Among the Lakota Native Americans, Trickster is Iktomi, which means spider. Iktomi is the worst part of us: stupid, untrustworthy, with no respect for language, lazy and greedy. Iktomi is a shapeshifter. He can change into human form. When something goes wrong in a village, Iktomi is often blamed. Iktomi stories are unique in that there are no authentic versions of the tales. The only rule in telling an Iktomi story is that they always include certain themes. They are told as braggard tales, and have involved in the modern day into rap. Iktomi tales are sometimes told in circles, with the next person adding to the prior person's tale. Each tries to outdo the other. In one Iktomi tale, retold by Paul Goble, a magician teaches Iktomi how to toss his eyes up into a tree so he can see far away. The magician warns Iktomi he can only toss his eyes three times a day, or his eyes won't return to him. Of course, Iktomi loses track of how many times he tossed his eyes, and counts the first toss as a practice toss. As a result, he loses his eyes, and they are left up in a tree for a bird to eat. Buffalo and Squirrel take pity on him and each give him one of their eyes, and he returns home with one large eye, one small. He, of course, blames it on the other guy since he never is responsibe for anything that happens to him. (Goble)
Anansi, the spider, trickster tales derive from the Asante people of Ghana and were brought by African slaves to the Caribbean and parts of the U.S. The spider trickster is also known in Africa as Ananse, Asante, Ashante, and Ashanti. These tales developed into Brer Rabbit stories and were written down in the 19th century in the American South. Anansi is the trickster hero of the Ashanti and related Akan peoples. He is also a culture hero and, frequently, a buffoon. Sometimes he is seen sympathetically, even as wise. He is more often characterized as predatory, greedy, cunning, gluttonous and without scruples. Although he may be admired for his frequent victories over those who are larger and stronger than him, Anansi does not usually gain moral approval. He can be shrewd, yet he is often stupid or an unwitting clown.
In an Ashanti pourquoi tale, Ananse gave the people the moon. Ananse fell in a hole and each of his sons works together to get him out, and saves him from subsequent scrapes with other animals. When returning home, he finds a large globe of light in his nest. He plans on giving it to one of his six sons who saved him from a recent misfortune, but they argue about which one should have it. He calls on Nyame, the God of All Things, and he takes it up into the sky where we can all see it every night.(McDermott)
Ananse is credited with giving people wisdom, although his goal was to take it away from them.
The Sky God called Ananse up for a chat, and Ananse announced to him, "Without a doubt, of all the animals you created, there I none as wise as I." Sky God quietly asked Ananse to collect all wisdom for him. Sky God then promised he would name Ananse, Sage of All Time. Ananse traveled the length of the Earth and gathered all the wisdom in a big pot. As he carried the big pot up to the Sky God, others asked to help. Crowds gathered as he climbed the tall coconut tree that grew beyond the clouds right to the heavens. The crowd let out a cheer, and Ananse raised all his arms in a victory wave. He fell back to earth and the pot broke in a million pieces. As he lay sobbing, Sky God whispered, "I gave you eight arms, Ananse. If you really had ALL wisdom, you would not have waved them all." (Badoe)