AFRICAN

MYTHOLOGY
~ The Gods and Spirits of Africa
~
Introduction
African mythology covers a vast area. The African continent includes so
many countries, regions, languages, tribes, cultures and crossovers that the
sheer diversity of prevailing Gods would seem overwhelming if there weren't
a few handy shortcuts.
Traditional African belief is overwhelmingly monotheistic. There may be
spirits and ancestors floating around, but there's only one God. Early
missionaries made a complete pig's ear of their research in this respect and
seem to have delighted in cataloging as many 'heathen' Gods as they could
possibly get away with.
African Creator Gods seem to follow a distinctive pattern they are all
extremely dissatisfied with their creations. There is much shaking of heads,
turning away in sorrow and avoidance of contact. The humans are left to
fend for themselves. Attempts to regain contact with their God by building a
heavenly ladder are the subject of many an unhappy legend. On the whole,
African Gods don't like to be pestered, and humans have to learn to be
content with their lot.
But while God sits in Heaven wringing his hands in despair, the ancestral
spirits are very willing to take an active part in Earthly life. These are mostly
into hunting and other practical subjects - with food, sex and booze as
popular as always.
There is a remarkable innocence about the Gods of Africa. They seem naive
and unworldly, believing the best of everyone and optimistically giving the
benefit of the doubt to all and sundry. No wonder they are rudely
disappointed when it turns out their badly-chosen favorites are up to no
good.

Even communicating with their creation is full of problems. Vital messages of

life and death are entrusted to whichever farmyard animal happens to be
passing, and the resulting garble is likely to have profoundly unforeseen
and usually disastrous consequences...
REGIONS COVERED: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Congo,
East Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kilimanjaro,
Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Savannah,
Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Transvaal, Tunisia, Uganda, Upper
Nile, Upper Zambesi, West Africa, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Many Gods are spread across different regions, cultures and tribes. We've
tried to pin them down to a particular area if possible. But amendments and
corrections are always welcome.
TRIBES, CULTURES AND PEOPLES COVERED: Abalyia, Agni, Akamba, Alur,
Ankore, Asante (Ashanti), Baga, Baila, Bambara, Bantu, Banyarwanda,
Banyoro, Barotse, Basuto, Baule, Baventa, Benin, Botswana Bushmen,
Bushoong, Dagamba, Damara, Dinka, Djaga, Dogon, Efik, Fon, Hausa, Ibo,
Ijaw, Isoko, Kalahari Bushmen, Kalyl, Kaonde, Kavango, Koko, Lele, Lotuko,
Lugbara, Lumba, Luo, Luveda, Makeni, Masai, Mbunda, Mende, Nama,
Ngombe, Nbandi, Nuer, Nupe, Pygmy, Shilluk, Shona, Shongon, Songhai,
Tonga, Tunbuka, Upoto, Xhosa, Yoruba, Zambesi, Zulu. (If you think there's as
many tribes as there are gods, you could be right!)

1. SHANGO
(also known as CHANGO, XANGO)

African Storm God

Nicely syncopated Spirit of Thunder, Drums and Dance

(Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin)

He was long ago elevated to the ORISHAS after a glorious career as

fourth King and warrior hero of the Yoruba (*people of Nigeria and Benin).
Now he bangs the drum for his people and plays rolling rhythms on his storm
clouds. When thunder is heard, you should salute him by crying Cabio Sile
Shango, or words to that effect.
SHANGO leads a full red-blooded life and likes to party. He is in great
demand as a drummer and his dancing talents cause severe outbreaks of
funkiness wherever perpetrated.

His special Feast Day is 4th of December and during this time he has a
piper employed to play all the latest hits. His special number is six, and his
favorite colors are red and white. He likes animals, particularly dogs. He also
favors roosters and turtles, although we think these are more for eating than
companionship. If you invite him to a feast you will need to stock up on
bananas, apples, cornmeal, okra, red wine and rum.
Very much the ladies man, SHANGO does have a relationship with OYA
which can at times get pretty tempestuous. He does not get on well with his
brother OGUN and is not averse to a good punch-up. But on the whole hes a
great God to have on your side as he is loyal, protective and as far as
were concerned extremely groovy.

2. BUMBA
(also known as MBOMBO, MBONGO)

African Creator God

Mighty Creator God of Vomit

(Bushongo people of the Congo)

From the Bushongo in the Congo comes BUMBA, the African Creator
God of Vomit. Yes, vomit.
In the beginning, all was dark. Then out of the darkness came BUMBA,
a giant pale-skinned figure. He was not feeling well. In fact he had not been
feeling well for millions of years. He was lonely, and the unbearable solitude
was making him ill.
Troubled by a ballooning bellyache, he staggered, moaned and vomited
up the Sun. Light burst forth into the Universe and he choked out the
Moon. The stars came next and then, with a tremendous effort, he threw up
the planet Earth. We do live in a very sick world.
This nauseating display was brought to a triumphant conclusion when,
as an encore, he vomited forth nine animals, an assortment of humans, and
a pile of diced carrots.
Exhausted from his labors, he sat and watched as the nine creatures
multiplied. After a while, they had evolved into every living thing on Earth.
Which just shows that Creationism and Evolution are both right.

