anansasem

"spider stories." A generic title of a class of folktales told by the Akan-speaking people of the old Gold Coast, whether the spider (Anansi) takes part in the story or not. These stories are told for group entertainment and are definitively distinguished from the myths.

They are also known as "words of a sky god", nyankomsem.

References

Source

  • Leach, Maria, ed. (1984). Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend. New York: HarperCollins.