West African Folk Tales

William H. Barker (1882 - 1929)

A collection of folk tales mostly centered around Anansi. In West African lore Anansi is known as a trickster god, and is often depicted as either a spider, a human or a combination of both. Thus many of the stories are attempts by Anansi to trick others for his own gain. Other stories are about why certain animals act in certain ways. (Summary by Lizzie Driver)

Genre(s): Myths, Legends & Fairy Tales

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 How We Got the Name "Spider Tales" Lizzie Driver
00:03:39
Play 02 How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race Lizzie Driver
00:02:55
Play 03 Anansi and Nothing roolynninms
00:04:18
Play 04 Thunder and Anansi Eva-Marie Quinones
00:06:53
Play 05 Why the Lizard Moves his Head up and Down Ezwa
00:06:55
Play 06 Tit for Tat Lucy Burgoyne (1950 - 2014)
00:05:11
Play 07 Why White Ants Always Harm Man's Property Shurtagal
00:04:24
Play 08 The Squirrel and the Spider Esther
00:03:28
Play 09 Why We See Ants Carrying Bundles roolynninms
00:05:26
Play 10 Why Spiders are Always Found in Corners Esther
00:04:32
Play 11 Anansi and the Blind Fisherman Shurtagal
00:02:30
Play 12 Adzanumee and her Mother David Barnes
00:03:13
Play 13 The Grinding-stone that Ground Flour by Itself Esther
00:04:31
Play 14 Morning Sunrise Lucy Burgoyne (1950 - 2014)
00:02:29
Play 15 Why the Sea-turtle Beats its Breast Tammi L. Coles
00:02:19
Play 16 How Beasts and Serpents Came into the World Lizzie Driver
00:07:33
Play 17 Honourable Minu Esther
00:02:44
Play 18 Why the Moon and Stars Get Light from the Sun Julian Jamison
00:05:21
Play 19 Ohia and the Thieving Deer Christabel
00:09:31
Play 20 How the Tortoise got its Shell Esther
00:03:45
Play 21 The Hunter and the Tortoise Eva-Marie Quinones
00:03:25
Play 22 Kwofi and the Gods Christabel
00:02:16
Play 23 The Lion and the Wolf Esther
00:02:28
Play 24 Maku Mawu and Maku Fia hefyd
00:08:08
Play 25 The Robber and the Old Man Esther
00:02:21
Play 26 The Leopard and the Ram Esther
00:03:44
Play 27 Why the Leopard only Catches Prey on its Left Christabel
00:02:00
Play 28 Quarcoo Bah-Boni hefyd
00:08:57
Play 29 King Chameleon and the Animals Tammi L. Coles
00:03:58
Play 30 To Lose an Elephant for the Sake of a Wren Christabel
00:03:09
Play 31 The Ungrateful Man Christabel
00:03:54
Play 32 Why Tigers never Attack Men Unless they are Provoked hefyd
00:03:11
Play 33 The Omanhene Who Liked Riddles hefyd
00:06:55
Play 34 How Mushrooms First Grew hefyd
00:04:32
Play 35 Farmer Mybrow and the Fairies hefyd
00:05:21