Anansi the spider is the trickster folk hero West African slaves transported to the New World. He symbolizes key aspects of Afro-Caribbean culture and is celebrated as a vital link with the African past. Anansi is both a god, spirit and an African folktale character that often takes the shape of a spider and is considered to be the spirit of all knowledge of stories. He is also one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore from time immemorial, respected and beloved around the world. According to Martha Warren Beckwith, The Anansi tales originate from the Ashanti people of present-day Ghana. The word Anansi is Akan and means "spider". They later spread to other Akan groups and then to the West Indies and to the entire world.