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Mythology Worlds
AFRICA
Cradle of Humankind
Keep In Mind
there are over a thousand different ethnic groups in Africa, each with its own traditional belief system and set of stories.
There is no "African mythology" any more than there is an "Asian mythology" or a "European mythology".
Despite centuries of colonization by Arabs, Europeans, and freed slaves from the U.S.A., Africa's mythical legacy lives on.
Modern Africa is divided between the predominantly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south, and both are heavily syncretized with native myths and belief systems.
Africa is not Wakanda
I'm looking at you, today's generation!
(which apparently comes in all ages now)
The Supreme God of Africa
Amma
Dogon, Mali
Wele
Abaluiya, Kenya
Kagn
Khoi-San, Kalahari region
Khonvoum
Mbuti foragers, Congo forest
Mbombo
Kuba, D.R. Congo
Nyame
Ashanti, Ghana
Zanahary
Malagasy, Madagascar
Unkulunkulu
Zulu and Xhosa, South Africa
Juok
Shilluk, South Sudan
Imana
Nyarwanda, Rwanda
Ngai
Masai and Kikuyu, East Africa
Waaq
Cushitic peoples, Horn of Africa
Mawu-Lisa
Fon (Dahomey), Benin
Leza
Various nations of Southern Africa
African Creation Stories
Mwuetsi then makes another attempt to "have fun" with Morongo, but he gets bitten by a venomous snake.
As Mwuetsi starts dying, all life starts dying.
His human children then strangle him and bury him into the ground.
The Kongo Universe
(D.R. Congo)
The Supreme God Leaves Humankind
Gods of the Yoruba
Nigeria, Benin, Togo
Heroes and Monarchs
African Trickster Tales
This next story contains content from Anansi, who has blocked it in your kingdom on copyright grounds.
Animal Stories
African Mythical Creatures
The Final Chapter
Origin of Death
When West Africans were taken away to America as slaves (after having been captured in raids by other Africans to be sold to Europeans), they brought their mythic traditions with them to Brazil, the Caribbean, and the U.S. of A.
The enslaved Africans in Brazil and the Caribbean created new religious movements such as Haitian Vodou, Cuban Santeria, Jamaican Obeah, and
Brazilian Candomble.
These Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Caribbean traditions can be viewed on the webpage about Latin American and Caribbean folklore.
The enslaved Africans in the U.S. of A. created the tales of Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Bear, Br'er Fox, and other characters.
These were compiled by the storyteller Joel Chandler Harris in his Uncle Remus compilations.
The Br'er stories can be found on the U.S. American folklore webpage.
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