The signifying monkey is a character of African-American folklore that derives from the

trickster In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story ( god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...

figure of

Yoruba mythology The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitu ...

, Esu Elegbara. This character was transported with Africans to the Americas under the names of Exu, Echu-Elegua,

Papa Legba Papa Legba is a lwa in Haitian Vodou, Winti and Louisiana Voodoo, who serves as the intermediary between the lwa and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the spirits of Guineé, and is bel ...

, and Papa Le Bas. Esu and his variants all serve as messengers who mediated between the gods and men by means of tricks. The

signifying Signifyin' (sometimes written "signifyin(g)") (vernacular), is a wordplay. It is a practice in African-American culture involving a verbal strategy of indirection that exploits the gap between the denotative and figurative meanings of words. A si ...

monkey is "distinctly Afro-American" but is thought to derive from Yoruban mythology, which depicts Echu-Elegua with a monkey at his side. Numerous songs and narratives concern the signifying monkey and his interactions with his friends, the lion and the

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

. In general, the stories depict the signifying monkey insulting the lion, but claiming that he is only repeating the elephant's words. The lion then confronts the elephant, who in turn physically assaults the lion. The lion later realizes that the monkey has been

signifyin' Signifyin' (sometimes written "signifyin(g)") (vernacular), is a wordplay. It is a practice in African-American culture involving a verbal strategy of indirection that exploits the gap between the denotative and figurative meanings of words. A si ...

and has duped the lion, and as a result the lion angrily returns to castrate the monkey and rendering him unable to reproduce.Myers, D. G. “Signifying Nothing”. ''New Criterion'' 8 (1990): 61.

In popular culture

The signifying monkey appears in the following: * "The Jungle King (You Ain't Done a Doggone Thing)", a 1947 song by Cab Calloway and

Mort Dixon Mort Dixon (March 20, 1892 – March 23, 1956) was an American lyricist. Biography Born in New York City, United States, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published ef ...

(also recorded by Willie Dixon as "Signifying Monkey") * "Straighten Up And Fly Right", a song written by

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

and Irving Mills and one of the first vocal hits for the King Cole Trio * "The Signifying Monkey", a song by

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, released by

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as a 7" single in 1955 * "Jo Jo Gunne", a 1958 song by

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

* "The Signifying Monkey", a song by

Oscar Brown Oscar Brown Jr. (October 10, 1926May 29, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, playwright, poet, civil rights activist, and actor. Aside from his career, Brown ran unsuccessfully for office in both the Illinois state legislature and the U. ...

from the 1960 album ''Sin & Soul... and Then Some'' * "Signifyin' Monkey", performed by Johnny Otis and his band from the 1968 album ''Cold Shot'' * "The Signifying Monkey", a comedy routine by Rudy Ray Moore, from the 1971 album ''This Pussy Belongs To Me'' * "King Monkey Rapp", a 1980 song by King Monkey (Jimmy Thompson). * "Signifying Rapper", a 1988 song by

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* "The Signifying Monkey", a song by

Sam the Sham Domingo "Sam" Samudio (born February 28, 1937, in Dallas, Texas, United States), better known by his stage name Sam the Sham, is a retired American rock and roll singer. Sam the Sham was known for his camp robe and turban and hauling his equipme ...

from the 1993 album ''The Wooly Bully Years'' In the 2003 ''

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'' episode "

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", the vampire

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uses a variation of the phrase to mock Angel for believing he was the subject of a prophecy which might just as easily have referred to Spike: "All these years believing you're the signified monkey, only to find out you're just a big hunk of nobody cares." It was referenced and can also be heard in the 1990 movie ''

House Party A house party is a type of party where people gather at the residence of the party's host. Organization A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, ...

''. The father played by Robin Harris mentioned the character Dolomite to his son Kid. He is disappointed that Kid would rather go to a party than stay home with his dad and watch the show. The dad then starts reciting the Signifying Monkey routine as he walks away. The routine can also be heard as the dad has fallen asleep and Kid sneaks out the door (having been now grounded for an incident at school) to attend the party. In the 1981 George A. Romero film ''

Knightriders ''Knightriders'' is a 1981 American drama film written and directed by George A. Romero and starring Ed Harris, Gary Lahti, Tom Savini, Amy Ingersoll, Patricia Tallman, and Christine Forrest. It was filmed entirely on location in the Pittsbu ...

'', the following is sung at a post-tournament campfire gathering:

References

American folklore African-American cultural history Mythological tricksters Mythological monkeys {{myth-stub