African Creation Myths

Key terms: AgadzagadzaAmmaDogon peopleFon or Dahomey peoplegift-givingKaikuziKintuMuguluNambiOgo oral storytellingPemba testing the herotrickster figureWarumbeYo

A Dogon Door

Delete:Gift-givingOgoYoOral storytelling

Add:Marcel GriauleOgotemmeliNana Boluku

Subsaharan AfricaMali

Amma (Dogon) Pemba (Bambara)

Benin (Dahomey)Nana Boluku (Fon)

UgandaKintuMugulu /Mukulu

NigeriaAgadzagadza (Bura)

For more African deities, see:http://fullmoon_deities.tripod.com/african.html

Dogon of Mali

Conversations with Ogotemmeli

An account of the complex metaphysical beliefs and cosmology of the Dogon people of the upper Volta region. French anthropologist Griaule spent 16 years with his African hosts before they revealed their philosophy to him in these "conversations," originally published in 1948 as "Dieu d'Eau."

Amma

Egg-shaped creation god

Amma Creates the World

pottery analogy for creation of sun and moon and earth

Amma has intercourse with earth

Birth of two sets of twins

Twins are taught speech as function of organization

The earth is clothed with plants which are its speech.

Amma’s struggle with Ogo, one of her creations

Ogo becomes Yuguru, the Pale Fox

Bambara of Mali

Bambara Creation

Yo gives birth to Faro, Pemba, and Teliko.

Faro creates seven heavens

Pemba creates the earth

Teliko creates aquatic twins who parent fishermen.

These fishermen are the ancestors of the human race.

Fon or Dahomey of Benin

Androgynous deity Nana Boluku

Begins creation of the universe

Completed by twinsDaughter Mawu (the moon)and Son Lisa (the sun)

Ganda of Uganda

Kintu the first man

Legendary King becomes Creator

Meets Nambi and her sisterDaughters of Mugulu, the sky godBrother Warumbe

Kintu brings domestic animals (cow)

The Testing of Kintu

The Testing of Kintu

1st Test: Survive without his cow

2nd Test: Eat an enormous meal

3rd Test: Make fire from stones

4th Test: Fetch a bucket of dew

5th Test: Find his Cow in a herd

Nambi and WarumbeWarumbe

Son of Mugulu

Steals (kills) son of Kintu and Nambi

Aetiology of DISEASE and DEATH

Contest with brother Kaikuzi (The Digger)

Note human weakness as cause of death

Nambi

Daughter of Mugulu

Becomes wife of Kintu

Bura of Nigeria

Agadzagadza

Aetiology of death

Lizard as Trickster

Contest with Worm

Human nature as lazy

African Creation Myths

Key terms: AgadzagadzaAmmaDogon peopleFon or Dahomey peoplegift-givingKaikuziKintuMuguluNambiOgo oral storytellingPemba testing the herotrickster figureWarumbeYo

A Dogon Door