African Mythology

A vast and geographically varied continent, Africa is home to a great many cultures and to a thousand
or more languages. Although no single set of myths and legends unites this diverse population,
different culture groups and regions share some common elements.
Like myths from other parts of the world, those of the African peoples reflect beliefs and values. But
while the mythologies of many cultures are carefully preserved relics of ancient times, African myths
and legends are still a meaningful part of everyday life. Some African myths deal with universal
themes, such as the origin of the world and the fate of the individual after death. Yet many spring
from the continent's own settings, conditions, and history.

Islamreligion based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad; religious faith of Muslims

Roots of African Myths and Legends

The Sahara runs from east to west across the widest part of Africa, a vast desert dividing the
continent into two main regions. North Africa consists of the Mediterranean coast from Morocco to
Egypt and includes the valley of the Nile River as far south as Ethiopia. With strong ties to the
Mediterranean and Arab worlds, North Africans felt the influence of Christianity by theA.D. 300S,and in
the 700s, much of the area came under the influence ofIslam.
South of the Sahara is the region inhabited by black Africans. Before the modern era, they had
relatively little contact with the rest of the world. Islam entered Africa south of the Sahara very slowly,
compared with its sweep across North Africa, and Christian missionaries were not very active there
until the 1800s. Since then, the spread of Islam and Christianity has weakened
theindigenousreligions, myths, and legends of sub-Saharan Africa. However, the traditional beliefs
have not disappeared. In some places, they have blended with new religions from other cultures, so
that an African Muslim might combine Islam with the traditional practice of ancestor worship.
Myths and legends developed over thousands of years in Africa south of the Sahara. Among the
influences on their development were the mass migrations that took place from time to time. About
7,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Hottentot and the Bushmenbegan moving from the Sahara
toward southern Africa. Five thousand years later, people who spoke Bantu languages began
spreading out from Cameroon, on Africa's west coast, until they eventually inhabited much of sub-
Saharan Africa. Such migrations caused myths and legends to spread from group to group and led to
a mixing of myths and legends. The migrations also gave rise to new stories about events in the
history of those peoples. For instance, as Bantu groups settled in new homelands, they developed
legends to explain the origins of their ruling families and the structure of their societies.
The peoples of Africa did not use written language until modern times. Instead, they possessed rich and
complex oral traditions, passing myths, legends, and history from generation to generation in spoken form. In
some cultures, professional storytellers—called griots—preserved the oral tradition. Written accounts of
African mythology began to appear in the early 1800s, and present-day scholars labor to record the
continent's myths and legends before they are lost to time and cultural change.

Main Gods and Spirits

African mythologies include supernatural beings who influence human life. Some of these beings are
powerfuldeities.Others are lesser spirits, such as the spirits of ancestors.

Deities.Most African traditional religions have multiple gods, often grouped together in family
relationships. Nearly every culture recognizes a supreme god, an all-powerful creator who is usually
associated with the sky. Various West African peoples refer to the highest god as Amma or Olorun,
while some East Africans use the name Mulungu. Africans who have adopted Christianity or Islam
sometimes identify the supreme deity of those faiths with the supreme deity of traditional African
religion and mythology
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This wooden headrest from Zaire portrays twins, which had a special significance in African mythology. They were thought to
represent the balance between opposing forces that existed in the natural world.

indigenousnative to a certain place

In most African religions, the supreme god is a distant being no longer involved in day-to-day human
life. People rarely call on this
 African Deities

Deity People and Region Role

Ala Ibo, Nigeria mother goddess, ruler of the underworld, goddess of fertility

Amma Dogon, Mali supreme god

Cagn Bushmen, Southwestern Africa creator god

Eshu Yoruba, Nigeria trickster and messenger god

Katonda Buganda, East Africa creator god, father of the gods, king and judge of the universe

Kibuka Buganda, East Africa war god

Leza Bantu, Central and South Africa creator and sky god

Mujaji Lovedu, South Africa rain goddess

Nyame Ashanti and Akan, Ghana creator god associated with the sun and moon

Ogun Yoruba, West Africa god of war and iron

Olorun Yoruba, West Africa sky god and supreme deity

deity. Instead, they address lesser gods, many of whom have distinct functions. The Yoruba people of
Nigeria, for example, worship a storm god, Shango, who controls thunder and lightning.
The number of gods and goddesses varies from culture to culture. The Buganda of east central Africa
have one of the largestpantheons,with 20 or more deities. Many peoples regard the earth, sun, and
moon as gods. In the Congo River region, the most densely wooded part of Africa, the forest itself is a
deity—or else a mysterious otherworld where spirits dwell.

