, in the face of the rising crime rate in Jamaica today there has been a debate concerning Anansi’s legitimacy as a folk hero. Many Jamaicans argue that ‘Ana

FAQs

What is the paper’s main focus regarding Anansi?

The paper explores how Anansi’s metamorphosis—from Asante messenger to Jamaican muse—reflects cultural resistance, survival, and changing spiritual guidance in contemporary Jamaica.

How does the author connect Anansi tales to cultural resistance?

The author argues that the tales operate as complex commentaries and vehicles for political and social discourse, especially during the plantation era and in responses to oppression.

What research methods did the author use during the Jamaica trip?

The author combined in-depth interviews, observation, and archival and library research, interviewing a range of Jamaican citizens including storytellers, academics, teachers, taxi drivers, Maroons, and school children.

Aug 23, 2026

Upload by Angel