Apart from a pesky critter named TSETSE-BUMBA, all his creatures

were friendly and respectful. His loneliness abated and finally he was
content.
Then BUMBAs three sons appeared. NYONYE-NGANA, CHONGANDA
and CHEDI-BUMBA added the finishing touches and thus the world was
made. BUMBA spoke kindly to his human creations before ascending to
Heaven, never to be seen again. So far as we know, his stomach has never
troubled him since.

3. ORISHAS
(also known as ORISAS, ORIXAS, ORISA, ORIXA, ORISHA)

African Multi-talented Spirits

Famous Yoruba spirits of almost everything

(Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin)

These are highly important beings of an esteemed nature. ORISHAS are

not quite gods think of them as a spirit cocktail with a slice of saint and a
tiny dash of divinity for flavor.
At the last count there seem to be at least 1,700, from the highly
obscure to the extremely infamous. Some ORISHAS are worshipped as gods
in their own right and they include top names such as BABALU-AYE, ELEGUA,
OBATALA, OCHOSI, OGUN, OYA, SHANGO and YEMAYA.
There was a time when they conducted a power struggle against
OLORUN and tried to persuade him to abdicate for sixteen years. Unwilling to
give up control of the Universe to lesser deities, he offered them a trial
period of sixteen days.
Within eight days the whole Universe had ground to a halt. They
consulted the oracle ORUNMILA who could give no answer. So they had to
eat humble pie, confess they didnt have a clue about running Universes and
ask for pardon.
Being a really great sort of God, OLORUN was nice as pie about it, and
soon returned the world to order. The ORISHAS became his humble but
devoted servants for evermore. If there is a moral to this story we suppose it
is: Sometimes it is more cruel to be kind.
The ORISHAS are now highly thought of and are worshipped in places
as far away as the West Indies.

4. OBATALA
(also known as OBTL, OBATAL, OLUFON, ORISALA, ORISHALA,
ORISHA-NLA, ORISHA-POPO, ORISANLA, OSHANLA)

African Purity God

White Cloth God and drunken creator of the human race

(Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin)

He is a high-ranking spirit among the ORISHAS, but in the old days he

did like a drink or two. Not a good thing when you have a holy mission to
perform.
His father, the supreme sky god OLORUN, gave him the mighty task of
building the Earth. Unfortunately, on his way to perform this important job,
OBATALA accidentally gatecrashed a Godparty and spent the rest of the
evening roaring drunk on palm wine.
Meanwhile, little sibling ODUDUWA spotted an opportunity. Why should
big brother get all the fame and glory? So he stole the holy building
materials and did a little planet-constructing behind his back. As you can see
if you look around you, he did a pretty good job.
Chief architect and supreme deity OLORUN was so pleased with
ODUDUWAs efforts that he promoted him to God of the Earth. The drunken
sop OBATALA was ridiculed, chastised and punished with a tedious
punishment he was put to work making men and women.
If you ever wondered why humans arent quite as perfect as they
should be, heres the answer: our Holy Maker was drunk at the time. Since
that day, every deformity or disability to afflict mankind has been blamed on
his fumbling alcoholic fingers.
OBATALA eventually learned the error of his ways and went very firmly
on the wagon. OLORUN accepted his apologies and gave him dominion over
the mortals hed created. But only the heads. (You may think your head
belongs to you, but it doesnt. It is only on loan. In reality it belongs to an
immortal ex-alcoholic demi-deity from Africa.)
With an amazing transformation he reinvented himself as the Great
White God, a shining figure in resplendent white cloth. Far from encouraging
alcoholic excess and bleary-eyed drunken confusion, he now promotes
purity, clean living and clarity of thought. We just hope those impressive
gleaming robes do not conceal a hip flask.
As top spiritual entity of the ORISHAS with roles covering fertility,
childbirth and fortune, he is now enthusiastically venerated all over the

world, from Africa to Brazil. He has even been remixed by Catholicism, which
is always keen to borrow other peoples gods especially ones so shiny and
white as him.
OBATALAs wife is YEMAYA. What a roller-coaster marriage shes had.

5. ESHU
(also known as ESU)

African Trickster God

Trickster God of Opportunity, Communication and Instant Messaging
(Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin)

The tremendously popular ESHU directs traffic along the Road of Life
from his abode at the Crossroads of Fortune. If youre faced with an
important choice or a powerful opportunity, ESHU can offer advice to help
swing things your way. A super-speedy go-between, he can carry complaints
to the Gods, questions to the spirit world, and messages to any living thing.
With his connections, ESHU can be a powerful ally. But hes also a
Trickster God with a sense of humor and will often throw a spanner in the
works to keep life interesting. This could explain why we dont always get
what we want. Be careful this master of crossroads is also a master of
cross-purposes. The perfect deity for the internet age.

