All cultures in Africa have myths at the heart of the folkloric aspects of their culture. For every African community, there are stories that seek to provide an elaboration of the existenceof life and all other subjects related to it.
With about 1.2 billion people, the African continent houses more than a thousand ethnic groups with varied cultures. Even though these cultures maintain unique distinctions based on their community, there are subtle similarities that they share. Among such similarities is mythology.
Myths are widely held beliefs which are usually communicated as traditional stories that tell the history of a people, explain natural phenomena and supernatural events. Myths tell us about the reality of the universe and all of its components.
In Jones M. Jaja’s published journal “Myths in African concept of reality“, he posits that African myths explain human concerns and realities such as death, creation, the evolution of living things, man’s relationship with other living things. African myths present reasons for the existence of all that we know in the universe.
He further suggests that myths are socializing agents that are used to buttress the traditions of the ancestors. Myths embody vital aspects of a people’s culture and so passing them on is a way of teaching younger people about their ancestry, origin, acceptable
Here are some African myths that would leave you completely stunned. Scroll through to read:
