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#african mythology
disease · 1 year
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An amulet by which the owner hoped to magically deflect evil intended to work against him. Africa's Fon religion included worship of the spirit Vodu and is a forerunner of Voodoo.
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sometiktoksarevalid · 8 months
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bestiarium · 3 months
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The Ndamathia [Kenyan mythology; African mythology]
The Kikuyu are a somewhat lesser-known ethnic group located mainly in central Kenya. These people have (or had, I am uncertain whether this religion is still being practised) a religious ceremony that was held every few decades and was connected to a creature called the Ndamathia, a creature associated with rainbows. It was the Ndamathia which made rainbows appear in the sky.
This being was a giant aquatic snake-like reptile of incredible length (said to be as long as the rainbows it created). At the end of its enormous tail grew magical hairs that had potent medical properties.
A complicated procedure was required to harvest these hairs, however. First, the creature had to leave the deep rivers in which it lives. This was done by summoning it with a special ceremonial horn, and when the Ndamathia was on land, it was distracted by a beautiful girl. The monster was dangerous, however, and had to be drugged with powerful medicine, which was administered by splashing it on the ground before the girl (which was traditionally done by the same young girl). The reptilian creature would then proceed to lick up the water containing the drug.
In addition, the girl was covered in castor oil (which is made from beans of the castor plant) to make her slippery. The idea was that if the monster tried to grab the girl, she would be too slippery to hold and she would escape from its maw.
The Ndamathia then followed the maiden away from the water, but as it was an incredibly long creature, it took multiple hours of walking before its tail finally left the water. A group of warriors was waiting patiently for this moment and jumped at the tail as soon as it was on land.
Each warrior plucked as many hairs as possible. Even though the Ndamathia was under the influence of medicine, plucking its tail hairs caused it great pain and the creature would become furious. It immediately returned to the water at great speed, so the warriors had to hide after plucking the hairs. When the giant creature arrived, it would find nobody and decided to go back to the depths from which it came.
As the story goes, the girl who acted as bait to lure the creature away from the water would have an important position in Kikuyu society when the ceremony was over, as she was regarded as a heroine. The priests would then slaughter an ewe, a bull and a male goat. They would then proceed to cut the skins of the ewe and the goat into ribbons and dip them in a liquid consisting of the blood mixed with the stomach contents of the slaughtered animals. The hairs of the Ndamathia were tied to these ribbons to make bracelets, which were to be worn by the elders on the ankle and wrist. When this was all done, a giant celebration would be held.
When Christianity established a foothold in the region, the missionaries tried to convince the indigenous people that the Ndamathia was actually their version of the Christian devil, and the creature was villainised. This made an impact on the indigenous folktales that is still visible today: the Kikuyu’s translation of the Bible translates ‘devil’ as ‘Ndamathia’.
Sources: Hazel, R., 2019, Snakes, People and Spirits, Volume 1: Traditional Eastern Africa in its Broader Context, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 567 pp. Kenyatta, J., 1978, Facing Mount Kenya: the traditional life of the Gikuyu, African Books Collective, 260 pp. Karangi, M. M., 2013, The creation of Gikuyu image and identity, in: Revisiting the roots of an Africna shrine: the sacred Mugumo tree: an investigation of the religion and politics of the Gikuyu people in Kenya, p.24 ch.2., Karangi, M.M. (editor), Lambert. Karanja, J., 2009, The Missionary Movement in Colonial Kenya: the Foundation of Africa Inland Church, Cuvillier Verlag, 227 pp. (image source: Steven Belledin. The image is card artwork for Magic: the Gathering and depicts an unrelated seamonster, but I chose it because it fits with the description and I rather like the illustration).
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joelchaimholtzman · 4 months
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Painting from a year ago, an exploration for my worldbuilding, set in the Bronze Age Middle East, a worshipper of the fire deity Chemosh.
Hope you like it!
Best,
JCH
www.joelchaimholtzman.com
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allmythologies · 5 months
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day 18 of horror mythology: popobawa
popobawa is a shapeshifter and described as taking different forms, not just that of a bat as its name implies. it can take either human or animal form, and metamorphose from one into the other. popobawa typically visits homesteads at night, but can also be seen in the daytime. it is sometimes associated with the presence of a sulfurous odor, but this is not always the case. popobawa attacks men, women and children, and may attack all of the members of a household, before passing on to another house in the neighbourhood. 
