The Messed Up Origins™ of Anansi the Spider | African Folklore Explained - Jon Solo

[@lexied7317]

In Jamaica, they teach us about Anansi in Basic and Primary school. The stories were always clever and funny. Pretty cool that you made a video about him.

[@JonSolo]

that's so cool! glad you liked the video :)

[@dualpromaxgamingandmemes7635]

@@JonSolo plz do an episode on pirates of the carrabeans🥺

[@sarahtriboix-kamga416]

Same in UK

[@lexied7317]

@@sarahtriboix-kamga416 i didn't know that! 😮awesome!

[@gerardrbain1972]

The first time I heard about Anansi I was a seven year old second grader attending a Catholic primary school in The Bahamas, by my teacher Mrs Richards. This was almost 42 years ago six years after our country gained our independence from the United Kingdom. I guess that was Mrs Richards' way of contributing to the decolonisation process.

[@swwaaaaaturnright]

I grew up with this folklore in Jamaica. We even had many school books with "Bredda (Brother) Ansani" stories. 🇯🇲🇯🇲

[@aniyahgilbert8521]

Yes , during the cultural festival period in Trinidad 🇹🇹, Anansi the spider often times always one of the Folklore stories . Anansi always doing somebody something in his stories.

[@way2kool89]

My grandma use to tell me anansi bed time stories, I use to think it was her made up stories lol until I got older and learned about him

[@thegeekyelf]

I read so many books, so quickly while growing mum used to rake through the books at jumbles sales for anything I hadn't read - this story/book is one I will forever remember and always has a place in my heart

[@Ladiabless1980]

@@aniyahgilbert8521 🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹

[@asheniza1168]

As a Jamaican, I also grew with these stories

[@thatnaturegirl1349]

One Ananse story my grandma told me about was that Ananse pretended to be dead and specifically requested to be buried in a farm just so he could steal food 😂

[@Charliexboy]

I was told that story

[@SmartStart24]

Lmao Anansi was definitely chaotic 😂

[@ladieleo27]

That’s one of my favorites too

[@jacintaayivor5694]

I like the one where he Ananse wanted all wisdom and another with his three kids

[@mistaidgaf9166]

Finding the food aroma was my favorite

[@ebenezerdadzie2446]

As a Ghanaian who knows these tales too well, this is spot on. The name "Kweku" doesnt mean "Father" but a day name given to children born on Wednesday.

[@giorgiweibolt7877]

Here in suriname it is kwaku

[@jae5999]

@@giorgiweibolt7877 Kweku/Kwaku are both used here in Ghana and are interchangeable

[@martinovermaat6528]

Yeah Su in tha house

[@xxmercedex]

That's right

[@ewoenamattipoe6987]

That's true

[@Babyvalkyie]

Im African American was lucky enough that my grandma exposed us to and taught us about different African cultures. When I was around 10, she took me and my siblings to go hear a Griot. My favorite memory....he told us tales of Anansi and im still captivated at 30.

[@MarvelousPhilly]

I had similar experiences. My father's older sister (who are from Africa) told my brother and I stories of Anansi when we were kids.

[@joshparsons7631]

Mr. Nancy (Anansi) was 1 of the best characters on American gods. My favorite scene is him appearing on the boat and telling the slaves what they had to look forward to in the Americas. That scene stole the show man. I think that's why they didn't have him back.

[@revelation3nine606]

White men named Africa and America and you “Rocky StClair” your vocally and mentally theirs. Denounce oppression in all forms. Only the truth shall set you free if you are a descendent of slaves according to Deuteronomy 28:68 Genesis 15:13 you are a Hebrew Israelites that bloodline is above the rest. Embrace truth history and the Bible- that’s your book the whole world reading. Matthew 15:24

[@Babyvalkyie]

@@revelation3nine606 But the Bible was used to....it was written by....nvm. You absolutely right 🤣

[@revelation3nine606]

@@Babyvalkyie all praises to the Most High you know your story hidden in his story 😊

[@fallenangel2870]

Jon: *talks about Anansi* Me *is Ghanian*: Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for Note: TYSM for the likes ✨✨

[@nathanieleagleson5676]

That's literally me

[@osei8740]

Yes sirrr

[@haroldgavi3627]

ME too but they butcher his name so much

[@thatnaturegirl1349]

Lol same ☺️

[@dinaashie3485]

Oof I'm Ghanian too but the only time I've even learned about this is in a mlb episode

[@osiris8942]

Wow I’m from Ghana, grew up learning about Ananse and this is incredibly spot on, good job 👍🏾

[@1000SubsPlzzz]

Same!!

[@simplegirlsolutions8296]

I’m from the United States. We learned about it in elementary school. Every year they would tell us the story during culture month. That’s when everyone would come in and teach people about where they are from. I loved it because we got to eat food from all over the world and the stories were amazing.

