LL-L "Folklore" 2006.02.02 (04) [E]

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02 February 2006 * Volume 04
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From: Ingmar Roerdinkholder <ingmar.roerdinkholder at WORLDONLINE.NL>
Subject: LL-L "Folklore" 2006.02.01 (11) [E]

Here in the Netherlands this spider hero is also known, as Anansi or
Ba Nanzi. Anansi from Suriname where the English, Dutch & Portuguese based
creole Sranan Tongo is spoken, Ba Nanzi (brother Nanzi) from the Dutch
Antilles (Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire) where Spanish & Portuguese based
Papiamento is the creole.
Something like half of the populations of these two ex colonies live in
the Netherlands now, together maybe 5 % of the number of inhabitants here,
but in the main cities of the metropolitan area called Randstad in the
West, like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, they form a much larger
component. Anyway, unlike in the USA, the descendants of the African
slaves in Suriname and the Dutch Antilles didn't change this spider for
another animal. In the case of Suriname with its tropical rainforests this
may have to do with the similarity of the natural environment to parts of
Africa, but the Dutch Antilles are just small and dry, isolated steppe
islands. Of course there are spiders over there as well, but the same goes
for the US, I guess that especially in the subtropical Southern states the
slaves encouters some quite big examples of these.

By the way, in the Lowlands area, Reinard (!) the Fox plays the same role
as Anansi traditionally. In my mother's home area, Hulst in Zeeuws-
Vlaanderen, there is a statue of "Reintje de Vos", he seems to originate
from this town, according to its inhabitants.
Note that the French word for fox is 'rénard'.

Regards
Ingmar

>Tom Mc Rae wrote:
>On animals in Folklore, while apparently wandering from our Lowlands for a
>while, West African Akan culture has an infinite number of stories about
the
>cunning
>spider Ananse who bamboozles all other critters. The spider involved is a
>large nephilid with a vast web commonly called a 'Money Spider'.
>Anthropologists claim that West African slaves brought the tales to the
USA
>but as this spider was not apparent in their new areas they attached to
>stories to a common animal and hence arose Brer Rabbit. There is a lot of
>similarity between the spider stories and those of the bad bunny which are
>now known worldwide.

----------

From: Wesley Parish <wes.parish at paradise.net.nz>
Subject: LL-L "Folklore" 2006.01.31 (03) [E]

<snip>
> From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
> Subject: LL-L "Folklore" 2006.01.31 (02) [E]
>
> Ron wrote:
> > So do I -- but then again, I like all warm-blooded fellow-creatures, and
> > I've been known to pet fish.  (No, I don't *hate* reptiles and insects,
>
> just
>
> > choose to stay out of their way.)
>
> Please don't. Fish aren't made for petting; it can very easily damage the
> delicate outer layer of their skin. Try reptiles instead, they just love
> being chucked under the chin.

Just go easy with the Komodo Dragons! ;)
-- 
Clinersterton beademung, with all of love - RIP James Blish
-----
Mau e ki, he aha te mea nui?
You ask, what is the most important thing?
Maku e ki, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
I reply, it is people, it is people, it is people.

----------

From: Wesley Parish <wes.parish at paradise.net.nz>
Subject: LL-L "Folklore" 2006.01.31 (04) [E]

<snip>
> Ron schreev,
>
> "I was pretty shocked when I saw the first pelican fly by our deck at
> night, looking like a TERRADACTYL or something like it..."
>
> Ron, a terradactyl would be a linguistic mess, what with its front half
> Latin and the rear half Greek. It didn't work all that well for the
> Roman-byzantine Empire, did it?
>
> Besides, the correct orthography is Pterodactyl. Remember, the "P" is
> silent, as in "bath" or "shower".

Actually, Terradactyl = "Earthfinger" would make quite a nice name for a
steep-sloped volcanic-plug style mountain a la the Devils Tower in wyoming.

Wesley Parish

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Folklore

Wes:

> Just go easy with the Komodo Dragons! ;)

Nah!  I love them guys!  They look so cuddly, and the venomous drool is a 
real turn-on!

> Actually, Terradactyl = "Earthfinger" would make quite a nice name for a
> steep-sloped volcanic-plug style mountain a la the Devils Tower in 
> wyoming.

Yeah, yeah!!!  That's what I had meant, anyway!

Talking about "folklore," this morning in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil, 
America's foremost meteorologist of celebrity status, made his prediction by 
virtue of being able to see his shadow, which means six more weeks of 
winter.  There you have it, folks!  It don't get more hi-tec than that. 
Phil declined to appear on morning talk shows for in-depth interviews.  A 
spokesman said that, despite the glamor that comes with unavoidable photo 
ops every February 2, Phil is a groundhog of few words who prefers to have 
scientific proof do the talking for him.

Happy Groundhog Day, and Happy (Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese) New Year!

Reinhard/Ron

P.S.: By the way, Ingmar ... Did you think it's a coincidence that the fox, 
long a symbol of "very clever, though just the right degree of naughty," and 
I are namesakes?  I should hope not.

P.S.S.: Ingmar and other Netherlanders, can't you work your magic to procure 
wren story translations into Sranan and other such languages? 

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