Story: New Names
Book: Jamaica Anansi Stories
Author(s): Martha Warren Beckwith
Storyteller: Samuel Christie (St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica)
Published: 1924
Internet Archive link.

Notes: I have removed the eye-dialect while leaving the story in Jamaican English, along with editing for punctuation and paragraphing. Beckwith notes that this is a type of “fatal name” story, but in this case the mothers must use (i.e. guess) the new name, rather than guessing the secret true name as in other folktales of this type.

Anansi, His Friends, and Their New Names

There was four friends; one was Anansi, name of the other was Tiger, name of the other Tacoomah, name of the other Parrot. So they go for a journey, and Anansi bargain with them that the four must change their name and when they come home, each one must go to their mother house and if their mother call them the old name they must eat their mother. So the new name: Anansi name was Che-che-bun-da, Parrot new name was Green-corn-ero, Tiger name was Yellow-prissenda, Tacoomah name was Tacoomah-vengeance — the four new name. Any mother call them the old name, they must eat the mother.

So they come to Tacoomah house first. Anansi say Tacoomah name Tacoomah-vengeance. The mother didn’t understand the new name, so she say, “Look, me child Tacoomah come!” And kill Tacoomah mother and eat him.

Second, them go to Tiger mother. Anansi say Tiger name Yellow-prissenda. The mother didn’t understand the new name, so she say, “Look, me child Tiger come!” So they fall upon Tiger mother, eat her.

So that night Anansi cry to excuse the night and go over to his mother house and say, “Mother, if you call me Anansi, they will kill you! But the name Che-che-bun-da.”

The next night they come to Parrot house. Anansi say Parrot name Green-corn-ero. She say, “Look, me child Parrot come!” Eat Parrot mother the same.

At night, again Anansi cry excuse and go to his mother, say, “Mother, last night what me tell you say me name?”

The mother say, “Me child, you no name Anansi?”

Anansi say, “Ma, coming here tomorrow night and if you call me so they kill you! You must call me Che-che-bun-da!” Ask his mother again, “What me tell you say your child name?”

She say, “Anansi?”

Anansi say, “No, mother! They kill you! Me name Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da!” Keep tell the name over and over that the mother no forget.

So the night now Anansi turn come and they come along singing,
Anansi name-a Che-che-bun-da,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda,
Parrot name a Green-corn-ero,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda,
Tiger name a Yellow-prissenda,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda,
Tacoomah name Tacoomah-vengeance,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda.

And as Anansi mother see Anansi coming and the rest, say, “Look me child, Che-che-bun-da!” Call the new name, so her life save, and didn’t eat Anansi mother.

Anansi make the bargain to feast on the others and save his mother!

Parrot at Public Domain Pictures https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=204783&picture=parrot-portrait