Published in 1924, Jamaica Anansi Stories includes folklore (including animal stories, modern stories and old stories), transcriptions of folk music, and a large collection of riddles, all cross-referenced with folklore studies from other cultures. The trickster Anansi, originally a West African spider-god, lives on in these tales. Anansi is the spirit of rebellion; he is able to overturn the social order; he can marry the Kings' daughter, create wealth out of thin air; baffle the Devil and cheat Death. Even if Anansi loses in one story, you know that he will overcome in the next.