All about history book of myths and legends. ( PDFDrive )

INTRODUCTION

THE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF ALL THE

MYTHS OF THE AFRICAN PEOPLES WOULD

FILL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PAGES,

EVEN WITH OUR INCOMPLETE KNOWLEDGE.

Jan Knappert, African Mythology, 1990

deity may be regarded in diferent ways from

one place to another – for some he is a creator,

for some an ancestor (either a mother or a

father), for some a figure like a tribal elder, for

some a close companion. The existence of such

a supreme deity can explain everything from the

sound of thunder to the inevitability of death.

For most tribes, his overriding qualities are his

power and his omniscience – people speak of

his ever-open eye, his knowledge of our every

thought, and his surpassing wisdom.

The high god and the gods that accompany

him or her communicate with the people by

way of ceremonies, and in many African tribes

the central figure in such rituals is the shaman

or medicine man. Because of his training, the

shaman has the ability to communicate with

the supernatural world and is thus key to our

knowledge of many African myths.

Africa is changing rapidly. Many Africans,

faithful to the idea of a supreme God, have

embraced Islam or Christianity. Yet traditional

myths remain alive on the lips of storytellers

and medicine men – and find a still wider

audience through the writings of travellers and

anthropologists from outside the continent.

For Africans and outsiders alike, they are still

some of the most enthralling stories ever told.

119