Spirits.African mythology is filled with spirits, invisible beings with powers for good or evil. Spirits are
less grand, less powerful, and less like humans than the gods, who often have weaknesses and
emotions. Many spirits are associated with physical features such as mountains, rivers, wells, trees,
and springs. Nations, peoples, and even small communities may honor local spirits unknown outside
their borders.
deitygod or goddess
pantheonall the gods of a particular culture
All humans, animals, and plants have spirits, as do elements such as water and fire. Some spirits are
helpful, others harmful. People may worship spirits and may also try to control them through magical
means, usually with the aid of a skilled practitioner—sometimes called the medicine man or woman or
the witch doctor—who leadsrituals.People thought to have evil spirits are considered dangerous
witches.

Ancestors.Many Africans believe that human spirits exist after death. According to some groups,
these spirits dwell underground in a world much like that of the living—but upside down. The spirits
sleep during the day and come out at night. Other groups place the realm of the dead in the sky. The
Bushmen of southern Africa say that the dead become stars.
Many African groups believe that the spirits of dead ancestors remain near their living descendants to
help and protect them—as long as these relatives perform certain ceremonies and pay them due
respect. Believing that the spirits of chieftains and other important characters offer strong protection,
the Zulu hold special ceremonies to bring them into the community. In some cultures, it is said that
the soul of a dead grandfather, father, or uncle can be reborn in a new baby boy. Another common
belief is that dead souls, particularly those of old men, may return as snakes, which many Africans
regard with respect.
Ancestorcultsplay a leading role in the mythologies of some peoples, especially in East and South
Africa. The honored dead—whether of the immediate family, the larger clan or kinship group, the
community, or the entire culture—become objects of worship and subjects of tales and legends. An
example occurs among the Songhai, who live along the Niger River. They honor Zoa, a wise and
protective ancestor who long ago made his son chieftain.
Many groups trace their origins, or the origins of all humans, to first ancestors. The Buganda say that
the first ancestor was Kintu, who came from the land of the gods and married Nambe, daughter of the
king of heaven. The Dinkas of the Sudan speak of Garang and Abuk, the first man and woman, whom
God created as tiny clay figures in a pot.

Rulers and Heroes.Ancestral kings and heroes may be transformed into minor deities for
communities or entire nations. The line between legend and history is often blurred. Some mythic
ancestors began as real-life personages whose deeds were exaggerated over time, while others are
purely fictional. The Yoruba storm god Shango, for example, may originally have been a mighty
warrior king.
The Shilluk, who live along the Nile in the Sudan, trace their ancestry to Nyikang, their first king. Later
kings were thought to have been Nyikang reborn into new bodies, and the well-being of the nation
depended on their health and vigor. The first king of the Zulu was supposed to have been a son of the
supreme god. Many African peoples traditionally regarded their rulers as divine or semidivine.
ritualceremony that follows a set pattern
cultgroup bound together by devotion to a particular person, belief, or god
Other legends involve culture heroes who performed great feats or embodied important values. The
Soninke people of Ghana in West Africa have anepicsong cycle calledDausi.In part of it,Gassire's
Lute,a hero must choose between his own desires and his duty to society.
The Mandingo people built a large empire in Mali. Their griots recited tales of kings and
heroes.Sunjata,a story of magic, warfare, kingship, and fate, is known over large portions of West
Africa.

