 |
| Anansi (The Cave Monster) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Physical information | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Species |
Spider |
| Skin color |
Black, brown, and red |
| Eye color |
Black |
| Distinguishing features |
Bushy eyebrows and mustache |
| Biographical information | |
| Status |
Living |
| Residence | |
| Affiliations | |
| Relationship information | |
| Allies | |
| Enemies |
Mufasa (formerly), Nala (formerly), Simba (formerly), Zazu (formerly) |
| “ | ” |
Anansi is a male spider.
Anansi gained a monstrous reputation due to using his cave's deep echo to make himself appear bigger and more powerful than he actually was. However, through the efforts of Simba and Nala, Anansi's true identity was exposed, and Mufasa dismissed the "threat" he posed as a simple misunderstanding.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Anansi lived in the Pride Lands. He took up residence in a cave and used its deep echo to make himself appear bigger and more powerful than he actually was.[1]
Exposed identity[]
When Simba, his friend Nala, and the majordomo Zazu came across a mysterious cave, Simba ventured inside. The cub spotted two bright eyes shining from the back of it. The unidentified creature asked in a thundering voice who dared to disturb him, and Simba introduced himself as the fearless future king. The voice retorted that it was the ruler of the forest - as big as the sky and fierce as a storm. It added that it ate twenty elephants just for breakfast. At this, a frightened Zazu went to fetch Mufasa, but the stranger mocked him, claiming that he would tie a knot in the king's tail. Simba wondered what monster was so powerful that it did not fear the great Lion King.
Frightened, the lion cub returned to the entrance of the cave, where Nala resolved to see the monster with her own eyes. Shortly after entering, however, Nala let out a loud scream, prompting Simba to run in after his friend. Simba found Nala against the wall of the cave, whimpering. The cubs then realized that, due to the cave's echo, even Nala sounded like thunder.
Suddenly, a tiny spider stepped into the light. Startled, Simba asked the spider if it was the monster. The spider meekly introduced himself as Anansi, and said that he had only been trying to defend himself. Just then, the trio heard a roar from outside, and Simba realized that Zazu must have returned with Mufasa.
Sure enough, Mufasa's voice thundered into the cave as the king challenged the monster to reveal itself. Simba and Nala emerged from the cave, shortly followed by a timid Anansi, who admitted that it was Zazu he feared, not Mufasa. The king questioned if this tiny spider was the monster who ate twenty elephants for breakfast, and Simba and Nala burst out laughing.
The two cubs then related their tale to Mufasa, explaining that they had been trying to see who of the two was braver, and Zazu and Anansi chimed in as well. Eventually, Mufasa halted the four animals' chattering and turned away, chuckling that long stories scared him more than anything else. As the animals prepared to leave, Zazu commented that everyone, even the king, had their fears.[1]
Physical appearance[]
Anansi is quite large for a spider. He has a hairy brown head, thorax, and abdomen, with a bushy black mustache. Additionally, he has long hairy black legs, a bright red nose, and black eyes.[1]
Personality and traits[]
When under his darkness-shrouded disguise, Anansi was aggressive and confident, as he claimed to possess great power and was not afraid to threaten even Mufasa. When exposed, however, Anansi was revealed to be quite meek and harmless, as seen when he readily admitted the cause of his deceit and showed respect to more powerful animals.[1]
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- Anansi's name means "spider" in Swahili.[2]
- Another character named Anansi appears in the Rafiki Remembers series.[3]
- Anansi is a real African legend, one of the most important characters in West African and Caribbean folklore.[4]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Korman, Justine. The Cave Monster (1996). ISBN: 9780307302977.
- ↑ Ananse - Translate Akan words to English. Kasahorow. Kasahorow Foundation. Retrieved on September 4, 2020.
- ↑ Revealed in Why Stories Are Told About Anansi from Rafiki Remembers. Issue 9 (1995–1997).
- ↑ Mel Childs (August 27, 2018). Anansi – Deity or Storybook Trickster?. Ancient Origins. Retrieved on September 4, 2020.