The Marriage of Anansewa, a reworking of Ghanaian folk-theatre presented through story-telling, brings into limelight the story of Anansewa, a beautiful Akan girl, whose father, Kwaku Ananse, intends to give her away to different suitors for his personal gain. Set in Ananse’s house, the four-act play begins with Ananse who writes letters to his daughter’s suitors. These letters are addressed to Chief Sapaase, Chief Akata (Togbe Klu IV), Chief of the Mines and Chief-who-is-chief. The content of Chief-who-is-chief’s letter is emotionally charged, owing to the numerous gifts that he has offered. Shortly after the writing scene, the actions are intercepted by a short musical interlude, performed for Akwesi’s and Akousa’s marriage. The message of the musical performance reinforces the Akan’s custom that a man must offer many gifts to the bride’s family before marriage. The play proceeds with village women bringing gifts from different suitors to Ananse. Ananse receives three of them with equal showering of praises. However, he praises Chief-who-is-chief more and insists that he adds his gifts because he is a better suitor. Chief-who-is-chief sends his gifts and Ananse sells them and uses the money to build a new house, buy expensive clothes and live a luxurious life. 

Anansewa’s outdooring feast to pass her from girlhood to womanhood arrives but her mother is unhappy about the delay. During the ceremony, Miss Christiana Yamoah is asked to dress Anansewa while Anansewa’s age mates sing a ritual initiation song. Later, the occasion is interrupted by telegrams from suitors expressing their joy about their Anansewa’s initiation ceremony. Ananse feels uneasy with the messages because all her suitors want to pay his daughter’s head-drink* at the same moment. To avoid any clash, Ananse induces his daughter to feign death. He explains that the pretence will bring more income as suitors will obviously come with condolence gifts. Upon hatching his plans, different suitors start sending messages of condolence and gifts, expressing their shock at Anansewa’s death. Interestingly, Ananse shows much concern about Chief-who-is-chief’s message, which affirms his wish to take full responsibility over Anansewa’s burial. When the other three suitors leave in dismay, Ananse pretentiously invokes the spirit of the gods to restore his daughter to marry Chief-who-is-chief. The play ends with songs sung to the gods, while Anansewa wakes up.

* Introductory part of a bride price.

The Marriage of Anansewa represents the Akan myth of Ananse, an ageless cunning and tricky mythic hero who vacillates between animal and man. In the play, Ananse is unappreciative and cunning in his exchanges and negotiations with the different suitors. 

The scene where Ananse encourages her daughter to feign death, to trick her numerous suitors, may appear immoral at first sight, especially to a non-African reader. However, this is part of the trickster culture of the African/Ghanaian society, where in the realm of folklore, and literature, and even in real life, a character/person has to survive the odds. Kwaku Ananse is probably a poor man, but he has a beautiful daughter, Anansewa, whom he sees as a source of income. Payment of a dowry (bride price) is an important source of income for those who have female children in most traditional African societies. Kwaku Ananse figures out a trick: how to get money from his daughter’s suitors. It may sound odd to a Western reader, but it is current practice in Africa. On the other hand, the story should be seen as a test of intelligence on the part of the many suitors. In a situation of bargain (i.e. many suitors are interested in one girl), one must exercise caution and wisdom, otherwise they lose.

Addo, Anita Adorkor, Ananse as a Folkloric Character in New Ghanaian Drama, Diss. University of Ghana, 2013.

Eliot, Alexander, The Universal Myths: Heroes, Gods, Tricksters, and Others, Plume, 1990.

Gibbs, James, “What Is Married in The Marriage of Anansewa and Who Performed the Wedding Ceremony?” in  Nkyin-Kyin: essays on the Ghanaian theatre, Amsterdam; New York: Rodopi, 2009, 127–142.

Mireku-Gyimah, Patricia Beatrice, “The Marriage of Anansewa as a Criticism of Ghanaian Society”, European Journal of Social Sciences 4 (2014): 487–497.