[@CRAZyLittleMeMe]

@@simplegirlsolutions8296 good they teach children stories but i wish they would tell more about our real human stories, Africa isn't just children stories ya know ? I'm ivorian

[@_se3_thru9h_9]

🇬🇭 I know what each colour on the Ghanian flag means. Red means sacrifice Yellow means gold and riches Green means greenery and plants and the star means union. I lived in Ghana for 2 years. I still remember that. I only was told this once. I was listening in class

[@Silentbob1494]

I had NO idea Anansi was in Static Shock, and i now have a whole new level of respect for that show.

[@floydmichaelmoss]

The episode is called static in Africa

[@mackenzierivercasey6752]

Holy crap I'm from Canada and LOVEEDDD THAT SHOW! I totally forgot about it! Are you from Canada too? Or was it in the states also?! So curious lol!

[@mangodango1733]

Static shock is THE most under appreciated show DC had during that era they addressed everything from racism homelessness home abuse and even fuckin GUNS That show really gave me a lot to carry through life

[@byronrush9802]

I know him from that episode and a episode of gargoyles

[@leehingd7756]

I'm Jamaican and I grew up on Anansi stories. I am so thankful that we have still kept that link to our West African ancestors. It is interesting how story telling than connect you to a place you have never been to. No wonder i feel so drawn to my Ghanaian brothers and sisters.

[@smiththeinspiringanimator7042]

Cool!

[@preciouscaroline7446]

It’s great to finally see my country’s folklore being talked about. Just a small correction: Kwaku Anansi doesn’t mean father spider. ‘Kwaku’ is a name given to males that are born on Wednesday. Think of it as a nickname of sorts.

[@TheSportyspice8]

As a person with a day name being told to think of it as a nickname…… ouch

[@lydk2146]

Ghana fuo ye wo Krom 🇬🇭

[@pikachuneoncat6480]

That's kinda specific.

[@TheSportyspice8]

@@pikachuneoncat6480 there’s a name for every day, for the different genders with slight variations in tribe

[@pikachuneoncat6480]

@@TheSportyspice8 Huh, interesting.

[@penguin-schluppstudio]

Jon: I hate spiders. Also Jon: Okay, this spider is cool

[@kevin4gwen]

Completely understand that comment... I don't like spiders either yet I like Spider-Man

[@RedRoseSeptember22]

@@kevin4gwen Same lol.

[@bolomanx]

Same, I love Lucas the spider, but hate them irl

[@zariat6232]

Yasssss omg finally I’ve been waiting for this since I started watching you! I remember having an African story teller coming to my elementary school every year to tell us stories of Anansi the spider 🕷

[@lillyyarney67]

As a Ghanaian American I appreciate the effort and research and accuracy of Anansi. Also I enjoyed the stories you picked.

[@gabe5831]

Hi, I'm from the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao specifically,) and we have stories of Anansi here as well. Though we call him Kompa Nanzi instead. He's pretty popular in children's books and sometimes you can find local artists drawing him (myself, included.) The story that reminded me of him was the one with the soup, though he had no children and was the sole receiver of the beating, along with another animal. (Haven't read the story in a while, so forgive some of my mistakes.) And ironically, Anansi was also the one who inspired me to become a storyteller myself too. So yeah, it's neat to learn where also has influence in the Carribean. ^v^

[@anyatheoverlord6758]

I loved Anansi stories as a kid❤️🇯🇲. Shout out to our Ghanaian ancestors for so much of our culture 🇬🇭.

[@nathanieleagleson5676]

Me: Smiles in satisfaction at the way Jon pronounces some Ghanaian words Also me: correcting him like he can even hear me

[@MarieLaureQuayson]

Looool he tried

[@Celtaline]

Ikr 😂😂😂

[@GabboTheFabbo]

@@MarieLaureQuayson barely lol

[@logophile2504]

@@MarieLaureQuayson can you do an anansi storytelling video? With your voice it would be pure bliss and will get so many views and help other ppl get into Ghanaian folklore

[@MarieLaureQuayson]

@@logophile2504 haha really?

[@afuaamanobeaaddo-yobo249]

As a Ghanaian, this was so great to watch. That being said I do have a few comments 1. The name Kweku Ananse actually draws attention to the fact that he is born on a Wednesday, in Ghana almost every ethnic group has names for boys and girls respectively depending on the day they were born, Kwaku or Kweku is for a boy born on Wednesday in the Akan tribe. 2. This is more of a variation than a correction but in some stories, Anansi gathered wisdom as a man, not a god, because he wanted it all for himself and also for the whipping story some tales say the one rule was for Anasi to never wash the bowl because it could clean itself 3. Some authors wrote their own stories based on this character. I would recommend the marriage of Anansewaa by Efua T. Sutherland and Ananse in the Land of Idiots. Nevertheless, this video was amazing and brought a smile to my face, I can't wait to see more of such content in the future

[@daniellaboateng1327]

Same

[@JonSolo]

Hey, so glad to hear you liked this one! It's always a little intimidating covering a new culture but I'm glad to hear we did a decent job. Thanks for informing us about those variations!

