Summary
Highlights
This creation myth from Central Africa tells of Bumba, or Mbambo, who, due to loneliness and illness, vomited forth the sun, moon, stars, and various animals. His vomit, and later his sons, continued to create the world, including humans and the life-giving topsoil. The final creature, a troublesome cat-like animal, was chased into the sky and became lightning. After everything was created and humans learned to use fire, Bumba returned to the heavens.
Due to their native presence, many African legends revolve around hippos. In Egypt, the goddess of childbirth, Taweret, is depicted as a female hippopotamus, seen as nurturing. Male hippos, however, are often portrayed as shape-shifting beasts. The Kikuyu people of Kenya have a tale explaining why hippos don't eat fish. The hippo, once a land animal, begged the Creator God Ngai to live in the water, promising not to eat fish. As proof, the hippo vowed to scatter its dung on land to show no fishbones. Thus, a hippo's tail-spinning and sky-gazing are seen as a declaration to Ngai: 'No fish!'
This living legend from the Balobedu people of South Africa describes a female-led dynasty with rainmaking powers. One origin story states a princess from Zimbabwe, gifted with a rainmaking horn, fled to South Africa. Another tale involves an old chief named Magoru who, advised by ancestral spirits, impregnated his daughter to prevent a coup. This daughter, Modjadji, meaning 'ruler of the day,' was granted the power to control rain, bringing prosperity or destruction. The mystique of her position meant powerful rivals sought her favor for rain. The Modjadji Queens traditionally don't marry but have children through secret consorts. Recent tragedies have affected the line, with the current young Rain Queen set to take the role at 18 in 2023.
Nyami Nyami is a serpent-like river god from the Tonga tribe of the Zambezi River. He lives in Lake Kariba and was believed to create whirlpools to pull down canoes. In the 1940s, plans for a hydroelectric dam on Lake Kariba disrupted the Tonga people's lives and sacred lands. Despite local warnings, construction began. In 1957, devastating floods, attributed to Nyami Nyami, swept away equipment and workers. The elders advised a sacrifice to appease the god, after which the bodies of the missing men reappeared. Though the dam was completed, the Tonga believe Nyami Nyami will eventually destroy it to reunite with his wife, causing the frequent earth tremors in the area. The dam is now on the verge of collapse, potentially leading to a catastrophic tsunami.
Kag (also Kang, Kang, KO, Thora) is a creator deity in Bushman mythology, an invisible spirit of natural phenomena. He lived peacefully with all creatures beneath the Earth in a warm, lightless place where all could communicate. Kag planned the world above, building a glorious tree and creating wonders. He led humans and animals to this new world, instructing them to live in peace but forbidding fire. When darkness and cold fell, fearful humans lit a fire, breaking their promise. This act warmed them but also separated them from the animals, who fled and could no longer be understood. The broken promise forever divided humans and animals.
Nana Buluku is a West African creation goddess and mother of twins Mawu (moon) and Lisa (sun). Mawu and Lisa, riding the rainbow serpent, created the universe and the Earth. To stabilize the Earth, the rainbow serpent wrapped itself around it and bit its tail. Mawu created oceans to protect the serpent from the sun. Mawu and Lisa then created other gods, animals, and plants, followed by humans. Dissatisfied with their ungrateful human children, Mawu retreated to the moon. She then sent Lisa to teach humans how to build shelters, make clothes, and live comfortably. Lisa went to live near Mawu in the sun, and every eclipse is when they meet.
Anansi, a spider who can shapeshift, is a popular trickster character in Akan mythology and beyond. Along with his wife Aso, he teaches moral and ethical lessons through cunning. Stories include him creating the sun, moon, and stars, and bringing agriculture and writing to Earth. In one tale, Anansi tries to hoard all the world's wisdom in a gourd but realizes it's better shared, becoming a disperser of knowledge. In another, he approaches Nyame, the sky god, to be appointed king of all wisdom narratives. Nyame tasks him with capturing a jaguar, hornets, and the invisible fairy of the forest. Anansi uses his cunning to trick all three, earning the title and access to Nyame's stories.