Main Types of Myths and Legends

The myths of people living along the Nile and on the fringes of the Sahara, as well as the Bantu
around the Niger and Congo Rivers, are generally concerned more with the origins of social
institutions such as clans and kingships than with cosmic themes such as the creation of the world. In
contrast, the non-Bantu groups of the Niger River area, especially the Dogon, Yoruba, and Bambara,
have complex and lengthycosmologies.Fables, folklore, and legends abouttrickstersand animals
are found in nearly all African cultures.

How Things Came To Be.Many myths explain how the world came into existence. The Dogon say
that twin pairs of creator spirits or gods called Nummo hatched from a cosmic egg. Other groups also
speak of the universe beginning with an egg. People in both southern and northern Africa believe that
the world was formed from the body of an enormous snake, sometimes said to span the sky as a
rainbow.
The Fon people of Benintell of Gu, the oldest son of the creator twins Mawu (moon) and Lisa (sun).
Gu came to earth in the form of an iron sword and then became a blacksmith. His task was to prepare
the world for people. He taught humans how to make tools, which in turn enabled them to grow food
and build shelters. The San people (Bushmen) of the south say that creation was the work of a spirit
named Dxui, who was alternately a man and many other things, such as a flower, a bird, or a lizard.
Myths from across Africa tell how death came into the world. The supreme god meant for humans to
beimmortal,but through an unlucky mistake, they received death instead of eternal life. Some stories
relate that the god told a cautious chameleon to carry the news of eternal life to earth, but a faster
lizard with news of death arrived first. The Mende people of Sierra Leone say that a toad with the
message "Death has come" overtakes a dog with the message "Life has come" because the dog
stops to eat along the way.

Gods and Tricksters Cross the Sea

Between the 1500s and the 1800s, many thousands of Africans were brought to the Americas as
slaves. Their myths and legends helped shape the black cultures that developed in the Caribbean
islands and the United States. The Caribbean religion known as vodun or voodoo, for example,
involves the worship of the vodu, West African gods. Enslaved blacks also told traditional stories
about the spider Anansi and the trickster hare. Anansi came to be called Anancy, and the har became
Brer (Brother) Rabbit, the character who appears in the Uncle Remus animal fables that were
collected by Joel Chandler Harrisin the late 1800s.
epiclong poem about legendary or historical heroes, written in a grand style
cosmologyset of ideas about the origin, history, and structure of the universetrickstermischievous
figure appearing in various forms in the folktales and mythology of many different peoples
immortalable to live forever
Other myths explain that death came into the world because people or animals angered the gods.
The Nuer people of the Sudan blame death on a hyena who cut the rope that connected heaven and
earth. Their neighbors the Dinkas say that a greedy woman, not satisfied with the grain the high god
gave her, planted more grain. She hit the god in the eye with her hoe, and he cut the connecting rope.
A tale told by the Luyia people relates that a chameleon cursed people with death because a man
broke the laws of hospitality by refusing to share his food with the chameleon.
Twins.Many African peoples regard twins as special, almost sacred, beings. Twins represent the
duality—the tension or balance between paired or opposing forces—that is basic to life. Some
groups, such as the non-Bantu peoples of the Niger and Congo regions, believe that twins of opposite
sexes are symbols of this duality.
Twins appear in many African myths and legends. In some stories, they are brother and sister who
unite in marriage; in others, they seem to be two sides of a single being. The supreme god of the Fon
people of West Africa is Mawu-Lisa, usually described as brother and sister twins who became the
parents of all the other gods, also born as twins.