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slimmwrites · 5 months
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The Marriage of Anansewa: Reimagined
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Do you guys want to see my mythology/cryptozoology book collection of course you do (specifically the non fiction ones, I also own like retellings and stuff, and i own The Illiad but i wasnt sure if it counted)
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Complete list of books shown:
Greek and Roman Mythology by D.M. Field (I forgot I owned this tbh)
Treasury of Greek Mythology by Donna Jo Napoli
Mythology 75th Anniversary Illustrated Edition by Edith Hamilton
Halifax Haunts: Exploring the City's Spookiest Spaces by Steve Vernon
Haunted Harbours: Ghost Stories from Old Nova Scotia by Steve Vernon (I found both Steve Vernon books in the free library lol)
A Folk Tale Journey Through the Maritimes by Helen Creighton
Bluenose Ghosts by Helen Creighton (I dont even live in Halifax why do I have so many Halifax books sjsjdjej)
Cryptid Creatures: A Field Guide by Kelly Milner Halls
International Cryptids and Legends by Kenney W. Irish
Chasing American Monsters by Jason Offutt
A Canadian Bestiary by Todd H.C. Fischer
Twisted Tales: Greek Legends by Terry Deary
Norse Fairy and Folk Tales complied by James Shepherd
West African Folktales with general editor Jake Jackson
Legends and Lore: Ireland's Folk Tales by Michael Scott
Aztec Myths with general editor Jake Jackson
Dragons: Fearsome Monsters From Myth And Fiction by Gerrie McCall and Kieron Connolly (this book was literally my childhood I've had it since forever)
Mythical Monsters: The Scariest Creatures From Legends, Books and Movies with general editor Chris McNab
Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by probably the Grimm Brothers but it's a fairly new edition so it doesn't credit them (fun fact I found this at a used stuff store for like 2$)
Black Dog Folklore by Mark Norman (I begged my parents for this for Christmas lol)
The Mythical Creatures Bible by Brenda Rosen
Tales of Ancient Egypt by Michael Rosen (I almost forgot this one that's by its in a picture by itself lmao)
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gotstabbedbyapen · 8 months
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Prompt of the day: Hermes, Loki, Sun Wukong, and Anansi are in a car, stuck in an hour-long traffic jam. They are all bored.
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wodeworm · 4 months
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Grootslang
𝕬𝖓𝕶𝖆𝖑𝖆𝖛𝖊𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 29
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Before time and the earth, in the cradle existence the gods sought to play the great song of the world, and looked to use creature and animals in a great chorus of life. In their Passion, excitement or perhaps hubris, some of their first creatures did not reflect their harmonic visions, they created a wonderous behemoth that drummed through reality trampling the world under tow, moving and snapping in a wretched flash, writhing with disturbing dexterity. a cunning and understanding on par with the composers of its birth; invincible Grootslang was unleashed upon the fledgling hymn of the new born world. With a sharp and acute wit it knew it didn't need to abide by any rule, and came to sow discord and terror upon its tenderfoot brethren. the gods fearing what the disharmony could erode this wonderous world, split the monstrosity's in twain, and creating lesser reflections delivering the Serpents and Elephants that gracing the world at last.
despite this divine intervention one shrewd individual foresaw this fallout with its composers, it chose to lurk in a bottomless pit of the southern edge of Africa, engorged with a primordial darkness that suited its cruel and dejected nature. this wonder hole would become its everlasting haunt till creation became as dark and silent as its accursed void. it chose to spend its ever waking moments spiting its creators, stealing precious gems robing they're beauty from the gods, or praying on the farce like versions of its divided kin. some even doubting its vitality thinking it to be a haunting spirit entangled with the dripping black pit, merely gazing at this wretched beast would gift insanity to any that witnessed the beast leaving them in a catatonic state, letting it drag you to and unending and harrowing demise.
