Theorising pornogrammar in the Akan folktale tradition: The trickster’s rhetorical indirection and sexual indiscretion
In the oral and written folktale tradition of the Akan people of Ghana, Kweku Ananse is the archetypal trickster. Simultaneously, he is divinity and mortal, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic, mind and matter, culture hero and comical villain. Though the phenomenon of Ananse has been widely studied, the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Ghana
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Legon Journal of the Humanities |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ljh.v30i1.3 |
| _version_ | 1818039212173164544 |
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| author | J. B. Amissah-Arthur |
| author_facet | J. B. Amissah-Arthur |
| author_sort | J. B. Amissah-Arthur |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the oral and written folktale tradition of the Akan people of Ghana, Kweku Ananse is the archetypal trickster. Simultaneously, he is divinity and mortal, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic, mind and matter, culture hero and comical villain. Though the phenomenon of Ananse has been widely studied, the question of Ananse’s sexually-oriented verbal traps has received very little or no attention. The present essay attempts to contribute towards filling this gap by raising fundamental questions about Ananse’s language. What linguistic stratagem informs the apparent ease with which he appropriates other people’s wives? We find that as the quintessential linguist, Ananse’s mastery of rhetorical indirection is fundamental to his success as a libertine. The essay examines the forms of rhetorical indirection and linguistic stratagem by which Ananse negotiates sex, whether he is taking advantage of a friend’s wife, seducing the king’s daughter or appropriating Nana Nyakopon the Supreme God’s spouse. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:55:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5d8df2406eae463e9b77451332ea1207 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2458-746X 2458-746X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:55:02Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Ghana |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Legon Journal of the Humanities |
| spelling | doaj.art-5d8df2406eae463e9b77451332ea12072022-12-22T01:56:55ZengUniversity of GhanaLegon Journal of the Humanities2458-746X2458-746X2019-12-013015481https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ljh.v30i1.3Theorising pornogrammar in the Akan folktale tradition: The trickster’s rhetorical indirection and sexual indiscretionJ. B. Amissah-Arthur 0Department of English, University of Ghana - LegonIn the oral and written folktale tradition of the Akan people of Ghana, Kweku Ananse is the archetypal trickster. Simultaneously, he is divinity and mortal, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic, mind and matter, culture hero and comical villain. Though the phenomenon of Ananse has been widely studied, the question of Ananse’s sexually-oriented verbal traps has received very little or no attention. The present essay attempts to contribute towards filling this gap by raising fundamental questions about Ananse’s language. What linguistic stratagem informs the apparent ease with which he appropriates other people’s wives? We find that as the quintessential linguist, Ananse’s mastery of rhetorical indirection is fundamental to his success as a libertine. The essay examines the forms of rhetorical indirection and linguistic stratagem by which Ananse negotiates sex, whether he is taking advantage of a friend’s wife, seducing the king’s daughter or appropriating Nana Nyakopon the Supreme God’s spouse.https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ljh.v30i1.3akananansephalluspornogrammartrickster |
| spellingShingle | J. B. Amissah-Arthur Theorising pornogrammar in the Akan folktale tradition: The trickster’s rhetorical indirection and sexual indiscretion Legon Journal of the Humanities akan ananse phallus pornogrammar trickster |
| title | Theorising pornogrammar in the Akan folktale tradition: The trickster’s rhetorical indirection and sexual indiscretion |
| title_full | Theorising pornogrammar in the Akan folktale tradition: The trickster’s rhetorical indirection and sexual indiscretion |
| title_fullStr | Theorising pornogrammar in the Akan folktale tradition: The trickster’s rhetorical indirection and sexual indiscretion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Theorising pornogrammar in the Akan folktale tradition: The trickster’s rhetorical indirection and sexual indiscretion |
| title_short | Theorising pornogrammar in the Akan folktale tradition: The trickster’s rhetorical indirection and sexual indiscretion |
| title_sort | theorising pornogrammar in the akan folktale tradition the trickster s rhetorical indirection and sexual indiscretion |
| topic | akan ananse phallus pornogrammar trickster |
| url | https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ljh.v30i1.3 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jbamissaharthur theorisingpornogrammarintheakanfolktaletraditionthetrickstersrhetoricalindirectionandsexualindiscretion |