How the Sun and the Moon Came to Be

Anansi the spider was the trickster god of the Ashanti people of Ghana, West Africa. His father was the sky god, Nyame. Anansi was a mischief maker who loved to play pranks on people, animals and even gods, often outwitting those much stronger and more powerful than himself. But sometimes, he acted as an intermediary between the people and his father, like in our story here.

Nyame, the sky god, was the creator of all things. But sitting in his abode in the sky, he could hardly bother himself with what went on below, among his creations. Not that he was insensitive but he was what you would call a reclusive character.

Down on earth, the people worked hard and long in their fields. There was no time to rest. Anansi heard their complaints and decided to help. He spun a thread all the way up to the sky and asked Nyame for help.

‘Dear Father, if only you could see what’s happening on earth below; those poor folks toil in their fields all the time. They need a break. Do something!’ So Nyame created the inky darkness of night so that people could sleep. But when the night crept in quietly, a thick sheet of blackness, the people shivered with fear.

‘What has become of our world? Have we lost our power of sight? This is suffocating us. Oh Anansi, please help,’ they pleaded with the spider god. Up again went Anansi, spinning his thread in the dark, up, up and up.

‘Father, the people are frightened of the night and the darkness it brings. How can they sleep when the blackness scares them?’

So Nyame put up a big lantern to light up the sky—the moon! Now the people could sleep peacefully. But not for long.

‘It’s too cold; we are freezing,’ they said to Anansi.

He was obviously a very patient soul for he went up to Nyame again. ‘I’m afraid the light isn’t enough to keep them happy. They are shivering in the cold now. Can something be done?’

Nyame, as I told you earlier, wasn’t insensitive. He put the sun up in the sky; nice, bright and shiny. ‘This should keep them warm,’ he told the spider. The people welcomed the brilliant sun that brought them warmth and gave the corn in the fields a golden glow. All was well in the world; at least so it seemed for a while.

But as the sun burned in the skies, a scorching heat descended on the land. Forests burst into fire and all the animals and birds fled in panic. The corn wilted in the heat and the people begged Anansi, ‘Save us, Anansi, or we’ll all perish under this merciless orb of fire!’

Spinning his threads up to the sky once more, Anansi reached Nyame’s abode again.

‘What is it this time, Anansi?’ asked Nyame as the spider arrived.

‘Your sun is burning the earth. There’s raging fire in the forests; birds and animals have no home now. And the people, they can’t take the heat any more. They fear for their very lives. You have to do something!’ He was almost out of breath by the time he had finished.

So Nyame sent the rain. It poured from the sky, dousing the fires and cooling the heated earth. Everyone—animal, bird and man—rejoiced. But not for long. The rains came down so heavily and constantly that they caused a great flood. People drowned in the waters and animals were washed away. Anansi rushed up on a wet web and told Nyame what was happening. Immediately, he caused the floodwaters to recede and, at last, all was well in the world once again.