Tricksters and Animal Fables.Many African myths feature a trickster. The trickster may be a god,
an animal, or a human being. His pranks and mischief cause trouble among gods, among humans, or
between gods and humans.
West Africans tell many tales of a wandering trickster spirit known as Eshu among the Yoruba and as
Legba among the Fon. This trickster is associated with change and with quarrels; in some accounts,
he is the messenger between the world and the supreme god.
Animal tricksters are often small, helpless creatures who manage to outwit bigger and fiercer animals.
Anansi, the spider trickster of the Ashanti people, is known throughout West and Central Africa.
Tortoises and hares also appear as tricksters. In one such tale, the hare tricks a hippopotamus and
an elephant into clearing a field for him.
Other stories about animals show them helping humans. The San Bushmen say that a sacred praying
mantis gave them words and fire, and the Bambara people of Mali say that an antelope taught them
agriculture. A popular form of entertainment is the animal fable, a story about talking animals with
human characteristics. Many fables offer imaginative explanations of features of the natural world,
such as why bats hang with their heads downward or why leopards have spots.
See alsoAla;Amma;Anansi;Animals in Mythology;Brer Rabbit;Cagn;Eshu;Ile-
Ife;Katonda;Kibuka;Lebe;Leza;Mujaji;Mulungu;Mwindo;Nummo;
;Ogun;Olorun;Sunjata;Tricksters.
 Also read article about African Mythologyfrom Wikipedia

User Contributions:
1
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"South of the Sahara is the region inhabited by black Africans".

This is a misleading statement. Ancient Africa (including North Africa) was "black" all over. It wasn't
until the invasions of the Romans, Persians and Arabs that the demographics changed. Those white-
skinned people portrayed in movies as North Africans were not there in large enough numbers in
ancient times for you to imply that North Africa was a land inhabited by non-black peoples. By ancient
I mean 6,000 years+ in the past. Since you are writing about African mythology, you would do well to
not base the "Roots of African Myths and Legends" on sociopolitical situations that are relatively
recent given the massive scope of African history.

2
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put the history of some villages and their local grovernment

3
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It is misinformation spread like this which is why the world is so messed up today. History and what is
what always seems to be narrated by European descended people that clearly have no overstanding
of what African culture actually is and where it comes from. It would be more relevent if when writing
about African "Mythology" Europeans , non black people made it clear that their article/writinigs are
coming from the perspective of a EUROPEAN/NON AFRICAN. As an african this article nonsense.
"The peoples of Africa did not use written language until modern times." ???
This is utter nonsense , we had written language since before Europeans were even in Existence .

4
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Hi. Do you know of a spirit by the name of Zoonta Shaka Shaka Shaka?
Thanks

5
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@ Estee Culbreth:

There have been black people in North Africa for an immensely long time. And some of the genes
present in North Africa did arrive with the Romans, the Vandals, the Greeks, the Arabs.

But the fundamental characteristics of the contemporary North African populations are ancient. Some
of their genes have come from black Africa, and some from the Mediterranean, but they have been
mixed together for an immensely long time - long before any of the "white" peoples you mentioned set
foot in North Africa. The Uan Muhuggiag mummyand the Tassil-n-Ajjer rock paintings are two pieces
of evidence pointing to the ancient origins of these populations.

Their modern descendants are known as Berbers, Tuaregs, Copts. Some of them (Egyptians for
example) identify as Arabs. But geneticallythey're the same North African people.

They're the people who built ancient Egypt, and the Garamantes cities. They're the people who
developed the Tifinagh script and hieroglyphics (from which our alphabet and many other descend).
They're not black, and they're not white. But they are African, and they have been for a very long
time.

@O. Wow. I did not realise that any humans had written language 36 000 years ago. Because that's
when modern humans first arrived in Europe. Even assuming it took those first African-descended
populations a while to become "European", whites have been around a long time. You might want to
rethink what you said.
Yes, I do know about the writing systems you are referring to. They were used almost exclusively by
izangoma (amagqirha or whatever the local name for a traditional healer/shamanis). They were not
used to record myths, history, public records, letters, poetry or the like.

But hey. Europeans were illiterate till they adapted a Middle Eastern writing system about 3000 years
ago, and that can be traced back to (African) hieroglyphics.

Read more: http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/A-Am/African-Mythology.html#ixzz5X5H7rCFv

10 African Myths And

Legends
HESTIE BARNARD GERBER JULY 18, 2013

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Africa is the second-largest continent in the world. Among its one billion inhabitants, more
than 1,000 languages are spoken, and there is a massive variety of ethnic religions. In
most African cultures, history and beliefs have been explained and passed on through oral
traditions and storytelling. Many narratives deal with common concepts such as life after
death or the birth of the universe, but they also include belief in magic, ancestor spirits,
celestial beings, and an assortment of unusual legends that pertain to its animals.