The San people knew better than to trifle with this godless cacophonous being, warning travelers and prospectors to do the same; or some the temptation of greed would get the best of them. the faint belling and mulling off the monsters discordant tune ever tempting the depraved to lose themselves forever.
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bgoldenart · 1 year
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My next African inspired RPG character is a mage/healer. 🧚🏾‍♀️✨
She’s based off of yumboes from Senegal. A fairy type character with clothing inspired by Wolof traditional dress.
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the-swift-tricker · 2 months
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The trickster-god Eshu from Yoruba mythology and his mortal lover Oyinlolla as they appear in "Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Tricksters: A Heart That Beats Forever" by Jordan Ifueko
[id a screenshot showing a comic book drawing of a young black woman gently kissing the cheek of a young black man who has a spiral design on his forehead. he asks "you...lied to me?" and she replies "i tricked the trickster." end id]
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thequeer07puss · 7 months
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I recently watched OSP's video on Loki and something in it captured my attention: Red said that Loki's name (idk if it's an actual theory or smth) could mean "entangler" (which makes sense as a trickster god) but then she said that Loki could be a spider, which made me think of one other trickster god that is also a spider: Anansi.
Now welcome to me bullshitting my way through the mythology of both gods in order to make a very weird connection.
Spiders are associated with cleverness, weaving and skill (like how Athena is a wisdom goddess associated with weaving, but i can't bullshit 2 thoeries at the same time, we'll get lost). Anansi, thanks to that association is a very clever god who evicts a lot of bad situations through intelligence and help from others. Loki also has those elements of "clever bullshitting" which gets him into trouble because their mischief is way too much for others to handle. Right now you're thinking: "you're reading way much into this, they're trickster gods, that's what they do".
But spiders are also associated with entrapment, and entanglement, which is something that happens a lot to Loki (they get their mouth sewed shut by Ivaldi's sons, they get tied up on multiple occasions, they get trapped in a fishing net, and ultimately gets tied to a rock due to the killing of Baldr), where Anansi traps and gets trapped. Additionally, spiderwebs in some Scandinavian languages are referred to as Lokkenet (or Loki's net, according to Red), which reinforces this association to spiders.
Lastly, Anansi is a trickster god from the Ashanti ppl of Ghana. He is most commonly presented or associated with spiders. Loki is a Norse god whose og worshippers were pretty far from Africa, and couldn't possibly have access to this cool spider trickster. Unless...
The first members of the Homo Sapiens species originated in Africa, and the Proto-Indo-European people (from whom we get most of culture outside of Africa, East Asia and the Americas) originally migrated from Africa into the areas where they were culturally powerful, including the areas where the Norse people lived.
So according to this very wild stretch, there is a possibility that there was some kind of trickster spider deity that was worshipped very early on in human history and whose worship spread to the PIE people, who adopted them as one of their own, and that they brought over as they traveled, leaving behind other deities with similar characteristics (in another stretch of my imagination, this includes Neith and Athena, who are both associated with weaving, and in Athena's case, cleverness as wisdom) as their culture spread.
And as they settled into their definitive homes, they adapted and developed cultures of their own, but that are still ties to that "original" PIE culture, which brings us to Loki and Anansi, who are similar in this aspect of trickery, cunning and entrapment which could have happened when the PIE people and another ethnic group that would become the Ashanti were still close to each other and could sill share culture and gods.
Or...
This theory is just a very wild stretch fueled by lots of UPG and finding loose threads to tie together to hone my mind's ability to make logical connections and syncretise gods with similar-ish traits and that trickster gods and spiders are associated just because spiders are smart and Loki and Anansi have no connection whatsoever.
We'll never know.
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sometiktoksarevalid · 9 months
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bestiarium · 4 months
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The Thila [Burkinese mythology; Lobi mythology]
At the dawn of time, the supreme deity Tangba You created the world. Tangba You fashioned the land, the seas, and then the humans to populate the world. But human men lusted after women and soon began fighting one another over the women, and the deity eventually grew tired of this. He was the creator god, after all, and we can assume he had better things to do than solve every petty issue among mortals. So he withdrew from the world of men, never again interfering with mortal affairs. Before leaving, however, Tangba You figured he should leave someone to guide and watch over humanity, so he created the Thila (singular: Thil): a group of semi-divine nature spirits.
This is the creation story of the Lobi people, who live in the north eastern parts of Côte d’Ivoire and south western Burkina Faso. They trace their roots back to Ghana.
The Thila play a very large role in traditional Lobi religion. These spirits are not really gods in the common sense of the word, but they are somewhat similar to the angels of Abrahamic religion (but note that they are sometimes described as ancestor spirits). They offer protection to the people, but also tell them how they should act. Though normally invisible to mortal eyes, these beings take on the form of an animal or a human in the rare event that they do appear before people.
Normally though, a Thil communicates solely through a ‘Thildar’, which is a human diviner in direct contact with the spirits (the societal role of these people can be likened to shamans of some native American traditions). As per the rules of their religion, a Thildar is always male, and usually there are only one or two of these diviners in a community. Each Thildar stands in contact with his own group of Thila spirits, with whom he can communicate during a divination. He then relays the will of the Thila, which includes guidelines and taboos pertaining to all kinds of subjects, including how the people should dress, have sex, hunt animals, etc. Sometimes the spirits demand to hold great feasts or festive events, and sometimes they forbid certain practises. One example is the village of Korhogo (near Gaoua): the people living here stopped sleeping on mats made from millet stem, because a Thil once forbade it. Also noteworthy is that Thila sometimes demand that the Thildar takes up a specific profession, like becoming a smith or a doctor.
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This may sound strict to outsiders, but Thila are kind and benevolent spirits. They receive offerings during special occasions such as births and weddings, and bestow rain and childbirth on humanity. Should the people break the taboos that the Thila enforce, however, they can wreak havoc upon a community.
These spirits are believed to reside in special religious wooden sculptures called ‘Bateba’, which are usually housed in shrines dedicated to that specific Thil. This is important, because the act of placing a Bateba on a shrine greatly enhances its spirit’s ability to manifest in this world, allowing it to protect the people against evil (such as evil warlocks). If a Thil wants a shrine, it will tell this to a Thildar, along with specific instructions of where and how the shrine should be built. Within Burkina Faso, the Lobi are actually renowned for their woodworking skills, and as such the Bateba tend to be impressive works of art.
Finally, I want to mention that there are different kinds of Thila spirits, and the distinction is easily visible in their Bateba carvings. Some examples:
Bateba Phula are humanoid figures with a stiff standing pose. They house regular Thila.
Bateba Ti Puo house protective spirits that defend against evil; they feature raised arms.
A Thil Dorka houses a particularly powerful variant of Thila. It is a humanlike statuette with two heads, referencing the spirit’s ability to watch multiple locations at the same time.
Sources: Asante, M. K. and Mazama, A., 2008, Encyclopedia of African Religions, SAGE Publications, 920 pp. Peek, P. M., 1991, African Divination Systems: Ways of Knowing, African Systems of Thought, Georgetown University Press, 230 pp., pages 98-99. Harvey, G., 2014, The Handbook of Contemporary Animism (Acumen Handbooks), Routledge, 544 pp., page 68. (image source 1: African Arts Gallery, lot 12963) (image source 2: MutualArt)
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joelchaimholtzman · 4 months
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Painting I made from almost 4 years old already! I made this as a commission for a 5E D&D supplement, a faerie inspired by Zulu Mythology.
Hope you like it!
Best,
JCH
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ourolite2 · 2 months
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       ༅ 𝒞irce 𝒴ué'li 𐙚 ˙
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♱ all sobriquets + pseudonyms. ࿓ fang/master yuè’li ( legendary title + formal title ), circo/mr. circo ( playful + respectful, via yashmi ), sir ( his dogs + formal others ), sir circe/ sir yuè’li ( formalities/commonly respectful ).
