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Mythology

African traditions

Africa is a vast continent, with thousands of peoples and languages: there is no single “African mythology”. Here we tell of a few traditions, starting with the Yoruba tradition of Nigeria and Benin, with its orishas, which is a living religion in Brazil and Cuba as well. Then come the stories of Anansi the spider from Ghana, the epic of Sundiata from Mali and the water spirits. Many of these stories were passed down by word of mouth for centuries, by storytellers such as the griots.

A living religious tradition: its deities are described with respect, as revered figures. How we tell myths.

Who they were, where, and how we know

Africa is an enormous continent, with more than a thousand languages and very many peoples: there is no single «African mythology», but many different traditions. Here we meet some of them, for example those of the Yoruba of Nigeria, the Dogon of Mali, the Ashanti of Ghana.

Many of these stories have been passed on by voice by special people, such as the griots of West Africa, who keep the memory of the community. So often there is no ancient text, but various versions collected and written down mostly in the last two centuries. The epic of Sundiata, founder of the empire of Mali (13th century), is one of the great examples.

There are gods such as Olodumare, the Yoruba creator, and the orishas Obatala, Ogun, Shango and Oshun; spirits such as the Nommo of the Dogon; and the clever spider Anansi, who in Ashanti tales beats the strongest with cunning. Some of these faiths are alive today.

The cards

OlodumareIle-Ife, Nigeria · supreme being not scary at allShangoOyo, Nigeria · orisha of thunder a little scaryYemojathe Ogun River and the sea · orisha of the waters not scary at allOshunOsogbo, Nigeria · orisha of fresh water not scary at allOgunIre, Nigeria · orisha of iron a little scaryEshuthe crossroads · orisha of the crossroads a little scaryAnansi the SpiderGhana · clever spider not scary at allMami Watathe coasts of West and Central Africa · water spirit a little scarySundiataMali · legendary king not scary at allThe GrootslangRichtersveld, South Africa · cave monster scaryObatalaIle-Ife, Nigeria · orisha who shapes humans not scary at allMokele-mbembethe Likouala swamps, Congo · creature of the Congo swamps a little scaryThe Queen of ShebaAksum, Ethiopia · legendary queen not scary at allThe NommoBandiagara Escarpment, Mali · ancestors of the water not scary at allKibukaBuganda, Uganda · warrior spirit of the Baganda a little scaryKintu and NambiBuganda, Uganda · the first man of the Baganda a little scary

Who comes from whom

Tap a name: its parents and children light up. Names with a medallion open their card (with a finger: tap them twice).

Olodumare
YemojaOgunEshuShangoOshun

Places of the myths

Ile-Ife
the city in Nigeria where, in the Yoruba tradition, the world began.
Osogbo
the sacred forest of Oshun, along the river, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Niani
the land of Sundiata, the heart of the ancient Mali Empire.
The Richtersveld
the mountains of South Africa where people tell of the Grootslang.

Main sources

GreekRomanNorseEgyptianCelticMesopotamianHinduJapaneseChineseAztec and MayaPolynesianAboriginalSlavic

Ciro Simone Irmici

Who's behind this

Ciro Simone Irmici

I build websites, apps and games. I built the Atlas with artificial intelligence and I check every card and every source myself. I am not a scholar of mythology: I tell these legends with respect and always say where they come from. If you know a legend from your town, write to me.

More of my work: free audiobooks on YouTube · ebooks on Gumroad · Apple Books · music on Spotify and YouTube Music

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