Mythologis
The Akan Mythology Book: Anansi, Nyame, and the Gods of West Africa

Akan Mythology

The Akan Mythology Book: Anansi, Nyame, and the Gods of West Africa

Anansi, Nyame, and West Africa

From the Ashanti and the gold coast of Ghana: Nyame the sky god, Asase Yaa the earth, the abosom spirits, and Anansi the spider, the trickster who bought all the world’s stories from the sky and whose tales crossed the Atlantic with the enslaved.

150 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Inline citations to the oral tradition and ethnographies
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The Land of Gold and the Akan People
  2. 02Nyame, the Shining Sky God
  3. 03Asase Yaa and the Sacred Earth
  4. 04The Abosom: The Lesser Gods of River and Sea
  5. 05The Ancestors and the Golden Stool
  6. 06Anansi Buys the Stories of the World
  7. 07Anansi and the Tricks: How the Spider Wins
  8. 08Anansi the Fool: When the Trickster Loses
  9. 09The Adinkra Symbols and Their Wisdom
  10. 10The Soul, the Day-Names, and Akan Destiny
  11. 11How Anansi Crossed the Ocean: The Spider in the Americas

About this book

About this Akan mythology guide

Nyame the sky god, the ancestors on the golden stool, and Anansi the spider, the trickster who bought all the world's stories and carried them across the sea.

In the forests of Ghana, the Akan built a kingdom of gold and a mythology to match: a high sky god named Nyame, an earth goddess so revered she needs no temple, a host of lesser spirits in the rivers and the sea, and the ancestors enthroned in a sacred golden stool. And weaving through all of it is Anansi the spider, the trickster who once went up to the sky and bought every story in the world, which is why, to this day, all tales are called spider tales.

This book gathers the Akan world. Eleven chapters cover Nyame and Asase Yaa, the abosom and the ancestors, and then the great cycle of Anansi: how he bought the stories, how he tricks the strong, and how his own greed makes him the fool. The last chapters cover the adinkra symbols, the Akan idea of the soul, and how Anansi crossed the ocean to the Americas. Every chapter cites its sources.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • Nyame, the sky god, and Asase Yaa, the earth who needs no temple
  • How Anansi the spider bought all the stories of the world from the sky
  • The trickster at his best: how the spider outwits the strong
  • The trickster at his worst: when Anansi's greed makes him the fool
  • The adinkra symbols and the wisdom folded into each one
  • How Anansi crossed the Atlantic and became Aunt Nancy in the Americas

Akan mythology book at a glance

TraditionAkan mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length150 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Keep exploring Akan mythology

Prefer to read before you buy? These free, fully sourced guides cover the same gods, myths and sources you will meet in the book.

Read the complete Akan mythology guide

Questions about the Akan mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on the Akan oral tradition, the anansesem (spider tales), and the classic ethnographies of R. S. Rattray (Ashanti, Akan-Ashanti Folk-Tales), along with comparative diaspora scholarship, with references to the standard works.

Is Anansi the same as the Anansi of the Caribbean and the American South?

Yes, directly. The Akan spider trickster traveled with enslaved West Africans and became Anansi in the Caribbean and Aunt Nancy in the American South. The book traces that crossing in its final chapter.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 150 pages depending on the final layout. Designed to be read in evenings or in one long sitting.

Is this book for beginners or specialists?

Beginners welcome. The book explains every name, place, and concept from scratch. Specialists will find the source citations useful for further reading.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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