From Anansesem to Anansegoro: 'Literarising' Akan Folktales

International Journal of Advanced Research and Development International Journal of Advanced Research and Development ISSN: 2455-4030 Impact Factor: RJIF 5.24 www.advancedjournal.com Volume 3; Issue 1; January 2018; Page No. 348-353 From Anansesem to Anansegoro: 'Literarising' Akan Folktales Evans Asante, Johnson Edu Lecturer, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana Abstract The quest for authentic and true African literary dramatic form lingers on. In the bid to correct the impression that literary drama in Africa is an ‘alien form’ has led to a number of experiments by several African playwrights. These playwrights make conscious efforts to explore their local cultural contents, social values and practices to create theatre that is unique to the African situation. This paper is an analysis of how Ghanaian playwrights, particularly Efua T. Sutherland experimented with the Akan folktales otherwise known as Anansesem (tales from the spider) in coming out with a literary dramatic form Anansegoro which is seemingly authentic to the Ghanaian setting. References are made to Efua Sutherland’s The Marriage of Anansewa, Yaw Asare’s Ananse in the Land of Idiots and Martin Owusu’s The Story Ananse Told. The paper further discusses the issue of language and hybridity which seem to be the bane of most African dramatists in their quest towards authentic African theatre. Keywords: Anansesem, Anansegoro, mboguo, hybridity, folk tales, Ananse, authenticity, African playwrights storyteller 1. Introduction it's sociological rather than its literary interest (1971: 1). Literary arts in Ghana took grounds with the advent of the This could account for the insufficient historical information colonial masters when western education was introduced as a on pre-colonial African theatre. The situation became worse system of subjugating the African minds. This system of when the newly African literates got educated by the education resulted in the abolishing of several cultural colonizers in an alien culture and were endowed with new practices and rituals of Africans; most of the beliefs were western beliefs and norms that were not African but inculcated relegated to the background paving way for western culture into the system of governance. It appeared that the suppressive and ideologies. The African, therefore, had a missing identity nature of the foreign systems and structures were seen in as far as writing creative works to suit their indigenous numerous forms including the nature of their didactic theatre context. which they sought to impose on Africans. As a matter fact, the Meanwhile, in Africa, most nations that were colonized and idea took away the effective instrument of knowledge and dominated by the colonizers, instituted some form of literary rendering the people reliant on the European system of beliefs. dramatic traditions which became one of the key catalysts to Additionally, the Christian missionaries also disrupted the accelerate the assimilation of European culture by Africans. In indigenous performances and replaced them with European view of this mind set, the process incorporated formal performances and art that surrounded religious feasts such as European literary theatre into Africa. Among these, however, Corpus Christi. Specifically, in Ghana, these enactments were were the introduction of cultural and leisure structures and done during Thanksgiving service which took place annually. programmes such as sports clubs, theatres and Independence The performances were mainly biblical stories such as the Day Celebrations. This drive took place during the nineteenth birth and crucifixion of Christ among others. These plays were century when formal colonialism was established and the to heighten the European identity in the African and to control suppressers wanted to feel at home. his conscience. It appears that the missionaries resorted to the Importantly, due to the illiterate nature of the West African same tactics that were done by the Christians in the medieval people, literacy was introduced to them through the era to win people to Christianity. This notion is further establishment of churches and schools by missionaries. As strengthened by Mda who reiterates that; part of their strategies to brainwash the Africans, Europeans The colonialist intention of promoting drama among Africans forms of drama written by the likes of Shakespeare and was geared towards weaning them from their pagan and Moliere were introduced. uncivilized ways. They conceived that an African drama must According to the study of Ernest Emeryonu with regards to be based on dance, must be childlike and simple in form, and African literature, asserts that; must involve story-telling and drumming (1973: 7). The literary world was not prepared for the emergence of Mda’s reaction above indicates that the colonialists’ idea of African writing when it did. Those who posed as its judges African drama obviously relegated to the background the knew little or nothing of the true roots of written African traditional African forms because their intent was to only literature. Some of them were gaining their first insight into accept the indigenous practices that only fit into their the African social scenes and approached African writing for civilizing mission. Hence, they, therefore, initiated the 348 International Journal of Advanced Research and Development European drama and theatrical forms into Africa without structure for us humans to identify our own activity and acknowledging and understanding the pre-colonial theatrical reflection (Fernandez as cited by Peek & Yankah, 2004) [16]. and dramatic forms. This implies that human beings gain a better understanding of In Ghana and Nigeria for instance, colleges and schools were their identities and social structures by acknowledging their established that trained new writers that showed interest and differences and similarities with animals. When humans had access to both indigenous and foreign dramatic forms. engage in telling stories about animals they are mostly making These writers saw an urgent need to recuperation their African an allusion to themselves and their situation. Through puzzles, traditional literary art forms of their history and native riddles, proverbs, and tales, people are able to discuss cultures. Osofisan states that: themselves and their situations indirectly. Brocket (1982), These playwrights were all, without exception keenly tuned to agrees with Fernadez when he asserts that, most African the beating pulse of the age. The pressing problems, at least cultures incorporate impersonation of characters in the from their elitist perspectives as members of the ruling, presentation of stories or myths. These acts are major signs of western- educated class, bore on the cultural implications of dramatic development. The writers espouse the view that the society’s transforms. Hence they ploughed assiduously the impersonation in whatever form promotes a more enhanced theme of cultural alienation, trying to demonstrate, now the story, especially when the story being told evolved around splendour of our ancient past, now the inanity or parasitism of animals. certain recrudescent customs (2001: 119). Addo (2013) [1] also believes this as a very important On the basis of this, the second generation of playwrights that component for the society because when animals are used as emerged in post-colonial Africa came to the realization to protagonists in folktales, certain follies and vices of decolonize their societies through the theatre by searching for undesirable characteristics of human nature can be brought to alternative indigenous structures and dramatic forms. Gilbert bear without risking frictions that are involved in the face to and Tompkins reiterate the fact that “post colonialism’s face confrontation of storytelling. For example, the monkey is agenda is to dismantle the hegemonic boundaries and the seen as always ‘fooling’ when others are very busy. The parrot determinants that create an unequal relation of power based on is also very chatty and the mull is extremely stubborn and binary oppositions such as us and them, first world and third does not yield easily. These are all traits that can easily be world, white and black, colonizer and colonized” (1996, p. identified in humans as well. Also, in a country like Ghana 3).This whole idea as adapted by the post-colonial writers was that is mostly characterized by towns and villages, it becomes to clarify and redefine the place of the African as far as culture vital to avoid conflict or actions that will lead to disunity. and heritage are concerned which was a zeal and active Attention can, therefore, be brought to disharmonious intervention of playwrights. behavior and congenial atmosphere through telling of tales. It was on the basis of these, writers such as Wole Soyinka When we talk about African folklore, we are mainly talking from Nigeria, Ngugi wa Thiongo from Kenya and Efua about folktales, (Peek & Yankah, 2004) [16]. In Ghana, folklore Sutherland from Ghana, took it upon themselves to pick up the is an integral and vital aspect of our daily lives. Georges and broken pieces as African cultural leaders in order to revitalize Jones point this out in the following words: and project the African art forms. “folklore’ denotes expressive forms, processes and behaviours Sutherland in her bid to promote African dramatic form that we customarily learn, teach and utilise or display during a premised her thoughts on the

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