The folk beast is an archaic terror, and that is at least a part of its continuing power and of its continuing appeal.

The River Mumma is a fierce protectress and mother, a beautiful woman but also something other, frightening, perhaps to some, even monstrous. We see these aspects of the female in other figures from legend and lore like Medusa, Babalon and more. Like I often say, folk stories always contain hints of truths at their core, like the single speck of grit at the centre of a pearl.

The Anansi stories hold a special place in my heart, what with my family, or at least the paternal side, hailing from the Caribbean. But there’s another important aspect to not only the Anansi stories, but most folk stories, generally speaking of course. Many of them come from the common people. These stories are born from the shared struggle against the harshness of life.