West+African+Pantheons

=**West African Pantheon**= Submitted by: Kaitlyn Kellner



Africa is an enormous continent. It has greatly varied climates and landscapes making travel and communication between people difficult. With those challenges many different cultures developed independently from one another with different customs, laws, languages, beliefs and myths. Most cultures in western Africa ran early on without a written language. To keep their myths and beliefs alive, the job was passed to griots. These men were oral historians who's role was to be a storyteller and entertainer to keep the beliefs alive. At ceremonies they played music, danced, sang, and chanted to tell the myths. The main tribes of west Africa are the Mende, Ashanti, Dogon, Yoruba, Igbo, and the Fon. These tribes have many different beliefs, stories, and gods that are tied directly to their culture. But many common themes run throughout west African mythology and many gods and customs are present in both under diffrent names just like Greek and Roman mythology.

Most African people believe in a supreme creator of all things. There are many languages so this creator has hundreds of names. The Yourba call him Olorun, the Dogon refer to him as Amma, and the Fon name is Mawa. They are all kind, all-powerful, all-knowing spirit. They live in heaven and give life and care for the earth and it's creatures. There are differences to relating to the different cultures. Sometimes the god is in human from while other times, it is spirit or ghost like. Lesser gods are also a part of these mythologies. These lesser gods are considered more accessible to humans and many temples are constructed in their honor.

Another common theme of west African mythology is twins. Many cultures believe that their supreme creators were twin spirits while others believe that the creator made the world in sets. The Dogon believe Amma crated the world. He made the sun and moon from from clay and them used another chunk to create the divine twins or life forces of the world such as, water and light. The Fon use tins as their creater as the duo pair of Mawa and Lisa. (1)



Tricksters are another common theme. The may be human, animal, or both. Eshu is the the popular Yoruba trickster. He causes all the arguments of human beings. He is involved in all changes and decide the role of chance in a human's life. Animals speak in African mythology and in trickster myths, the hero is usually a small animal. (2)

**Gods of the Yoruba Tribe**
Eshu- The trickster god who also serves as a messenger. He speaks all languages, brings messages from the gods, and performs human sacrifices to the gods. He stirs up trouble and fights while playing tricks on people. He is known to the Fon as Legba. (4) He tells the future from a string of cowrie shells he always wears. He is extremely unpredictable and violent. Only Olodumare can control him. (2)

Oduduwa- The mother of all Yourba, primeval, and either the wife or sister of Obatala. Sometimes portrayed as a male god who is a warrior and the first Yoruban king. He finished creating the world after Obatala got drunk and fell asleep. Ogun and Shago are two of her children. (4)

Ogun- The god of iron and warfare. He cut away the thorn bushes with his machete upon the gods arival to earth causing him to be called upon by men in situations to remove difficulties. He is a smith but protects hunters, goldsmiths, barbers, and truck drivers. He is the god of justice and all oaths are sworn on a lump of iron. (3) He is the eldest son of Oduduwa. (2)

Olodumare- The supreme god of the Yoruba. In the beginning, only the sea and sky existed and he created the 7 crown princes, who became the kings of Yoruba, and the earth. He has a messenger who is a chameleon. His leadership was challenged by Olokun who tried to trump him with beautiful robes but he shrunk away defeated as Olodumare matched them all. (2)

Orunmila- The god of divination (the art of learning about the future by magic). He was sent to earth by Olodumare to teach the people civilized arts and medicine. He knows all languages in the world and is an oracle. (2) He once lived on earth but was insulted and returned to heaven. They asked for him to come back but he instead he gave them 6 ikin (palm nuts). (4) His messages are now interpreted by patterns made by the ikin when thrown by priests. (2) He is Olurun's advisor and translates Olurun's messages to his followers. (4)

Osanyin- The god of herbs and plants used in medicine and ceremonies. He works closely with Orunmila who is consulted in illness and bad luck. (2)

Oshossi- The god of hunters. He is a very important god who protects the hunters of the tribe and makes sure they return home with plenty. Hunters spend much time in the forest and know all the good medicine and land so are very important to the tribe's well being. Hunters also keep the peace with their weapons. (2)

Shango- A divine Yoruba king who killed foes and foiled his subjects by disappearing to the forest. He then ascended to heaven is worshiped as the god of thunder and lightning. he breathes fire and wields a magic thunderbolt. He is dipicted with a double ax on his head, the symbol of thunder. (4) He is warlike, aggressive, and a magician. (3) He is the son of Oranyan. Shango despises liars and thieves and when angry strikes people with lightning. (2)



Yemanja- A river goddess. Her name means 'the mother whose children are fishes.' She is the daughter of Olokun and the wife of Orunmila and then Olofin. She has ten children all with different men. (2)

Obatala- The son of Olurun who gave him a snail shell full of earth and a chicken an dsent him to create the earth upon the waters. Obatala sprinkled the earth and the chicken spread it by scratching. Land was formed and he sculpted 16 forms out of mud and his father gave them life. These people became the gods and ancestors of the Yoruba. (4)

Olurun- The owner of heaven, life and day. The supreme sky god. The head of the full 1,700 deity pantheon of the Yoruba. He created everything from day and night to destiny and death. (4) The father of Obatala.