[@Celtaline]

Exactly

[@harshyt7971]

Akan clan not just Ashantis***

[@Celtaline]

@@harshyt7971 Ashantis are Akans

[@crissysupersweetislandgirl1566]

I'm Trinidadian 🇹🇹 and it's awesome to finally see an African folklore story on your channel.

[@preedy_toni1255]

Facts yes

[@quincy9908]

🇺🇸👌🏾😎faxx I been waiting for this time to come.

[@saintmelanin1779]

🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹

[@noneyabuizness]

He did braer rabbit awhile ago.

[@Rockskull909]

There are thousands...trapped with history to be unlocked & understand...think about all our own folklore right here within Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹

[@amazinglynn]

Jon Solo is officially invited to the cookout. Just bring the cups

[@ladyraven3418]

LMAO! This pun wins!

[@eli_kplim]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ginnyjollykidd]

I'll gladly bring the Solo Cups!

[@Sherrykurah]

Oooh African myth/folklore is so rich!! I bet you’d have fun with the series. And tons of similarities between it, Norse and Greek myth. As an African, I can say I’m excited.

[@delilahdahlia247]

This is one of the only African stories I actually know, so this was neat. Edit: I guess I should of said African characters I know, since I only know a couple of stories

[@strawhat_moses4079]

This isn’t even the best story of my culture

[@cursedclover1339]

@@HighiamDave damn why so cynical, I want others to learn of African culture. although I’m of Nubian decent I love west African history am I wrong for that??

[@cursedclover1339]

@@strawhat_moses4079 west African folklore is crazy, it’s very weird it’s never explored just like Nubian mythology.

[@strawhat_moses4079]

@@cursedclover1339 I’ve been studying Nubian and west African mythology since I was 16

[@cursedclover1339]

@@HighiamDave maybe it’s a nice refresher and it’s nobody’s responsibility to learn everything about our culture I like god of war 4 should I completely immerse into Norse mythology, no and what does race have to do with anything your starting issues where there are none.

[@kavenebailey7310]

I was so surprised to see The Stories of Anansi. I'm from the Caribbean so hearing Anansi stories is a key component to growing up. Some of my best memories with my late Grandma are sitting down by her feet and hearing Anansi stories. This brought back alot of great memories. Thanks for that.

[@kavenebailey7310]

🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲

[@jameelabdullah2472]

🇹🇹 🇹🇹 🇹🇹

[@louise-yo7kz]

A lot of us had Anansi stories. Brer Anansi 🇦🇬

[@blessedcocoa5729]

Anansi stories are just apart of a Caribbean childhood.🇧🇧🇧🇧🇧🇧

[@demdaniizzz]

I've been waiting for this one I've been hearing this folklore since I was young 🇯🇲

[@Solar.Goddess]

Same in Surinam 🙌🏽

[@maryelizabeth5034]

Same 🇯🇲😁

[@BlackCherryBabe]

Same in Barbados 🇧🇧 Favourite stories in primary school.

[@meatabogan2871]

@@Solar.Goddess Same!

[@nmoney6655]

@@BlackCherryBabe I want some South American mythology next

[@PeaceofthePlans]

I'm a professional storyteller and Anansi is one of my favorite characters. When I share Anansi stories with children and adults I always change the killing endings to something a little less graphic like the person or animal was chased or ran away and was never heard from again. I'm African American by birth, mostly Ghanian by DNA. Maybe that's why I'm always drawn to Anansi stories. Great video. Very informative.

[@steveurkel8155]

American gods anyone

[@Vampirelilianfitzroy]

I freaking adored Orlando and his portrayal of this amazing spider god, this poor actor was done dirty for playing the god as “too angry” It’s funny how most of his characters monologues were about how the black man was treated by society and the producers went and proved him right.

[@xvq4626]

Yet they are okay with having a black sex goddess on the show who only purpose is to have sex to stay relevant.

[@Vampirelilianfitzroy]

@@xvq4626 Well society does have a nasty habit of sexualizing women and girls of color, Where as they are highly uncomfortable being rightfully called out by anyone of color as Jones character does in this show

[@esosequees2365]

I'm so mad I missed this comment... but I'm here now... and you are so right

[@quizzyquandadon9289]

I was lookin for this comment, soon as they took him off I stopped watching

[@danielpycha3514]

@@Vampirelilianfitzroy No, I don't know, nor heard about any white man or female sexualizing women of color, and I heard quite a few incidents when in the rare case some Caucasian, Mexican or Asian people were threatened and abused by people of color just for dating one of them.

[@MarieLaureQuayson]

Wow, as a Ghanaian, I really appreciate this. Totally didn’t expect this 😅

[@_se3_thru9h_9]

Even though I’m not Ghanian, I lived in Ghana for two years. I just remembered all the good times I had in my folklore class back there just by seeing the title. I realised how much I miss Ghana.

