African Mythology

- Sorcery- Animal Myths- Death

Doctor

As in “witch doctor”• Means someone who is skilled in any

art or knowledge.• Herbalist, storyteller, dancer, or witch

A famous “doctor”

Mulengo• Foretold that “ there will come people

who are white and shining like locust.” to destroy our land.

• The European arrival in Africa

Animal Myths

The origin on many animal fables in America.• Slaves brought them over from Africa

and adapted them to teach their children lessons.

Gods and Goddess

Nyame- Sky God Sangu- Goddess of the underworld

• meadow• Hippopotamus

Half- Human animals

Born to both animals and humans• Lion-women

• Very attractive, but may eat their husband

• Lion-men• become great rulers

Tricksters/ Foils

Water antelope Jackal

Lion Elephant Hyena

Death- Ganda

Nambi, the supreme god’s daughter, married a mortal. She went back to the heavens to get grain to feed her chicken and was overtaken by her brother, Walube. Walube, Death, decided to accompanied her to earth. The gods gave the mullet to the earthly couple. The woman, Abuk, was too greedy and accidentally hit the god with her hoe. Walube sent a bird to cut the rope of life linking heaven and earth.

Death

Death

Early death is caused by evil spells.

Death is not the end life, but the end of the use of a body.

Family ties are important• leave food and drinks for deceased

ancestors

The Underworld

Aje the goddess of the underworld• will move the land if not given good

gifts from ancestors if the deceased.

"Back when the world was young, all the stories in the world belonged to Nyamé, the sky god. They lived in a golden box beside his royal stool.

 Now, Anansi, the spider man, wanted the golden box of stories, so he spun a web up to heaven and entered Nyamé's court.

 "Oh Nyamé, Nyamé," said Anansi, and bowed low. "I have come to ask for

your stories. What is your price?" "A-kyee, kyee, kyee," laughed the sky god. "My price, Anansi? "You must bring me Osébo, the leopard of the terrible teeth; Mbolo, the

hornets who sting like fire and Mwatiya, the fairy who men have never seen.

 "Very well, Nyamé," said Anansi, bowing his head. "I am ready to pay your price."

 The sky god laughed aloud. "How can you, Anansi - so small, so small, so small - pay my price?" For every man who had tried to pay his price had been eaten by Osébo,

stung to death by Mbolo and turned into a frog by Mwatiya. Anansi did not reply, only bowed low and returned to earth. He pulled down a thick creeper vine from a stout tree and went in search of

Osébo, the leopard of the terrible teeth. "Aha, Anansi!" said Osébo, baring his teeth. "You are just in time to be my

lunch!" "As for that, whatever happens will happen," said Anansi, quietly. 'But, first,

Osébo, perhaps we can play the binding, binding game." Osébo was very fond of games.

 "The binding, binding game?" He said excitedly. "Quick, how do you play it?" "I will bind you up with this vine," said Anansi, "and then, I will untie you and you can

tie me up." "Okay," said Osébo, planning to eat Anansi as soon as his turn came to do the binding. So, Anansi took his vine and tied Osébo by his foot, by his foot, by his foot, by his foot

and hoisted him up into a tree. "Now, Osébo," said Anansi, dancing around the tree, "you are ready to meet the sky

god. Then, Anansi took a frond from a banana tree and filled an empty calabash with water.

He crept up to the nest of Mbolo, the hornets who sting like fire. He poured some of the water onto the banana leaf and emptied the rest over the

Mbolo's nest. "It is raining, raining, raining!" called Anansi to the Mbolo. "Will you not fly into my

calabash so the rain does not tatter your wings?" "Thank you, thank you," hummed the Mbolo, and flew into the calabash. When the last hornet entered, Anansi stuffed the opening fast - kaff! "Now, Mbolo," said Anansi, "you are ready to meet the sky god." Next, Anansi took some wood from the gum tree and carved a small gum baby. He

tied one end of a long string round the gum baby's neck and then covered it with sticky latex glue.

 He placed the gum baby under the flamboyant tree where fairies love to dance, and put a bowl of pounded yams beside it.

 Then, Anansi took the loose end of the string in his hand, and hid among some bushes.  

At last, along came Mwatiya, dancing, dancing. She stopped when she saw the gum baby and the bowl of pounded yams.

She loved yams."Gum baby, may I have some of your yams?" she asked.Anansi, from the bushes, pulled the string and made the gum baby nod.Mwatiya took the bowl and ate up all of the pounded yams."Thank you, gum baby," she said, licking her lips.The gum baby said nothing.Mwatiya became irritated, for she was an ill-tempered fairy."Do you not speak to me when I thank you?" she demanded.The gum baby was still."If you do not speak to me, gum baby, I'll slap your crying place!" she

shouted. (The "crying place" is the cheek.)Still, the gum baby was silent.Pow! Mwatiya slapped the gum baby hard in the face, then found her hand

wouldn't come away!"Let me go, or I'll slap you again!" she bellowed. Pow! She slapped the gum baby with her other hand, and it also stuck fast.

She pushed against it with her foot, then with her other foot, until she was completely stuck to the gum baby.

 Then, Anansi came out of the bushes and stood over the angry fairy. "Now, Mwatiya, you are ready to meet the sky god." Anansi spun a web around Osébo, Mbolo and Mwatiya, then spun a

web up to heaven, and took them to the court of Nyamé. "Oh, Nyamé, Nyamé," said Anansi, and bowed low. "See, I have

brought your price: Osébo, the leopard of the terrible teeth; Mbolo, the hornets who sting like fire; Mwatiya, the fairy who men never see."

 "Anansi, the spider man, has paid my price for my stories," Nyamé announced to his assembly of elders. "Sing his praises."

 The assembly of elders obeyed. "Let the golden box of stories be given to him," he proclaimed, "and,

from now on, let these stories be called "spider stories". Anansi bowed low and took the golden box of stories down to his

village. There, he opened the box, and every kind of story, of every shape

and size and colour, flew out of the box and to every part of the world.

 And that is how this story came to be."

Quiz

1. Name one God or Goddess from Africa.

2. Name one Trickster animal.3. Who is Mulengo?4. What is early death caused by?5. Why do people leave gifts when a

relative dies.