Olukun- The only creature besides Olurun to exist before his creation. He is the the primeval waters. He challenged Olurun supremacy but lost the fine robe contest. He and Olurun together gave birth to Obatala and Oduduwa. (4)

As you can see, these are just a few of the key gods of the extensive pantheon of the Yoruba. These people tend to worship most the gods of nature and necessary things like life and hunting. They are practical people who also tend to favor men as the more important gender seen here by the dominating gods over goddesses. You can also see that there are many differing stories and beliefs within this one tribe about names, power, and creation. This is a result of lack of a written language and the hard communication in such a vast African continent.

**Gods of the Ashanti Tribe**
Ananse- A spider who behaves like a human man. (2) He is a popular trickster who outwits animals, people, and sometimes even gods. he can always figure out what people are thinking and uses it to help himself out. Some say he helped create the sun, moon, stars, and human beings. (4) He also offered to buy the stories of the sky god who told him the price was a python, a hornet, a leopard, and a nature spirit. Ananse was successful and gained the stories. (3)

Nyame- The supreme god of the Ashanti. He rules the sky, the earth, and the underworld. Thunderbolts are considered his axes and is honored when his people put stone axes in Nyame's Tree (a pot by their door). He helps those in trouble and gave the people the Golden Stool which contains the soul of Ashanti and the people's health and well being. (2) He is also the giver of rain and architecture. he is worshiped in the form of a tree trunk. His followers send prayers through his messenger Ananse. (4)



Nyankopon- Also known as Nyankopon Kweku and Onyankopon. He is the sky god of the Ashanti. he originally lived with man but was insulted by an annoyed old woman too many times so he left. The angered men built a tower to try to reach him in the sky but it collapsed upon them and many died. Nyankopon wanted to give men eternal life so he said he would have dead live with him in the sky. (3)

**Gods of the Fon Tribe**
Mawu-Lisa- The creator deities of the earth who are either twins or a hermaphrodite. Mawu is the female spirit of the night and the moon who lives in the west. Lisa is the male spirit of the day and the eastern sun. They together represent the balance and order of the universe to the Fon. From these two all other gods were created. Mawu-Lisa had seven sets of twins who became the gods of nature. Among them are Gu, Dan, and Legba. (4)

Dan Ayldo Hwedo- The first creation of Mawu who helped him create the earth. He is in the form of a giant python. Mawu was worried the earth might sink under the weight of their creation so he asked Dan to encircle the earth and keep it together by gripping his tail with his mouth. (2)

Gu- The heavenly blacksmith born as a stone with a sharp edge. His parent Mawu-Lisa sent him to earth on the second day of creation to help the people survive by teaching them to clothe, feed, and shelter themselves. He also gave them knowledge of toolmaking and metal works. (4)

Legba- The evil genius who is also considered the thunder god. He is the child of Mawu-Lisa. He originally was a very important god but is know seen as the devil. (3)

**Gods of the Dogon Tribe**
Amma- The Supreme ruler of the Dogon people of Mali. He created the sun, moon, and the stars. He soon became lonely and had twins with the earth producing water and light, the life forces of the world. He soon created the first man and woman who had four more pairs of twins who became the ancestors of the Dogon. (2)

Ogo- One of the first creatures created by Amma. Amma was slow to make his twin so Ogo being impatient mated with the earth creating chaos in the universe. Amma punished Ogo by making him into a lonely, destructive jackal. Humans must know recreate order to the world by honoring the gods. (2)

Nummo- A spirit couple of the Dogon. The perfect pair born to Amma and the earth. (3)



**West African Myths**
http://www.mythome.org/creatafr.html

http://www.mythome.org/fludmyt5.html

http://www.allfolktales.com/wafrica/yoruba_creation.php

http://www.crystalinks.com/africacreation.html


 * Bibliography**

1. Davis, Kenneth C. //Don't Know Much About World Myths//. New York: HarperCollinsPublisher, 2005. Print.

2. Bellingham, David, Margret Carey, Dr. David M. Jones, Kathleen McPhilemy, and Louise Tythacott. //The Kingfisher Book of Mythology//. New York: Kingfisher, 2001. Print.

3. Carolyn, Richard. //A Guide to the Gods: An Essential Guide to Mythology//. New York: Quill Willinam Morrow, 1981. Print.

4. Keenan, Sheila. //Gods, Goddesses, and Monsters: A Book of World Mythology//. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Print.