[@gisygsandy1655]

OMG I clicked on this as soon as the i saw the title! Anansi the spider is a legend in the Caribbean and allllllllll of them were a metaphor on how not to be stupid or getting ahead of yourself. my favourite story is the wedding parties

[@ridjauhnryan6882]

That’s pretty cool

[@stagelinedpro]

One Anansi story I remember as a kid was when he swindled his turtle friend out of a meal, and the turtle got his revenge by doing the same to him the next day.

[@gaiasguardian205]

I think there's a Cajun version of that, but the turtle became the soup. 🐢🍵

[@dualpromaxgamingandmemes7635]

100 likes dude, good job

[@jorenbosmans8065]

Not sure if it would be a similar story, but the Lowlands have a story of a Fox more mocking a Stork by inviting it for soup and Serving it on a plate, which makes it impossible to eat from for the Stork. The Stork gets back at the Fox by inviting him and Serving the soup In a talk glass which is impossible to eat it from for the Fox.

[@revenantronin8377]

He tricked the crab into given up his head over to Ananse. Basically, the Crab was said to have had a humanoid head with a brain and ould walk straight. Ananse managed to trick him into giving it to him, and of course Ananse put it on lol. 5 head In another version, He stole wisdom from God using his trusty gourds to hold said wisdom. You can look up Ananse and the wisdom pot, I don't know if it's online though, It was told to me as a kid. In the end he became the smartest being in existence, that's where all other side stories with him outsmarting others came from.

[@sakoiya7608]

the underwater meal right?

[@monelwookie1]

My husband is from Ghana 🇬🇭 and is actually working on a reimagined version of the epic tales of Kweku Anansi. I am from Guyana 🇬🇾 and we have our version of "nancy" stories there too. This episode was such a surprise!

[@bernardessem-koffie2860]

Great content, thanks so much for this. I'm so glad to see this as a Ghanaian and an Akan. Let me also share this: Kwaku Ananse Stories, as you rightly said, originate from the Akan people of Ghana, the popular group being the Asantes. Akan literally means "the enlightened ones". We have a saying which goes like, "Enimguasie emfata Akan ni ba", which means, "A person born as an Akan should not be a candidate for disgrace in any situation ". So Akans traditionally were taught proverbs and stories like Ananse stories. These stories were told by the Elderly (grand mothers and grand fathers) in the night, by the fire place to teach moral lessons, life lessons, and also to impart wisdom, critical thinking skills, diplomatic skills etc, so the Akan will be able to "stand out" as a victor or leader in real life situations. Of course Ananse wasn't always victorious in his trickery, but he almost always had a way to escape unscathed. Pardon my English.

[@angelynnmarie99]

7 months late, but I have to compliment your English skills! 😊

[@CasualV1ewer]

This was the one of the first protagonists I got in a play Also as a Ghanaian, it's nice to see our folklore get some spotlight

[@brendelaboagye3735]

Agreed!

[@NichelleShow]

I literally can watch these videos forever. The way he tells the stories and about the god/goddess from different cultures is just *chefs kiss*

[@deanna-may3043]

As a Jamaican Anansi stories were a big part of my childhood. My primary school teachers had an Anansi story for everything.

[@neoandroid8586]

Can you share any stories?

[@deanna-may3043]

@@neoandroid8586 You can find lots of Jamaica anansi stories in The "Doctor Bird Reading Series". My personal favorite is one where he used his cunning traits to outwit others. That story with Brer Turtle, after Brer Anancy tricked Brother Turtle by telling him to go wash his hand before dinner. And when Brer Turtle was gone Anancy ate all the food. But Brer Turtle invited Anancy to dinner too and found a way to send Anancy home hungry. Another day he entered a porridge drinking competition with Brer Tiger, Brer Lion and Brer Dog. They wanted to see who could drink the hot porridge fastest. So Brer Anansi put his porridge out in the sun and said he wanted his porridge to be hotter than the rest. So all the other contestants hurried and drank their hot porridge, it was so hot it burned them and they took a long time to drink it . They didn't know that Brer Ananci's porridge was not getting hotter. When it was Brer Anancy's time to drink, he finished drinking in a shorter time than the rest and won the competition. You usually hear that one being told around Jamaica day or during black history month, or if one had older teachers in rural areas like I did, you would hear them everyday at reading time.

[@bluestar3931]

@@deanna-may3043 Anansi's stories are all Ghanaian. Jamaica has many roots in Ghana

[@deanna-may3043]

@@bluestar3931 yes, especially from the Ashanti

[@bluestar3931]

@@deanna-may3043 Yup

[@AuthorLHollingsworth]

Thank you Job Solo for telling stories about African deities. There are so many people that only discuss European history which is okay, but we Diaspora Africans / Africans have stories, too. Again, thank you!

