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Not part of Riordanverse
The following article/section is from the Tristan Strong continuity under Rick Riordan Presents and not the Riordanverse canon. |
“ | Stories are easy to carry. Don't weigh nothing, don't cost nothing. Just a little bit of space up here. Bit by bit, piece by piece, folks carried a little bit of home with them when they moved. And then throw someone like you into the mix. [...] Yessir! An Anansesem. You collect stories, right? It ain't just about gods and goddesses and everyone in the binary! Naw, you pulling stories of families, of sisters and brothers and cousins, ant taking them with you, too. | ” |
–Keelboat Annie to Tristan about being an Anansesem in Tristan Strong Destoys the World. |
Keelboat Annie (or Annie Christmas) is an African American Goddess who operates a keelboat that transports people and cargo on her keelboat.
History[]
The legendary story tells of Annie toting precious cargo and people on her keelboat, with Old Man River battering her as she hauls.[1] Originally the two loved each other's souls so much. Annie ran a keelboat up and down all day, she was the only worker on her boat, and she took passengers downstream and carried cargo upstream.
There have been many tales of Keelboat Annie, but one was where Old Man River couldn’t hold her back. One day, she was moving a whole lot of barrels, crates, bushels, and bundles, along with families from New Orleans. Suddenly, her keel pole snapped on her boot, resulting in an even wilder ride in the river. Not wanting to lose money, she tied a rope around her waist and pulled the boat herself. She swam and waded her way through Old Man River and despite his best efforts, she made it into town without losing a passenger nor any piece of cargo.
In Series[]
Keelboat Annie would travel along with Mami Wata and Lady Night under the leadership of Nana Strong. The four women would go around collecting stories from all over the continent.
When the Maafa and the iron monsters attacked MidPass, she searched the riversides for those in need and felt John Henry’s approach was too cowardly.
Tristan Strong Trilogy[]
Tristan Strong Destroys the World[]
Keelboat Annie and Ayanna are working together to help rebuild Alke. As Tristan Strong goes to Alke to save his grandmother, he tells her story to summon her. When she arrives to find him in the river, she greets him. When she sees Anansi, she gives him a stern lecture and tells Tristan about the importance of an Anansesem. Soon after a skull appears on the side of the boat. As Tristan starts to freak out, she and the others reassure him that the Talking Skulls are harmless. As they head to the Golden Crescent, she tells the others how she first met the skulls. As they arrive, she declines to meet with Nyame due to feeling he helped out with the iron monsters to late. Tristan leaves Anansi with her as they meet the sky god. After a while she put Anansi in a locker and argues with the river. When the others return, she lets Ayanna sail the keelboat. However Tristan goes overboard and she stays behind as the others go after him.
Later, she is summoned to the remains of Lady Night's Juke Joint and joyously hugs Lady Night and Mami Water. However Brer Bear's storm hits the coast as the realize the rogue god has arrived. As they fly to the Golden Crescent, she, Tristan, Lady Night, and Mami Wata imbues a quilt with stories in order to fight Brer Bear. She takes the SBP from Tristan after he tells Anansi his plan. She, Ayanna, Gum Baby, and Lady Night watch as Mami Wata and Tristan remove Bear's armor and mask, however the storm doesn't stop. She uses her keelboat as an umbrella to shield herself and the others from the storm. As everyone gets on her boat, she helps them escape to Tristan’s world, much to her shock, and helps imbue a quilt with the stories of Alke with the other gods. They make it to Tristan's world, but some of the Alkeans are separated. She takes refuge in the keelboat along with John Henry, Nyame, Lady Night, Mami Wata, Brer Bear, and Brer Rabbit. Two day later, they discover that Uncle Cotton is still around and has freed more haints. As they relay this information to Tristan, he tells them that the SBP can locate the missing Alkeans and shows them pictures of Ayanna, Junior, and Gum Baby.
Tristan Strong Keeps Punching[]
She and the other gods search for Cotton to no success. After Tristan, Ayanna, and Thandiwe return from a failed rescue mission with a limp Gum Baby, the gods examin Gum Baby and discover the doll was drained of magic. She, Mami Wata, and Nyame call Tristan in and they scald Tristan for leaving and confine him to his quarters until they reach Chicago. Tristan says he had to stop Cotton, but the gods say they have been searching for the haint with no success. As they consul Tristan over High John, the boy says that gods cannot die as long as their stories are told and vows, as an anansesem, to tell them. Keelboat Annie hugs him and saying something about him being an anansesem, but the River Queen comes to an abrupt holt near St. Louis as Ayanna tells them to come outside. They head to the bow to see half a dozen ships occupied by redliners, who demand they handover Tristan quickly as they need to move. The gods stand in front of the boy as he sneaks away.
After Tristan goes missing in action, the other gods arrive and Tristan makes contact. He tells them he found Junior, but that King Cotton has his bracelet. The gods panic Ayanna asks Tristan for a location, he reports that they are heading to Chicago. She jams her keel pole into the wheels of the Redliner's train to stop it, throwing about twenty out of the train.
She and the other gods join John Henry on the shore of Lake Michigan as Cotton almost over powers the steel driving man and box Cotton in, however Tristan realizes it is a trap, but warns the gods to late as Patty Roller leads hundreds of breakers into battle against the gods. She and the other gods put up a good fight but soon grow tired. However Tristan takes out the living plantation giving King Cotton his power, as well as the haint himself. After the battle, she and the others congratulate Tristan as he exits the ruble that was Old Angola. After the sky god buys a tour bus, she and the other gods decides to take the others gods on a tour of the United States to search for more Alkeans.
Appearance[]
Keelboat Annie is a large woman the size of John Henry with dark skin and hair tied back in a ponytail.
Personality[]
Keelboat Annie is a figure of great strength of character. She has a strong sense of what is right when her people are under attack.
Abilities[]
- Superhuman Strength: Keelboat Annie is one of the strongest gods in MidPass, and the strongest person living on her side of Old Man River. She could fight currents with nothing but her pole.
Trivia[]
- Annie has been described as a female counterpart to John Henry.[2]
References[]
Tristan Strong Trilogy | |
Books: | Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky | Tristan Strong Destroys the World | Tristan Strong Keeps Punching |
Main Characters: | Tristan Strong | Ayanna | Gum Baby | Anansi |
Secondary Characters: | Thandiwe | King Cotton | John Henry | Eddie Garvey | Maafa | Chestnutt | Nana Strong | Junior | Patty Roller | Granny Z |
Minor Characters: | Alvin Strong | Jessica Strong | Walter Strong | Fezile | Netta | Old Familiar | Mr. Richardson | Reggie Janson | DJ Kulture | Big Big | Terence Strong | Memphis Jones | Harold | Darla |
African American Gods: | Brer Rabbit | Brer Fox | Brer Bear | Sarah | Rose | High John | Tarrypin | Sis Crow | Keelboat Annie | Mami Wata | Lady Night |
West African Gods: | Anansi | Nyame |
Creatures: | Haint | Fetterling | Hullbeast | Brand Fly | Leopard Statue | Python Statue | Abiyoyo | Mmoatia | Plat-eye | River Spirit | Talking Skull | Boo Hag | Coffle | Twennymiles | Breakers |
Related Content: | Kwame Mbalia | Rick Riordan Presents | The Gum Baby Files |