By Frank Ulom
Anansa is a very fearful but beautiful goddess of the sea. And it’s believed that it’s only fortified cameras that can capture her monuments where she’s lay in the Bayside of Calabar South. Anansa is considered the spouse of many.
Anansa is by far the most popular of all the deities of the Efik people. Anansa situated at the Enwang spring head, known as Idim Enwang, Anantigha is located at the other side of the town, in a thicket initially called Iyonde but now called Anantigha Beach.
Pictorial representation of Anansa
The Anansa deity is said to be the goddess of the sea and the goddess of beauty. Anansa can be said to possess young girls, and when she possesses a girl, she dreams a whole lot about the water and the famous Ekombi dance, which is a dance attributed to Anansa.
The Ekombi dance movements are derived from the motions of the oceans. It’s believed that by mere dancing of Ekombi, you are invoking the spirit of Anansa. Dance of peace and happiness. The possessed girl will automatically know how to dance Ekombi ideally.
The statue of Anansa, Marina Resort, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
Because of Anansa’s beauty, the possessed would be stunning and would attract men, even when she is not dressed seductively. Anansa is a very fearful deity, that when rejected, she can be dreadfully insane but very humble when she is accepted.
It was also said that the NNS victory, the Nigerian Naval base currently situated at the back of the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar was formerly known as NNS Anansa. She was a very territorial mermaid, causing so many uproars for the Nigerian Navy and sinking ships.
The statue of Anansa, Marina Resort, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
The Navy had to appease her so that she could allow them to take control of the water’s borders, so they named their base NNS Anansa and performed sacrifices and rites to appease her.
It was believed that years after Christianity settled in, she was chased to the high seas never to return, and that gave the Navy the courage to change the name to NNS victory, believing that they have conquered her. Even though she was being chased to the high seas.
It is believed that she will come back because she had conscripted many young women who have continued her teachings and paving waves for her homecoming. She crosses the road at a particular day and at a particular time. When she crosses, rain falls but doesn’t touch the ground.
The statue of Anansa, Marina Resort, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
Anansa is said to have possessed a stone, an egg-stone, to whom requests are made during Anansa rituals. Anansa procession birthed the famous Carnival Calabar. The procession began in the morning, heralded by the royal talking drum and the Efik drum, called Ekperikpe.
After several traditional processions followed up – the Carnival was started by the Efik people, even though Anansa worshipping was abandoned when Christianity came. This was the procession before the invention of Carnival Calabar by Donald Duke in 2004.