[@joshuaadamafio9898]

Hi I'm Ghanaian Just thought I'd help u out with the names of Anansi's sons -NTIKUMA (In - tee - koo - mah) -NYIWANKONFEWA (Nywaa - kon - feh - wia) -AFUDOTWEDOTWE (Ay - foo - dishwee - dishwee) -TIKONOKNO (Tee - kono - kono) (It helps with authenticity if u say it nasally) Also a few factual errors -Nyankopon isn't necessarily the sky god, hes more of the sovereign god kinda like a Ghanaian Zeus -Also Kweku Ananse doesn't mean "Father Anansi". Kweku is a traditional name given to any Ghanaian boy born on a Wednesday so it's more like that's his full name. I guess this was just to give him some extra character However "Father Anansi" is one of his titles so I can see how this happened There are at least a dozen more Anansi stories so let me know if you are interested in getting into this more😁

[@grapeshot]

I remember that show American Gods when they had the spider-god and he was on that slave ship and he encouraged them to burn the ship and rebelled against the crew. Angry gets shyt done. And of course that's exactly what they did burn the ship to the waterline even though it meant all of them were going to die. They chose death over slavery.

[@BitchyHistory]

One of my favorite scenes in the show!

[@johnlawful2272]

I remembered him saying your descendants are fucked

[@johnlawful2272]

I remembered him saying your descendants are fucked

[@shaniquequa7]

Then they fired him from the show

[@PnkSamurai00]

@@shaniquequa7 Yeaps That’s how that goes

[@dragoness7181]

This video brought me back to my elementary school years. I read so many Anansi stories, The character’s personality is probably the reason I like spiders so much. It made them less scary🕷 🖤

[@michelledodson3130]

Oh my goodness! Same:)

[@tigerlilybolt]

Where did you guys go to school?

[@barbarahouk1983]

Hmm, I wonder if part of the reason the character was a spider is because so many are afraid of spiders? You just said it made you less afraid. Let's just say my terror of spiders is down to a healthy respect for their venom now. This is after years of the study of zoology including the arachnids. I avoid them if possible and rehome them when ever possible. If they stay hidden in this 165 yo house, may they live a nice , but separate life from me. If seen, they get rehomed to an out building.

[@gabbie5931]

damn jon you're making me miss the motherland now

[@oseiedwards5613]

Thank you so much for this video. I live in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean and because our families are descendants of slave and predominantly from Ghana and other west African countries, I grew up hearing these stories, especially from my late, great grand mother. There were slight differences in the stories I heard though. For example, I vividly don't remember any killing in any of the stories. The snake was tricked with a bamboo stem and Anansi tricked him easily by tying his head and body to the bamboo and he caught the fairy with a tar baby. basically a figure covered in Tar so the fairy stuck when she hit it. So, there were slight alterations. Definitely no murder. But always entertaining and educational.

[@dominiquawharton]

I remembered I used to read short stories about Anansi. Very excited that you are covering him. ❤️

[@2ndround415]

My parents are Jamaican and we had anansi books! One of my favourite as an adult is the Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

[@YourQueerGreatAuntie]

I love Anansi Boys too! And I read the story of Anansi and the Sky God in a Ladybird book. One of my favourites! (P.S. grew up in Ireland, so thank you Ladybird!)

[@2ndround415]

@@YourQueerGreatAuntie I loved Anansi Boys, I should probably re-read it

[@Pynkfoxx_]

Saameee ☺️my mom had those book as well with all my original fables and rhyme books

[@jordon4657]

In jamaican primary school we would always be told anancy stories, I espesially remember the third one about the magical plate the main difference though was that the plate was a pot and the rule was that it couldn't be washed. I'm really glad you coverd anancy since it was a big part of my childhood

[@tyleranderson7489]

This is the only story I remember 😭😭

[@neeeeeeerrrrrrd]

Anansi was my favorite folklore! I’m also from West Africa and this was enjoyable when I was a kid and now even though I didn’t here it from my family members. I heard it in a TV show.

[@blackrose30333]

Gargoyles? There is an episode about Anansi the spider

[@neeeeeeerrrrrrd]

@@blackrose30333 Yes! Thank you!

[@chocolatesss237]

As a Ghanaian and a long time subscriber, it feels like i won somin to have one of these videos bout my country. Clicked faster than i ever clicked anything else on youtube. Boutta send this to all my friends. Is this how the ppl from the previously spoken about countries/cultures feel? Anansi stories is literally the reason why I am interested in channels like this as an adult.

[@boomcylou]

Saint Lucian here 🇱🇨🇱🇨 we had this clever/mischievous spider in our textbooks growing up and there was even an academic competition called Anansi's Challenge. Thanks for covering him 🙌🏾

[@Foreverchris01]

As an African, this is my favorite folklore character.

[@hope1982]

thanks for this Jon, my aunt used to tell me stories about Anansi when I was younger. It used to be my favourite time of day, helping her make dinner and her telling me all these stories!!!

[@AlucardNoir]

Oh man, Static was such a good show... that being said, did Anansi also make an appearance in the 90's SpiderMan cartoon?

