Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #AfricanMythology

Most recents (6)

Hello All! We’re getting whisked away by the wee folk for #WyrdWednesday and I am here as your friendly guide through the otherworlds of #AfricanMythology where abduction by “bush spirits” or “forest dwarves” is a shockingly common theme.
#WyrdWednesday
These entities are pretty unpredictable though! Depending on where you are and who you meet, you might actually WANT to be whisked away, with the assurance that you will be taught the secrets of civilization.
#WyrdWednesday
Otherwise watch out! You could end up a captive being fattened for an upcoming feast, or be left to wander the forest forever, unable to put down whatever load you are carrying.
Read 23 tweets
Hey Myth Lovers! For #MythologyMonday’s Resurrection theme we’ll explore some stories from #AfricanMythology which feature resurrections.
#MythologyMonday
Among the Bunyoro (Uganda), it is believed that Ruhanga the Supreme Deity used to resurrect all humans who died. Resurrections were cause for great joy and ritual celebration in the community. Only animals died permanently.
#MythologyMonday
But then, a woman, upset over the death of her dog, refused to participate in the rituals surrounding death and resurrection. This angered Ruhanga who then stopped resurrecting humans.
Read 13 tweets
Happy Sinful #FolkloreThursday Everyone! So, I spent a bit of time since this week’s theme was announced thinking about whether to approach it playfully or seriously (or if at all...this is a fraught topic 😅).
#FolkloreThursday #AfricanMythology
In most, if not all, traditional African societies, “Sin” is conceived of as ritual errors i.e. offences against the gods, breaches of their directives or neglect of filial duties which may anger the ancestors. (J. Ọmọṣade Awolalu)
#FolkloreThursday
There are many myths and folktales in #AfricanMythology which illustrate what “sin” means to different African peoples. Also, “sin” can be committed by the gods as well as by people.
Read 15 tweets
Hello All! For a green themed #WyrdWednesday we have a folktale from the Alur people (DRC, Uganda) and some folklore from the Yoruba (Nigeria) and the Swahili-speaking people of the East African Coast.
#WyrdWednesday #AfricanMythology

Jokinam is the powerful Alur (DRC, Uganda) god of Lake Mwitanzige (also Lake Albert). It is said that he rules a beautiful green world at the bottom of the lake.

(Lake Mwitanzige 📸Wikipedia)
#WyrdWednesday #AfricanMythology
Jokinam is very generous and is willing to share the secrets of the lake with anyone who can keep them. Those who spill the secret die.
Read 24 tweets
Hello Friends! Today’s #FairyTaleTuesday returns to the topic of Other-Worldly Beings for St. Patrick’s Day. As you may know we have talked before about a few of such creatures from #AfricanMythology.
#FairyTaleTuesday #AfricanMythology
Today, I will share more examples in #AfricanMythology for different conceptions of other-worldly beings such as demoted angels, indigenous deities, spirits of the dead/ancestors, prehistoric precursors to humans and spirits of nature.
#FairyTaleTuesday #AfricanMythology
As Demoted "Angels":

The Sihonkpaasi of the Bebelibe (Benin) who are also called Ihiini Yanbe i.e. Sky Owners. They are short and human-like in appearance with two limbs (an arm and a leg) and short hair.
Read 18 tweets
No 2 #AfricanMythology is about the Creation Story of the Oromo people of Ethiopia, they belief in Waqa the Supreme Creator who inhabit the sky and make sure to keep his distance from earth by way of a barrier of stars and moon.
He didn’t believe in punishment, but he did believe in trickery and persuasion. He asked man to compose a coffin for him. When the coffin was complete, he trapped them inside and sent them to the flat earth.
He brought about a fiery rainstorm that lasted for seven years and formed the landscape of the earth.
When the earth was complete, he released man from the coffin unharmed and used his blood to create women.
Read 4 tweets

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