Ananse

Anansi or Ananse ( ; literally translates to spider) is a character in Akan religion and folklore associated with stories, wisdom, knowledge, wit, mischievousness, cunning, and trickery, most commonly depicted as a spider. Anansi is a character who reflects the culture that he originates from. The Akan people are a close-knit people from present-day southern Ghana who rely on social order, which translates through the stories that come out of their culture. In many ways, Anansi is a paradoxical character whose actions defy this social order, but in incorporating rebellion and doubt into faith, his folkloric presence strengthens it.

Taking the role of a trickster, he is also one of the most important characters of West African, African American and Caribbean folklore. These spider tales were spread to the Americas via the Atlantic slave trade.