[@mongmanmarkyt2897]

Unfortunately it didn't look like anansi didn't appear in the spiderman comics until 03 where it was revealed he was the first spiderman

[@AlucardNoir]

@@mongmanmarkyt2897 So a full decada later then? Hm, strange. I could have sword there was a labyrinth episode that had something to do with Anansi. I'm probably thinking of another cartoon.. so many good cartoons from back in the day, they start mixing up... and now I'm literally sounding like an old man.

[@mongmanmarkyt2897]

@@AlucardNoir maybe i'm just stating the canonical time that anansi was *Revealed* as the first spiderman however he may have *appeared* and we didn't know him as such

[@AlucardNoir]

@@mongmanmarkyt2897 Nah, I'm probably thinking of something like his appearance in Gargoyles. The 90's had a lot of good cartoons and I haven't seen the 90's Spider-man version in around two decades. I'm most likely misremembering.

[@KiraBKADestroyerOfWorlds]

I think Static Shock is DC Comics, so I doubt the character showed up in Marvel.

[@tty23]

As an African American, A story A story: Anansi the Spider man was one of my favorite books and I've always loved the artwork in it. The human version of Anansi is the one I always imagine.

[@minna4]

I'm so happy you covered this, Jon. As a Ghanaian I grew up with these stories and it's so great to hear it from others 🇬🇭

[@_se3_thru9h_9]

I wore something made out of kente for a very special occasion. Just realised I still have it

[@BitchyHistory]

Gotta love how unbothered Gunther is by your accusation. “I don’t know what you mean, I have never done anything wrong in my entire life.”

[@JonSolo]

he knows the SoloFam will be on his side no matter what 😄

[@BitchyHistory]

@@JonSolo everyone always sides with the dog

[@TknoelTellsStories]

@@BitchyHistory I dunno, in my house, the dog gets blamed for everything. Drawer gets left open? She did it. Glasses are missing? She did it. Spilled something on your shirt? She wasn’t in the room, but it’s definitely still her fault.

[@its.ifunanya245]

Yay! I've been hoping you'd do African folklore

[@TheAaronFerreira]

Jon you may never see this since it's a month old now, but I wanted to say that I think it's absolutely freaking cool that Anansi has featured in both American Horror Story and American Gods and they got the same actor to play him both times. The shows aren't connected and are on different networks and the dude did so well he got to be him both times.

[@jaybenny3728]

I spent time in west Africa(Liberia). And the 3rd story reminds me of stories i heard. Greedy spider was his name. And the story of hiding food and greedy spider never getting thin rang true. African fables are just as amazing as other cultures. Thank you for making this video

[@JonSolo]

Watch our ANIMATED episode: The VERY Messed Up Tale of Anansi and Nothing! kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioOoYpWHrtCaaJo

[@shadowwood549]

I hate spiders too! So you are not alone. Awesome video as always.

[@kamikazetraplord4938]

Hey thanks very much for this... his stories are well known here in Jamaica 🇯🇲

[@forrestdupre87]

What about Charlotte’s Web?

[@megafoodie6984]

Ok I'm confused. There's a story where a girl says she's prettier than a goddess. So the goddess has her spin thred and the girl becomes a spider. Is that not Anasi???

[@Azier18]

Thank you for this video.

[@LuinTathren]

Reading the comments, I just love to see how many different cultures are represented in the Solo Fam.

[@hospitalgal101]

I’M SO EXCITED. I asked for this months ago!! I loved the Anansi book I had as a child. Also Jon, I feel you. I’ll be 26 in two weeks and I hate spiders no matter what they do

[@helloarihere]

I’ve been waiting for you to do African folklore for so long 🥲 I’m so excited for this to be a series

[@Sundji]

I've always wanted to name my son Anansi because of how impactful these stories were to my development. As a child of African immigrants, it helped me validate that the African diaspora is all connected. It also made me proud to be smart and motivated me to always try to think of a clever solution.

[@cobya3822]

Please don’t 😂😂 As a fellow Ghanaian, Im 100% sure most Ghanaians would find it weird. It’s like naming your child ‘Deadpool’ because you like comics about him😂 I am happy that these stories it inspired you.

[@cobya3822]

I showed my uncle your comment and this is what he said: Yes in all the stories Ananse is smart and witty but it doesn’t end him well. He’s always find out and shamed. In our local parlance you are nicknamed Ananse when you are always want to take advantage of the situation to cheat which will be found latter. For Africans your name depicts your behavior but the western world it may be different

[@Sundji]

@@cobya3822 In the western version of Anansi he was always the wisest and bestowed that wisdom upon others.

[@Sundji]

@@cobya3822 I will. I'm not Ghanian and Deadpool is not at all synonymous with Anansi.

[@carlayittey9540]

@@cobya3822 I'm also Ghanaian and it's not all the time it ends bad sometimes he saves the whole village

[@_didoi7068]

I’m still waiting on explaining Freya from Norse mythology 😄

[@aliciamcdowell6173]

Yes she is my favorite.

