Anansi Weavery Home Page

Teresa O'Neill, 2005

What's In A Name?

Many people have inquired about the origin of the name Anansi. Most directly, Anansi refers to the Ashanti trickster/culture hero, also called 'the Spider'. Transported to the West Indies, Anansi became known as "Aunt Nancy".

The Spider Women in many cultures represents the weaver of the web of fate.

The name is also related to the Greek goddess Ananke, translated "necessity". The union of Ananke (Necessity) and the cosmic Serpent Khronos (Time-without-Age) brought forth the Three Fates - Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos - who spun, determines the length and then cut the threads of life.

In Hindu mythology, Vishnu sleeps on a great serpent whose name is Ananta, which means "Endless." The serpent floats on the universal ocean, called the Milky Ocean.

Quality Hand-weaving
The Anansi Weavery specializes in quality hand-woven tapestries , rugs and wall-hangings. Weavings are among the most ancient of decorative arts, yet they remain completely contemporary and cost-effective in today's interior design. They can add a comfort and warmth of colour to your surroundings that lasts through the years. Woolen rugs woven at the Weavery over twenty years ago are still in use today and likely to be in use for many more years to come. Made of all natural products, weavings appeal to the environmentally conscious consumer. Since tapestries and rugs of any intricacy must be hand-made, variation and uniqueness add to their charm. All of the weaving is done by Teresa O'Neill, a weaver of over twenty years experience. Ms. O'Neill trained at the Scottish College of Textiles in Galashiels and was an apprentice for three years at the Weaver's Shed and Kilmainham Cloth Mill in Dublin Ireland. A long-time resident of Alert Bay, British Columbia, a small island off the northern end of Vancouver Island, Ms. O'Neill is now living in Victoria, BC.
Current Projects
Click on image to enlarge	Work is close to finished for a tapestry based on a flower that grew profusely outside of the Weavery in Alert Bay, British Columbia. The cheery yellow and orange flowers brightened many a rainy day. When finished the weaving will be approximately 34" x 36".
In the designing stage is a weaving called "Fire, Women and Dangerous Things". Based on the title of a book on linguistics, the weaving will incorporate these three intriguing elements. "Labyrinth of Reason" is another great title/weaving that is open to a variety of interpretations.	Click on image to enlarge

Weaving Links