Arab and European religions and customs. Now
the overwhelming majority of African societies are
patriarchal. As in all patriarchal societies, women
are generally viewed as being second to men.
However, they are not considered inferior. In
myths, legends, proverbs, and day-to-day life,
women are portrayed as partners with God in the
creation of human life and, at the same time, the
cause of the estrangement between humanity and
God; as powerful and weak at the same time; and
as helpful companions to men, yet possible wreck-
ers of men’s lives.
African traditional religious thought and belief
generally recognizes females and males as onto-
logically similar. A number of creation stories told
among many African peoples show that the two
genders were created by the same God with the
same substance. A myth among the Tutsi of
Rwanda, for instance, indicates that the original
man and woman were created and kept in par-
adise. Other myths such as those of the Akamba,
Luo, Turkana, and Luhyia people of Kenya; the
Baganda and Banyoro people of Uganda; and the
Yoruba and Ibo of Nigeria indicate that the origi-
nal humans were male and female and were low-
ered by God unto the Earth.
Some myths also illustrate the fact that it was
through a woman that God created the rest of
humanity. The Akposso people of Togo, for instance,
have a myth that suggests that the first human
being was a woman, who brought forth other
humans. The same is true of the Ijaw of Nigeria,
who believe that the female Woyengi is the Great
Creator.
Despite the fact that these myths portray the
original woman as the direct link between human-
ity and God, other myths portray women as the
cause of human separation from God. The Akans
of Ghana, for instance, have a myth that attrib-
utes the retreat of Onyame (God) far into the
heavens to a woman’s notoriety at pounding fufu
(Ghanaian food) at the wrong time and always hit-
ting God with the pestle in the process.
Many African proverbs portray women as valu-
able and indispensable in society largely due to their
procreative and nurturing abilities. Yet women are
also presented as potential trouble causers who dis-
rupt the peace of family and community life through
jealousy, gossip, hatred, and so on. A Ghanaian
proverb says, “A wife is like a woolen blanket: If
you cover yourself with it, it irritates you; and yet if
you take it away, you feel cold.”
The paradoxical status of women is reflected in
the roles they play and the attitudes toward them
in both religious circles and the larger society.
Their power is manifested in their roles as priest-
esses, queen mothers, and ritual specialists. Yet
they are also considered to be susceptible to
witchcraft and other bad spirits with which they
can harm others. They are often extolled for their
roles as mothers and wives, but they are also to be
feared for their ability to ruin men and sometimes
their own children.Moses Ohene BineySeealsoFamilyFurther Readings
Mbiti, J. S. (1991). Flowers in the Garden: The Role of
Women in African Traditional Religion. In J. K.
Olupona (Ed.),African Traditional Religions in
Contemporary Society(pp. 59–72). St. Paul, MN:
Paragon House.
Oduyoye, M. A. (2000).Daughters of Anowa:African
Women and Patriarchy. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis
Books.WORDS
In much of Africa, words do far more than carry
a message or meaning. Words are believed
to have power when spoken. For example, the
Dogon people of Mali believe the African concept
of Nommo, which states that the power of the
spoken word carries a life force that produces all
life and influences everything. By human utter-
ance or through the spoken word, human beings
can invoke a kind of spiritual power. Even the
ancient Egyptians believed that power emanated
from words. This belief is linked to their ethical
principle, Maat (meaning truth, harmony, bal-
ance, and reciprocity).
The power of words is different from one indi-
vidual to the next. The word power of the Creator
is more powerful than that of any other being. In
African philosophy, individuals have, by theWords 725