11 Enchanting Mythological Figures Across Africa

Adroa is the Supreme God and Creator and has two differing sides, Adroa being the Sky God. It’s believed that Adroa created a set of twins who were the first man and woman on earth, Gborogboro and Meme. Meme gave birth to all the animals as well as another pair of male-female twins. The fascinating thing about these twins was that they had magical powers and from them many pairs of male-female twins were born, until Jaki and Dribidu were born, the hero-ancestors. It is their sons who is said to be the founders of the present Lugbara clans of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Anansi is a mythological figure that mainly appears as a spider but can take on human form and features in many West African cultures. He’s known as the spirit of all knowledge and tales and is particularly fond of playing tricks on the unsuspecting – whether they be humans, animals or even the gods. Thanks to his wide knowledge and cunning ways, he’s able to trick even the cleverest of victims.

Anubis, the guardian of the dead, is one of the most well known Egyptian gods. He’s mainly depicted as a dog-like figure and leads the dead to Ma’at, where their hearts are weighed and judgement on their destiny is made. Depending on the judgement, which involved weighing of the heart, he leads them to eternal life or dooms them to “Ammit”.

Bumba is an African creator god, specifically in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who had an intense need for company. He was lonely and unwell, until he vomited and created the universe and everything in it. First was the sun, the moon and the stars and then all the planets. Not quite done yet he belched again and nine animals and some humans appeared. These nine animals quickly multiplied to create every living creature we know today.

Gu is the son of Mawu-Lisa, a creator god with both a female (Mawu, creator of the moon) and male (Lisa, creator of the sun) side. He was known to be handy at fixing things, so was sent down to earth to do exactly that. The humans were so impressed that he was immediately upgraded to god-status and took on the official title of African Blacksmith God.

According to the San people, Kaang created the universe and many stories about him revolve around resurrection. The San people are extremely spiritual, and through ritual dances and rock art they break the barrier between the physical and spiritual worlds. The San also believe that every single living being has a spirit, and during and after the creation all lived together in complete harmony. It’s due to these beliefs that animals have such a major impact on their culture and traditions.

Mami Wata is a water deity comprising a combination of traits, she is a mother, carer, lover, healer, provider, mystic and much more. Mostly appearing as a mermaid, she’s also often depicted as a snake charmer, and the two depictions are sometimes combined. Mami Wata is known to recruit new followers by abducting them while they swim in the river or during a boat ride, she transports them to her realm and eventually releases them. The fascinating thing is that her “victims” always return with a new look on life and a spiritual understanding they didn’t possess of before.

Nana Buluku is the mother of above mentioned Mawu-Lisa, and as such the Yoruba and Fon associate the sun and moon with her. She’s displayed as an old lady, a grandmother, and is believed to have stepped back from the creation when her child was born.

Kere-Nyaga (Mount Kenya) is where Ngai likes to spend most of his time, and the foothills of the snow-capped mountain is also where locals assemble in the shade of trees to pray. The origin of the Gikuyu tribe starts with Ngai. Legend has it that a man called Gikuyu was lead to the top of the mountain where he met Ngai. The god emphasised the beauty of the land below and promised that he would give the man anything he needed as long as he keeps praying. Gikuyu had nine daughters but longed for sons to carry on his name, the god provided and so the Gikuyu tribe was born.

Takhar is a demi-god in the Serer religion in Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania and is worshipped to protect believers against injury, bad omens and abuse. Sacrifices in the form of poultry and cattle are left under the tallest trees as it’s believed that Takhar lives in the highest branches. The vengeance of Takhar is also a preventative method within the tribe, as fear deters locals from committing crimes.

In Ethiopia blacksmiths have an unfortunate fate as they’re all believed to be witches or wizards, which allows them to change into werehyenas (similar to a werewolf but more terrifying). Apparently sangomas (witch doctors) can turn someone into a werehyena if the person has tasted human flesh. The werehyenas are grave robbers and will destruct anything that comes in their way. They have a rotten smell, bury their victims alive only to return later when hungry and their shrill laugh can be heard from miles away.