How Beasts and Serpents First Came into the World
The tale of "How Beasts and Serpents First Came into the World" is rooted in West African folklore and centers around Kweku Tsin, the son of the trickster figure Anansi. During a harsh famine, Kweku Tsin stumbles upon a mysterious village where an old woman provides him with a magical drum that summons food. His respectful demeanor and willingness to follow her instructions lead to a bountiful feast for his people. In contrast, Anansi's jealousy drives him to seek the same blessings for himself, but his impolite and defiant behavior backfires—his drum produces a chaotic flood of beasts and serpents instead of food. This story highlights themes of respect, obedience, and the consequences of selfishness, showcasing the dual nature of Anansi as both a benevolent and mischievous character. The tale reflects cultural values surrounding community and proper conduct, emphasizing that good intentions must be accompanied by respectful actions. As a part of the larger collection of Anansi stories, it serves to convey moral lessons while explaining the origins of the world's animals in a captivating narrative.
On this Page
Subject Terms
How Beasts and Serpents First Came into the World
Author: Traditional Asante
Time Period: 1001 CE–1500 CE
Country or Culture: Africa
Genre: Folktale
PLOT SUMMARY
Kweku Tsin is the son of the man-spider Anansi. During a three-year famine, Kweku Tsin searches daily for food in the forest, finding little success. On one trip, however, he accidentally drops some nuts down a hole and, starving, decides to climb into the hole to retrieve them. He discovers that the hole is in fact the entrance to a strange, uninhabited village. While he explores the town, he meets an old woman, whom he tells of the famine in his own village.
The old woman agrees to help Kweku Tsin if he follows her strict instructions. He must go into her garden and pick the one yam that is not calling out to be picked. He digs out the yam and brings it to her. She then instructs Kweku Tsin to peel the yam, discard it, and boil the peeled rind. When he does, it becomes a yam. The two sit down to eat, and the woman asks that he not look at her while they eat. The obedient and polite Kweku Tsin grants her wish. Afterward, the woman tells Kweku Tsin to go back into the garden and select the drum that makes the sound “ding ding” when touched. When he brings it back to her, the woman tells him that he has but to tap on the drum and all the food he needs will appear.
Kweku Tsin returns to his village and calls his people into the assembly area. When they have gathered, Kweku Tsin beats the drum as he was taught by the old woman. An abundance of food appears, enough for the town to eat. Kweku Tsin is celebrated for providing food for the people. Meanwhile, Anansi becomes jealous and insists that Kweku Tsin tell him of the location of the mysterious town and its one resident.
Anansi seeks out the woman and impolitely asks her for the same gift she gave his son. She tells him to pick the yam that does not call out to be dug from the ground, but, suspecting that the woman is a witch with ill intentions, he instead picks a yam that does call for harvesting. He also refuses to discard the peeled yam and boil the rind, choosing to keep the peeled yam. When the yam turns to stone, he reluctantly agrees to boil the rind, and it turns into a yam. They sit down, and he again defies her wish, looking upon her while he eats. She chooses not to eat her share of the yam. Finally, when the woman tells Anansi to pick a drum that goes “ding ding,” he senses a trick and picks the one that goes “dong dong.” He returns to his village without thanking the woman.
Anansi calls for his people to come to the village square to share the food he is about to make appear. When he sounds the drum, however, all manner of beasts and serpents, the likes of which had never before been seen on the earth, flood the land. Kweku Tsin and his family take shelter, but Anansi is caught in the rush he caused. The creatures spread out across the land and forests, where they will roam thereafter.
SIGNIFICANCE
The folktale telling how beasts and serpents first came into the world is one of the spider tales (also known as Nancy stories) focusing on the man-spider Anansi. The folktales of Anansi come from West Africa and are believed to have originated with the Asante (Ashanti) people of what is now Ghana. Anansi and his family are some of the most popular figures in folklore not only of West Africa but also of the African diaspora. The stories existed in oral traditions and were memorized by many Ashanti people as well as their West African neighbors. When the slave trade devastated those communities, many displaced people brought the Anansi stories with them to the Americas, where they survive in different forms through the present day.
According to this series of stories, Kweku Anansi is the son of the great sky god, Nyame, and his wife, Asase Ya, the earth goddess and the goddess of fertility. Anansi is occasionally benevolent (represented by his human side) and is therefore presented in many stories as a hero. On the other hand, as is the case in this fable, Anansi is often a trickster; in fact, his mischievous behavior leads his father to turn him into a man-spider. Although he means well, Anansi continues to act in a frequently greedy and self-serving manner. Still, in many stories his trickery and cunning bring success to him and others around him.
This fable is not just a story of the origin of the planet’s countless animals. In fact, it is concerned more with the acceptable behavior of people toward others. Despite the fact that he is starving and desperate, Kweku Tsin is unwaveringly polite and obedient to the old woman, even when her requests are strange and seemingly contradictory (such as boiling the skin of a yam while discarding the rest). Kweku Tsin also makes a point of thanking the woman for her gracious gift. For his positive behavior, Kweku Tsin is rewarded with the gift of the magic drum, and his people are fed.
Additionally, Anansi becomes jealous of the accolades bestowed upon his son, who brings back the magic drum to feed his people. In order to gain glory for himself, he goes to the old woman as well. However, he calls the woman a witch, questions all of her requests, and openly defies the woman’s commands. In the end, Anansi is embarrassed when his own drum produces not food but wild creatures. To be sure, these animals are ultimately of great benefit to the earth, but Anansi’s rude and self-serving behavior is repaid with a great and fearsome stampede.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abrahams, Roger D. African Folktales: Traditional Stories of the Black World. New York: Pantheon, 1983. Print.
Auld, Michael. “How Anansi Became a Spider.” Anansi Stories. Anansi Stories, 2007. Web. 7 May 2013. Print.
Barker, William Henry, and Cecelia Sinclair, ed. “How Beasts and Serpents First Came into the World.” West African Folk-Tales. Chapel Hill: Yesterday’s Classics, 2007. 51–55. Print.
---. “Tit for Tat.” West African Folk-Tales. Chapel Hill: Yesterday’s Classics, 2007. 19–22. Print.
Sherlock, Philip Manderson. Anansi, the Spider Man: Jamaican Folk Tales. New York: Crowell, 1954. Print.