Far from being seen as relics from the past, these stories still form an integral part of
many Africans’ daily lives and are a testimony to their principles and beliefs.
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10Huveane
In many African stories, Huveane is the first man, while in others he is portrayed as a
conniving deity. For the Basotho and Bavenda peoples of Lesotho, South Africa, he is
their creator. After the creation of the earth and the heavens, Huveane wanted to enjoy
some peace and quiet while proudly admiring his handiwork. Unfortunately, that was
about the same time that humans taught themselves about the birds and the bees. This
was great for them, but all the noise was too loud for Huveane. In an unusual fashion,
Huveane ascended into the heavens by driving pegs into it and climbing to the top. As he
climbed he removed each peg so that no human would ever follow him.

9Kaang
The Bushmen, also called the Khoi or San, are the nomads of Africa. In the last few
decades, many have become farmers due to the dangers that our modern life poses to
their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle, but their territory once stretched from the Cape to
Kenya. The Bushmen are experts at finding water, and their advice is often sought out due
to their precognitive dreams and divining capabilities.

According to their beliefs, the supreme god Kaang created the world but sent death and
destruction after experiencing too much disobedience and antagonism. Even though he
lives in the sky, his invisible spirit still resides in all living things. In one story Kaang’s wife
gave birth to an eland (African antelope). The god nurtured the calf but it was mistakenly
killed by his two sons. Kaang demanded that the eland’s blood be boiled. The subsequent
fatty residue was scattered across the landscape, in turn becoming other antelope and
animals. In this manner, Kaang provided the meat that his people hunt, kill, and eat to this
day.

8Adu Ogyinae
According to Akan mythology, all humans lived deep within the earth. One day, seven
men, five women, a leopard, and a dog crawled out of a hole made by a massive worm.
Looking around them, the astonished people became terrified, but Adu Ogyinae—the first
man on the surface—seemed to understand the world and its wonders. He calmed them
and gave them strength by laying his hands on them. Adu Ogyinae also took charge and
grouped the people into work teams. He coordinated the building of their first shelters until
a tree he was chopping down fell on and killed him.

7The Biloko
The Biloko are diabolical dwarf-like entities believed to roam the nethermost regions of the
rainforest in central Zaire. According to the legends, these beings are restless ancestor
spirits who still harbor resentment toward the living. They zealously guard the forest and
its living creatures from the hollow trees in which they hide. Women lose consciousness at
the sight of them and only the most daring hunters enter these forests and survive. Apart
from their hideous appearance—no hair, long sharp claws, and sharp-toothed mouths that
can open wide enough to swallow a human being whole—they also have a tendency to
bewitch and eat all those who come under their spell.

6The Zambezi River God

The legendary Zambezi River God, or Nyaminyami, is a dragon-like creature believed to
command all life in and on the mighty Zambezi River, the fourth-largest river system on
the continent. According to one fable, the Kariba Dam project (started in 1956) shattered
the peaceful existence of the Batonga people who had lived in the Zambezi Valley for
hundreds of years. Asked to relocate, the Batonga were certain that Nyaminyami wouldn’t
allow the dam to be built. Barely a year after the project began, a severe flood struck,
killing several workers and destroying the partially built dam. For three days, relatives
waited in vain for human remains to be recovered. Finally, the elders of the tribe explained
that only a sacrifice would appease Nyaminyami’s displeasure. At this, a calf was
slaughtered and placed in the water. The next day, the bodies of the workers were found
in its place. The dam was finished in 1977.

5The Hippopotamus
This remarkable African mammal is usually featured as a goddess in African legends.
Worshiped in ancient Egypt as Tawaret, the goddess of fertility and childbirth, she was
essentially regarded as a protective and caring deity.