[@JonSolo]

me too! ;)

[@_didoi7068]

@@JonSolo I just can’t wait for you to post that video John also great video I never knew about Anansi 😁

[@_didoi7068]

@@HighiamDave 😐

[@JonSolo]

@@_didoi7068 lmao that guy needs to chill

[@martinharris5567]

My favourite anansi story back in primary school was when he tricked bro. Dog and bro. Cat into hating each other. 🇯🇲

[@alleyscarlett4283]

The one with the porridge

[@martinharris5567]

Yeah. It same one

[@davidogundipe808]

Anansi the trickster god. Thanks Jon Solo for doing this video.

[@nicolanewton1084]

In the 90’s Disney released the lion king magazines which had African folk tales and Anansi was a favourite. I still have them they are really good

[@lawrenceakainyah-jectey]

I'm glad to finally see this video, as I'm certain other Ghanaian viewers are. I love this series and I've been waiting for an episode like this for so long 😁. I am sure other Ghanaian viewers will appreciate how difficult it is to get adequate records of these folk tales since they were mostly passed down orally. Since this is going to be an ongoing series, I would like to point out a few things: 6:28 - You stated that "Kweku Ananse" means Father Spider. That could be as a result of varied sources, but I think this is also worth mentioning... The name "Kwaku" or "Kweku" is the natal name of a male born on a Wednesday in Akan culture (Asantes are among the many Akan groups from Ghana). The "Father Spider" name rather comes from Ananse's other attribute "Agya Ananse" (Agya = Father) Also, Spider Stories are known as Anansesem (Anansi-sèm). "-sem" comes from "nsem" which means words or stories, in this context. Great job on the video❤

[@RobinSpiller]

Yessssss you're finally doing African Mythology thank youuuu! ❤🖤💚 And it's Anansi! 😍😍😍😍

[@moonprincesst.s.h.4ever115]

I can just see Gunther running around with Jon's and Lauren's freshly washed laundry! 🤣 The lesson of this video is that no dog can resist the allure of laundry, straight out the dryer! I wonder if Gunther will teach his little sister, Penny, his laundry-borrowing tricks? 😂🧺🐶

[@JonSolo]

oh he already has! whether it's clean or dirty neither he nor his sister discriminate against that laundered goodness

[@moonprincesst.s.h.4ever115]

@@JonSolo You should see see my cat named Sammie. She will wait until we will be putting away the laundry in our drawer and then hop in to snuggle with it! Half of our laundry instantly becomes furry! 😹🧺😁 Thanks for writing me back. Great work on the videos, Jon! The world needs laughter now more than ever! You're making it a better place with every video that you make! 🌎🌈😂

[@TheSportsplayer]

Thank you for doing African stories

[@alliahfrancis152]

So glad you did this video Jon! I am a Jamaican and Bredda Anansi/Anansi stories are a special part of our culture.

[@joshuaadamafio9898]

Finally I'm from Ghana and I got so excited when I saw this Filled with so much nostalgia 😍😍🇬🇭🇬🇭

[@latifasalam4706]

I'm Ghanaian and am happy you made this video

[@miraclenoriega3587]

whenever i would lie my grandma would tell me to stop telling anansi tales now i understand what she meant

[@Alejandroigarabide]

So... Anansi was basically killing animals and giving away his mother for copyrights?

[@ace24680]

mamma needed herself a man can't be hitched up under the same roof as Anansi and his bride :)

[@Alejandroigarabide]

@@ace24680 Good point there!!!

[@albatross1688]

Sounds like something many capitalists are willing to do to this day. I guess that means the people of Africa thought of the concept first.

[@Alejandroigarabide]

@@albatross1688 Indeed. I can imagine Anansi saying "I'll give you 3 wildebeasts and 8 crocodiles for the rights to Spider-Man. After all, I'm kinda his symbol".

[@jennaywilliams1024]

He showed unknown men the way to the land of their women; by fire.

[@hakimh157]

I learned a little about anansi as a kid. Feels like a forgotten story now.

[@jasonthompson7378]

I’m from Jamaica and we have so many stories of him!!

[@nathanieleagleson5676]

Growing up in Ghana we were told many stories about Ananse......and yeah it's supposed to be an "e" not an "i". He is the Loki of our Ashanti gods

[@niiadjeidsane9071]

He existed before loki

[@enoboampong8076]

Wow I'm from Ghana and just realized you really do a lot of in depth research . Great work on Ananse

[@mscomecorrect19]

I grew up being told a lot of Aesop’s fables, Anansi the spider was one of the tales, very interesting back story!

[@BitchyHistory]

To be fair, the original Aesop was an ancient Greek, so probably Anansi wasn’t in the original ones.

[@YourQueerGreatAuntie]

@@BitchyHistory There are theories that Aesop was actually an African living in Hellenistic Greece. It's not my area, but stories do love to travel!

