The Signifying Spider

Resumen

From Nova Scotia to Brazil, Anancy the spider weaves a Calibanesque web and spins a Signifyin(g) discourse. His abilities stem from a liminality which manifests itself both on the extradiegetic and intradiegetic levels of the folktale, a form as fluid as the spider which occasionally inhabits it. Within it, Anancy the spider emerges as a masterful trickster whose indeterminacy manifests itself in the geographical location and functions he occupies, as well as in the appearance and language he adopts to achieve his ends. Dweller at the crossroads, inhabitant of nooks and crannies, Anancy is never in a specific enclosure and yet never out. Likewise, he never fulfills a single given role; whether as hero, villain, or dupe, he defies categories. Indeterminacy also characterizes Anancy's physical appearance. He is sometimes portrayed as a human being endowed with a spinning gift, sometimes as a spider with human features, male or female. Lastly, Anancy is aware of the fluid nature of language and is forever punning to trick other characters, whether through downright lies or more refined ways of using what Gates Jr. has characterized as Signifyin(g) powers. My purpose here will be to unravel the most salient African continuities which can be traced in the Anancy New World tales before underlining the fluidity of the folktale as an art form and demonstrating the indeterminate characteristics which enable Anancy to become a Signifyin(g) spider.