African Mythology Part 2

Agwe Mother of the sea. She is affectionate and nurturing to humans who honor her

Aha Njouk This popular goddess is worshipped by the Ibo people of Nigeria. She is responsible for yams, a central ingredient in the Ibo diet, and the women who care for them.



Aigamuxa Man-eating monsters from Khoikhoi (Hottentot) mythology. They are occasionally encountered among the dunes. They have their eyes set on their instep, so that when they want to see what is going on, they have to get down on hands and knees, and hold up one foot.

Aja This forest goddess is honored by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. She teaches her faithful the use of medicinal herbs found in the African forests

Ajok

The god of the Lotuko, a Sudanese people. It was believed that he was benevolent, but only if men chose to keep him so. Family strife was seen to be the cue for death to enter the family, and indeed a story is told of a Lotuko mother who implored Ajok to restore her dead child to life. The god obliged, but the woman's husband was angry, and berated his wife, killing the child. Ajok, annoyed, declared that never again would he raise a Lotuko, and that from this on, death would be permanent for his people.



Amadlozi The ancestors of the Zulus. Humans can invoke the help of the spirit world by calling upon these ancestors.

Anansasem Literally, spider stories. It is a generic title of a class of folktales told by the Akan-speaking people of the old Gold Coast, so called whether the spider takes part in the story or not. These stories are told for group entertainment and are definitevely distinguished from the myths. They are also known as "words of a sky god", Nyankomsem.

Anansi The Ashanti trickster/culture hero, also called 'the Spider'. He is the intermediary of the sky god Nyame, his father, on whose command Anansi brings rain to quench the forest fires and determines the borders of oceans and rivers during floods. Later Anansi's place as representative was usurped by the chameleon. His mother is Asase Ya. Anansi is sometimes regarded as the creator of the sun and the moon and the stars, as well as the one who instituted the succession of day and night. It is also believed that he created the first man, into which Nyame breathed life. A typical trickster, he is crafty, sly, villainous, but he also taught mankind how to sow grain and how to use the shovel on the fields. He set himself up as the first king of the human beings and even managed to marry Nyame's daughter. He was beaten only in his encounter with the wax girl, to whom he stuck fast, having struck her with his legs when she refused to talk to him. The people then rushed forwards and beat the tricky Anansi.

Anansi is one of the most popular characters in West African mythology.

Arebati The sky and moon god of the pygmies of Zaire. Arebati, who is addressed as afa, "Father", created the first human from clay. He covered the clay with a skin, and poured blood into it, thus bringing it to life.



Asa The god of the Akamba people of Kenya. He is 'the strong lord', above the spirits, but also a merciful one. As god of consolation and sustenance, he intervenes when human help is slow or ineffective. He is supposed to have said, "It is I who made the people; whom I love, he will thrive; and whom I refuse, he will die." Asa is also known as Mwatuangi, "distributor", Mulungu, "creator", and Mumbi, "fashioner".

Buku A West-African god of the sky.

Bumba The supreme god and creator of the Boshongo, a people in Zaire. In the beginning there was only darkness and water, and Bumba, racked with stomach pain, vomited up first the sun, than the moon, the earth, and all living creatures, the last of whom was mankind.



Cghene The supreme god and creator of the Isoko of southern Nigeria. Cghene is considered remote to human affairs and is therefore little worshipped, having no temples or priests

Chiuta 'Great bow in the heaves'. The supreme god of the Tumbuka in Malawi, he is a powerful god, self-created and omniscient. He is also the rain god of the Tumbuka.

Chuku The supreme deity of the Ibo (the Calabar district, eastern Nigeria), Chuku is the creator, and the Ibo believe that all good comes from him. He is the creator and brings the rains that makes the plants grow. Certain trees are dedicated to him, and in bushes and under trees sacrifices are made to him. His wife is Ala, who is also given as his daughter. The sun is his symbol. Once he sent a dog messenger to men, advising them that, should anyone die, they should be lain on the ground and strewn with ashes, after which they would return to life. The dog, however, was tired and delayed, so Chuku sent a sheep with the same message. It too got delayed, stopping to eat on the way, and on arriving had forgotten the wording of the message it had brought. Guessing, the sheep told men that they should bury a corpse in the earth. When the dog arrived later with the correct message, it was not believed, and so death was established on the Earth.

Cogaz One of the two sons of Kaang, the creator deity of the Bushmen of Africa.

Deng The creator and sky god, as well as a god of rain and fertility, among the Dinka people in Africa. He is the son of the goddess Abuk.

Domfe The god of water, rain and wind of the Kurumba people in Africa. He gave the first food-bearing seeds to humans.

Dongo The god of thunder of the Songhai (upper Niger river).



Dziva Dziva is the generally benevolent creatrix coddess of the Shona people of Zimbabwe --but there is also an awful aspect to her nature.





Source Tales from Africa

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