In Mozambique, the Ronga people tell the legend of a mother who left her child with
Mother Hippo for safekeeping as the child’s life was threatened by an envious rival. Every
night, Mother Hippo would emerge with the child so that it could suckle from its mother.

On the other hand, male hippopotami are usually seen as shape-shifting beasts.
According to the legend of the hero Fara Maka, one such beast ate all the crops in the
fields. The hero threw all his spears and sent black hounds against it, but the monster
continued eating and could only be subdued and killed after a spell was placed on it by the
hero’s wife.

4Kalunga
In an Angolan folktale, death is explained like this: heartbroken after the death of his
favorite wife Muhungu, Chief Kitamba ordered his people not to speak or eat until she
could be brought back to life. The headmen of the tribe asked a medicine man to fetch the
queen from Kalunga (the world of the dead). The medicine man ordered all the people of
the village to wash themselves with infused herbs and shortly afterwards, descended into
the land of the dead with his son.

Following a road, the man soon encountered the queen. She showed him Kalunga-
ngombe, the lord of the underworld, and explained that he devours everyone in the end.
She also pointed to a shadowy figure in chains—the spirit of Chief Kitamba, who was
destined to die soon. Giving him a funerary bracelet as proof of his encounter, the queen
sent the medicine man back, telling him that no one who entered Kalunga could ever
leave and that he shouldn’t eat any of the food or speak of Kitamba’s impending death.
Otherwise, he and his son would both be forced to stay in the underworld. When he
returned, he presented the chief with the bracelet, and the chief confirmed that it was
indeed that of Muhungu.

3Anansi
The exploits of Anansi, West Africa’s great trickster-god, are described in hundreds of
folktales. Usually in the form of a spider, his stories mainly deal with his attempts at fooling
humans into stealing or doing something immoral that would benefit him in some way.
These attempts normally fail miserably, teaching the listeners various life lessons. One
tale tells of his attempt to hoard the entire world’s wisdom into a pot for himself. When he
succeeded, he attempted to hide the pot at the top of a tree where nobody could find it. He
tied the pot in front of him and tried to climb the tree, but progress was slow as he kept
sliding and losing his grip. His son, who had followed him, finally asked him why he didn’t
tie the pot to his back so that he could climb more easily. As he realized his son’s
ingenuity, the pot slipped and fell to the ground. The wisdom fell out and a sudden
rainstorm washed it into the river and from there to the waters of the ocean, so that
everyone in the world now owns a little bit of it.

2The Magic Of The Lovedu Rain Queens

To the Lovedu people of Mpumalanga, South Africa, the Rain Queen is a fundamental
part of their culture and history. Called Mudjadji, the queen is said to be a living
incarnation of the rain goddess. As she is the embodiment of rain, even her state of mind
is said to influence the weather. The Mudjadji is also believed to be able to send storms to
destroy the Lovedu’s enemies or gentle rain to nurture their friends. Every year, the Rain
Queen’s powers are displayed at the Ga-Modjadji settlement during the rainmaking
ceremony. The queens are all expected to commit suicide by poison at the age of 60. On
that day, all of the queen’s rainmaking ingredients, prized objects, and incantations kept
secret throughout her reign are passed on to her successor.

1The Mysterious Queen Of Sheba

We know of the Queen of Sheba from various sources, including the Bible and the Qur’an.
Whether she was a queen regent or a queen consort, we do not know. Her full name isn’t
ever mentioned, but most scholars believe her kingdom may have been in the region of
Ethiopia. The royal family of Ethiopia claims to be direct descendants of the child born to
the queen and King Solomon. In their legends, the queen is named Makeda.

According to the Kebra Negast, the story goes that the king invited Makeda to a
ceremonial feast where spicy food was deliberately served. Because she was staying the
night, the queen asked Solomon to swear he wouldn’t force himself on her. He said he
wouldn’t take anything from her if she didn’t take anything from him. Unfortunately, she got
thirsty during the night, woke up, and reached for some water that was placed close to her
bed. The king appeared, reminding her of her promise, as water was the most esteemed
of all earthly possessions. The queen took the water and drank it, so setting the king free
of his promise.