Traditional Tales of the Caribbean Virgin Island Storytellers, Dr. Lois Hassell-Habtes and Glen “Kwabena” Davis at 3:00 PM on Sunday, September 17, 2023 at the Charlene Larsen Center for the Performing Arts 588 16th St, Astoria, Oregon. This is sponsored by Peace First Lutheran Church. The event is free and donations will be accepted. There will also be a Storyteller Master Class Saturday, Sept. 16, 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Contact office@peacefirstlutheran.com
“Life lessons as taught by a spider” – Many children of the Virgin Islands or the wider Caribbean have sat spellbound by the legendary tales of Anansi the Spider, a popular folk hero who uses wit and creativity to maneuver himself out of danger. Known as Anansi Stories, these tales were brought to the Caribbean and North America by the Ashanti people of Ghana, West Africa. The stories survived the slave trade and have been handed down through the generations. Anansi is an ‘ancient spiderman’ who is sometimes depicted as a bald-headed man with six arms-who has the transformative powers.
Culture bearer, Glen “Kwabena” Davis was inspired in the ’50s by hearing traditional tales from family members and considers Anansi stories to be “one of our greatest gifts to the new world.” These tales are part of a larger tradition of storytelling, in which listeners are left with inspiration that can be applied to their own lives. Glenn Davis is a native Virgin Islander, born and raised in St. Thomas. He is a graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Virgin Islands.