6. ELEGUA
African Trickster God

Trickster God of Crossroads, Beginnings and Opportunities

(Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin)

Hes the guardian of the Crossroads of Life. Whenever there are

decisions to be made, he provides opportunities and second chances. If
youre lucky. As a Trickster God, the childlike ELEGUA can sometimes make
things even more complicated. At a whim he can turn a simple choice into a
vast conundrum of paradox.
Hes also messenger to the higher Gods, particularly OLORUN, and he
does like to be noticed. Hes partial to cigars and rum, but he is very good
with children. His day is Monday so you can start the week well under his
ministrations. His color coding is red and black.

7. OLORUN
(also known as OLRN, OLURUN, OLODUMARE, OLOFI)

African Supreme God

Top Sky God of Peace, Justice and the Yoruba way

(Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin)

Hes the great king of the Universe and the glorious pinnacle of Yoruba
mythology. Like the Christian JEHOVAH he is also a three-in-one trinity god
comprising OLORUN the Lord of Heaven, OLODUMARE, the Ultimate Creator
and OLOFI the Messenger. Excellent value.
In OLODUMARE mode hes surprisingly good at passing the buck. His
wonderful blueprints for planet Earth were amazingly ambitious. But he
prudently decided to delegate the job to someone else. It wouldnt do for the
Master of All to get his hands dirty.
So he summoned his son OBATALA, greatest of the ORISHAS, handed
over the Chicken of Creation and told him to get on with it.
This led to all kinds of embarrassing complications before life as we
know it was achieved. See OBATALAs entry for the whole story.
As supreme deity, OLORUNs fame has spread as far afield as the
Caribbean. But rumors persist that hes secretly leading a secret double life
as windy YANSAN. You cant trust everything you hear. Perhaps we should
ask his trusty messenger ELEGUA.

8. YEMAYA
(also known as YEMANJA, YEMONJA, YEMAYAH, YEMOWO,
YEMOJA, YEMOWO, YEMBO, IAMANJIE)

African Childbirth Goddess

The Mother of Water and Childbirth

(Yoruba, Nigeria)

Her stylish blue and crystal skirts billow in wave-like motions. One of
the ORISHAS, she is a sensuous, slow-moving figure, just like the water she
represents. Very calm and soothing for birthing situations. But she has a
curious aversion to salt so she will float over the ocean but not in it.
YEMAYA is also a Moon Goddess and the number seven has special
significance for her.
We dont like to gossip, but her husband OBATALA has a shady past
he created mankind under less than reputable circumstances. Still, thats all
water under the bridge now.

9. ABASSI
African Creator God
Nigerian Creator God and Lord of the Sky
(Efik people of Nigeria)

On the suggestion of his wife ATAI, ABASSI invented the first humans
and somewhat nervously introduced them into the wild.
As he feared, the first couple quickly discovered sex, and pretty soon
were doing their own creating. This created a terrible over-population
problem, and made ABASSI feel rather insecure. So ATAI gave humanity two
gifts, Argument and Death, to keep the numbers under control.

10. ANANSI
(also known as ANANSE, AUNT-NANCY)

African Trickster God

Famous Spider Trickster God

(West Africa)

As well as being sneaky, tricky, sly and crafty, hes also a Creator God
who made the sun and moon and hit upon the novel idea of day and night.
Legends and tales abound.
ANANSI is very popular with the natives. In fact hes affectionately
known as Aunt Nancy. Hes also one of WULBARIs cohorts, apparently.

11. OYA
(also known as OY, OYA-IYANSAN)

African Multi-talented Goddess

Fantastic Goddess of Practically Everything
(Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin)

She is the multi-tasking deity of the River Niger, but she is far more
than just a river goddess. One of the most impressive ORISHAS, her
corporate portfolio includes a range of essential public services such as
weather, funerals and lung disease. She is also an expert marketing
professional. Hence this free publicity.
As you might imagine, she has a very colorful personality, favoring
rainbow hues plus black and burgundy. After a hard days work she likes a
drop of red wine. Particularly on her special day, Wednesday. And she
deserves it; one of her specialist duties is looking after mucous membranes
and bronchial passages. You would never think it to look at her.
OYA is not averse to a bit of strong-arm stuff and has had a few
conflicts with SHANGO her consort and YEMAYA. She also keeps in touch
with the dead and is a good ancestor guide.
All this and she has found time to be the mother of nine and keep them
away from the glare of publicity. Nine tributary rivers, that is.
We are utterly impressed. They dont make goddesses like this any
more.

12. BABALU-AYE
(also known as BABALUAYE, OBALUAYE)

African Healer God

Hard-working deity of healing

(Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin)

One of the ORISHAS, he will do his best against infections and

epidemics, especially the nasty infestations created by his spirit cousin
SHAKPANA.
Unfortunately, like most doctors, BABALU-AYE is overworked and
understaffed. You can help by making a donation: offerings of white wine and
popcorn will not be turned away. Please give generously to this worthy cause.

Sources tell us BABALU-AYE walks on crutches or possibly just carries

them around. He also has two dogs. To sniff out infection? His favorite colors
are brown, black and purple the hues of bruising.
We regret to report that at the moment BABALU-AYEs most pressing
problem is AIDS, which he is constantly being asked to cure. We just hope his
medical scientists are working on it.