[@BitchyHistory]

@@YourQueerGreatAuntie oops, yeah you are right. I forgot about that theory 👍

[@gaiasguardian205]

Same, African Lore was glossed over as ' a strange amalgamation of stories that would require mental gymnastics to comprehend.' 🎩😄 This they were touched on so briefly as to be utterly confusing. Meanwhile the incestuous,and schizophrenic Greek/Roman lores were dedicated half the semester due to their complexity.

[@slasch465]

@@gaiasguardian205 elitism was a coping mechanism for some intellectual's trauma after embarassing themselves while butchering Non-European names. 😆 a joke, but feasible.

[@nomak2576]

Finally!!! Am so happy u covered this!

[@persomiissleepy]

The first time I heard of Anasi was in 3rd grade. My teacher's husband was from Africa (I can't remember which part but I believe it was South Africa.) As well as a storybook. He was stealing beans.

[@madytullis6912]

I love this story! It is just so interesting I initially heard of them from Miraculous Ladybug. And it intrigued me I love that you went straight into the story💜

[@dynamicentry6808]

Finally Ananse the legendary spider from my countries folktale. Thank you for doing this 🙏🏾

[@MsChey-bosslandlady]

Yeah right, finally😄

[@alicedubois1348]

This is really fun! I have been dying to hear stories from other cultures. I hope that t never stops... there are so many cultures to learn from.

[@tervenjames8305]

I grew up readingsome of these in school 🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹 and waching it on tv. The stories I've read were better than the ones you highlighted.

[@robin629]

I'm from Amsterdam, Netherlands and I remember reading stories about Anansi when I was little. There were books about him at the children's library :)

[@oluwaseun813]

These stories are extremely different from the stories I've heard. Anansi is usually been depicted for as a son of a God Nyame and a protector of mankind

[@ginnyjollykidd]

Hey, Jon! I'm sure there are plenty of stories and fables from Africa, and I want to hear from as many as you can muster. I think your channel will last a long time.

[@krissy172]

The Anansi story is also told in Jamaica🇯🇲

[@anastasiarose4482]

Finally. I love your channel but this has been long awaited. I grew up in multicultural London so heard these stories at school and at home (Jamaican heritage).

[@MooseImoose]

I'm Nigerian, and I was told a few Anansi stories as a kid too - good times 😭

[@KingAnthem]

Please do more African stuff!

[@rampageloner]

We have a lot of anansi stories in the Caribbean

[@rosebridedaqueen]

I remember hearing a lil story about Anansi the Spider in the cartoon gargoyles

[@solomonverrico]

The story about the jar. The version I heard, he wasn't angry at all, he was proud of his son for showing him this, realized trapping wisdom was itself foolish and broke the jar on purpose. DC DID dive into Anansi in the comics tho, too. He uses Vixen's powers to talk to her and screw around with reality (at one point changing the movie the Waynes went to see, fast forward to the present day there are no villains in Gotham because Paladin/Bruce Wayne keeps killing them. With guns). It was notable as being the last major work from Dwayne MacDuffie before his death. Also LeVar Burton voiced him in Gargoyles.

[@stephennere811]

A Jamaican man used to come give assemblies at my elementary school once a year and tell us anansi the spider fables, they would be highly anticipated by students and staff alike, he was an amazing story teller!!

[@chemirem.3934]

I grew up with this folklore in Jamaica too and many of our ancestors trace back to the Ashanti people.

[@DBeauty82]

These were my childhood bedtime stories! Super funny and always had me laughing myself to sleep. Very cool that you’re talking about them - and showing off some artwork that I’ve never seen before. Thank you 🇯🇲

[@missyj3960]

The first time I ever heard of Anansi from Disney's Gargoyles. This was fascinating.

[@patriciametz3364]

Me too and I rewatched Gargoyles last year, it's still so good.

[@missyj3960]

@@patriciametz3364 I know right? I will never not love it

[@FactIsFact100]

As a Ghanaian, i was eagerly waiting for you mention his kids names🤣🤣🤣🤣. Nice work Jon. Btw. KWEKU/KWAKU= A WEDNESDAY BORN IN AKAN/ASHANTI TRIBE. ONYANKOP)N= GOD NYIWANFOFEWA= SLIM LEGGED CHILD TIKONOKNO= BIG HEADED CHILD AFUDOTWETODWE= BIG STOMACH CHILD NTIKUMA=WISE CHILD A lil contribution to help foreign viewers understand it much better🤣👍🏽🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭. Kudos to your team for a job well done.

[@Kairosan777]

I'm actually really happy u made a video about Anansi . Because lm a Ghanaian and an Akan which the Ashanti kingdom is a part of . So thanks slot . Your Anansi pronunciation is actually nothing like the pronunciation I have been using for years because of my African accent .But that doesn't really matter.

[@tayloredwards4968]

Why hasn't Disney made a movie about Anansi the spider that would be so cool🕷

[@cursedclover1339]

I’ve been waiting for Disney to make a movie about king taharqa. the Nubian leader that took Egypt back into the hands of the nubians and worked with Egyptians to create the most prosperous time in the Nile valley.