Brother Metasaience posted a wonderful youtube clip in which Denzel Washington tells the story of Ananse the spider and shortly thereafter I picked up a boook on African Folktales, which has proven to be an engaging and thought-provoking read. There is one folktale in particular whose hidden meaning I am unsure about and was wondering if you would be kind enough to enlighten me.
A hunter had three dogs named 'Cut to Pieces', 'Swallow up' and 'Clear the remains' and a magic flute by which he could call them up wherever he was. He went hunting, leaving his dogs tied up in the compount, but telling his wife to release them if they became agitated.
Everyday, a huge monster with her body covered with mouths stole all the meat he had killed the previous day. Finally, he waited in his camp to confront her but she did not come. He tied up his loads and left, shouting an insult at her. She came with an angry roar, and he fled, climbing to the top of a great tree and calling his dogs by name with his flute.
The monster began to eat the base of the tree with her many great mouths, but the hunter sprinkled magic powder on the tree and it became whole again. This continued until the powder was finished and the tree was nearly cut through. Suddenly, the three dogs arrived, having broken their ropes and living up to their names, they devoured the monster completely.
The monster's sister appeared to the hunter as a beautiful woman who offered to become his second wife, and he took her home. That night, she resumed the form of a monster and tried to kill the hunter and his first wife but was torn to pieces by the three dogs
Taken from African Folktales in the New World by BASCOM, William
A hunter had three dogs named 'Cut to Pieces', 'Swallow up' and 'Clear the remains' and a magic flute by which he could call them up wherever he was. He went hunting, leaving his dogs tied up in the compount, but telling his wife to release them if they became agitated.
Everyday, a huge monster with her body covered with mouths stole all the meat he had killed the previous day. Finally, he waited in his camp to confront her but she did not come. He tied up his loads and left, shouting an insult at her. She came with an angry roar, and he fled, climbing to the top of a great tree and calling his dogs by name with his flute.
The monster began to eat the base of the tree with her many great mouths, but the hunter sprinkled magic powder on the tree and it became whole again. This continued until the powder was finished and the tree was nearly cut through. Suddenly, the three dogs arrived, having broken their ropes and living up to their names, they devoured the monster completely.
The monster's sister appeared to the hunter as a beautiful woman who offered to become his second wife, and he took her home. That night, she resumed the form of a monster and tried to kill the hunter and his first wife but was torn to pieces by the three dogs
Taken from African Folktales in the New World by BASCOM, William