ᰍ overall notables. plays an electric guitar (named it delune). has a bloodhound named babydoll and a doberman named yìzé. works as a part-time music teacher for 2nd - 3rd graders. asanbosam’s (the type of vampire he is) are more agile in trees and high places, so he’s kind of clumsy otherwise. often recommends products (notably the brand anzhong, originated by an upcoming oc of neso’s), random cleaning tips, or even seasonings. considers calling off of work a lot, though he knows if he does they’re bound to fire him this time. circe also doesn’t socialize too much, and he’s very territorial about his cottage (and so is yìzé— wonder where he gets that from). he’s a little too territorial actually, seeing as circe usually sucks the blood of/eats any trespassers that ignore his precaution signs. he does so by jumping down from the roof of the cottage or a tree and pinning them. (even friends get tackled if they don’t give him a heads up that they’re on the way!) ᰍ standard physical facts. 6'3. retractable wings with a 20 foot span, which are black and grey with red, pink and silver undertones, and retractable iron hooks for feet. tips of his hair turn auburn when he’s experiencing intense emotions. always smells like anzhong products- particularly colognes. has a chinese tattoo on his inner forearm that translates to damu héxián qín. his nails are painted black, but they get chipped easily because he’s really hands-on daily. lastly, he has a deep, relaxed and very distinctive voice which can be heard here!
დ genshin au notables! n/a ( temporarily ). დ spider-verse au notables! n/a ( temporarily ). დ jujutsu kaisen au notables! n/a ( temporarily ).
ᰍ age appearance. twenty-five ( 25 ). ᰍ birthday. may 9th. ᰍ nationality, race, + ethnicity. ( varies per au ), asanbosam, + senegalese and chinese. ᰍ gender, prns, + sexuality. male (amab), he/him, + omnisexual.
ᰍ sun sign. taurus. ᰍ MBTI. istp-a, the assertive virtuoso.
ᰍ likes. his electric guitar (delune— yes, he named her); playing the guitar is considered his biggest hobby, adoration and talent. his old doberman, yìzé, and his bloodhound babydoll. his cottage. alone time. blood oranges. ironically, loves garlic bread + garlic based dishes (especially pasta). scaring trespassers, or making his friends jump with jump-scares and shoulder-taps for a good laugh. coal black, wine red, and sometimes pink! strawberry icecream. philosophy and sacred music, especially within the selenian race. feminism. boots. silver jewelry. having his hands in aesthetically pleasing positions (pockets, behind his head while laying down,arms crossed, etc). anzhong products. people who use manners. sweethearts, but especially male sweeties (he just wants to pinch their cheeks ugh). MOTHAFUCKING INDIGO! <;3 ᰍ dislikes. random space invaders/leeches. too many home guests (or any really). yellow. stalkers/yanderes/yandere-coded people (specifically when targeted at him). pushy people. paranoia, pessimism + assumptions. difficult/slow learners (as a music teacher he struggles with younger kids that don’t process so easily). jellies and jams. the taste of vanilla. misogyny and misandry. bad hair days. getting stuff under his nails, especially when freshly done. vengeance, gossip + untrustworthiness. cooking for people, especially when there’s a lot of em’— no, even worse if they’re too picky.. bicycling. hot, summer days. being caught in the rain without a stylish umbrella. loud noises. dogs that bark too much.
・゚゚❥ quotes.
After It Rains ୨୧ “Jeez, what a mud bath. *Looks at his dogs.* Glad you two are out of your piglet puppy days heh heh. Guys? *Theyre walking away from him and he’s holding back laughter.* Was it something I said? Come ahhnn! I’m saying you liked the mud!”
About Jihane ୨୧ “The last time we spoke she foretold that my aura was yellow indefinitely. She was wrong. .. It’s red. *Looks off at something in the distance and pauses.* I’m not delusional.”
About Circe: Signature Dish ୨୧ “Nah. That’s a myth, just a little misconception. I use garlic in a lot of my dishes, especially pasta. The best kind I’ve tried thus far? Cherub Sin, easily. It’s a faultless dish. I personally believe the best noodle for any garlic and parmesan pasta is angel hair, and that dish recognizes it perfectly.”
Good Night ୨୧ “Hm.. Remember the night routine I showed you. Ice. Your. Face. Top priority, right? Alright then, and I bid you goodnight. *Nods off salute-like with two fingers and walks away.*”
oc masterlist. extended details. visualizer.
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⑅ leman productions. all rights fucking reserved, do not plagiarize.
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