The most widely found myths in African culture are those dealing with creation. When we speak of creation it is not with the same meaning as that of a scientist who would speak of the first cause of the universe. African creation myths usually take it for granted that the earth exists. They may tell about the earth being fashioned out of some material that is available but, there is never an attempt to look beyond the existence of the world. In some fashion the world always existed for the Africans.
For this section I have chosen three myths: “ Sa and Alatangana”7 from Guinea; “How Humans were Scattered”8 from the Yoruba culture; and the Yao (eastern shores of Lake Malawi) story of creation.9
In “Sa and Alatangana,” Sa is the god of death who creates a home from the mud. When the god Alatangana comes to visit he complains that Sa has a dirty house and he should fix it up. Alatangana banishes Sa and his wife and only daughter until he fixes it up by adding vegetation and animals. Sa is pleased and the two become good friends. Eventually Alatangana falls in love with Sa’s daughter. He asks to marry her but Sa keeps stalling. He doesn’t want to lose his daughter. Alatangana realizes this and elopes with Sa’s daughter. They go far away to escape Sa’s anger. They have a happy life and a large family of fourteen children but four girls are white and three are black, and four boys are white and three are black. Also each speaks a different language which Alatangana and his wife cannot understand. He goes to see Sa. Sa tells him that he has caused this because of the anger he felt toward Alatangana and his daughter for marrying. He goes on to tell them that they must have the white children marry with each other and the black children marry with each other. Then the earth will be populated by many tribes of black and white people. Alatangana does this.
However the children of Alatangana still have to live in darkness since there is no light. Alatangana again wants to ask his father-in-law Sa for help. This time he sends the red toutou and the golden cock: the earliest risers of all the birds. Sa listens and tells them that light can only be called by musical sounds. Then he teaches them the correct sounds. When they return to Alatangana he becomes angry and is about to kill them when both birds begin to cry out to heaven for help. At that moment the air is filled with song and the first light of day comes. Alatangana is happy and apologizes to the birds. The sun makes its journey each day on the route Sa orders. The sky is not dark at night for the moon and stars and planets come out at night. Sa realizes he has done much for Alatangana. Sa goes to him and tells him that he has given him and his children much while Alatangana has taken Sa’s only child away. In payment Sa will snatch one of Alatangana’s children whenever he desires as payment. All of this comes about because Alatangana did not paid the bride-price for Sa’s daughter. Alatangana knows he is wrong and must consent and so death is introduced to humanity.
This myth is interesting first because it is a well told and vivid version of creation. It not only explains the making of the earth but how different races developed, how light came to be, and why we are subject to death. I think students can get into this story since it is very rich with ideas. The story really gives students a chance to discuss the very basic idea that we share a common origin and we are in fact brothers and sisters. In the story Sa punishes his daughter and son-in-law by making their children different colors and speak different languages. Why is it a punishment to be different in this story? How would you react if suddenly your brother or sister changed colors or spoke a different language? Would they still be your brother or sister? Sa does all of this because he is angry. What do you think of Sa? Why do we often hurt people we love when they make us mad? Alatangana is supposed to be a god. Why doesn’t he oppose Sa? Who is more powerful?
In this story Sa also introduces death. What would happen to the earth if no one died? Could our earth hold all of those people and provide them with the resources to live? Sa takes the children but it doesn’t say what happens to them. What do you think happened to them? What do you think happens when we die?
While diversity is a punishment in the story of Sa and Alatangana, in the second myth “How Humans were Scattered” diversity is treated in a very different way. Here people are living on earth and eventually become bored because they are the same. They ask God if they can be made different. Some want to have different color skin. Some want to speak differently, while some want more land or to be more clever. Finally God becomes angry. He tells the messenger from the people that they should be happy because there is nothing to fight or argue about: they are all equal as god intended. When the messenger goes back to the people they tell him to tell God that if he doesn’t change his mind they will turn away from him. God finally relents and each person gets their wish and so from that time on there has been suspicion, greed and envy in the world.
In this story sameness is equal to boredom. It would be interesting to explore with students what they feel about this question. Why don’t we want to be different? The young are especially subjected to fads and trends which they are pressured into following. Most of you make your parents buy you certain sneakers or cut your hair in a certain way? Why is that important to you? How is it to be different? In the story everyone gets tired of being the same. If you were one of the people in the story what thing would you change about yourself? Would you rather be taller, or smarter, or richer?
The god in this story feels that being the same will make people happy. He can’t understand why they want to be different from each other. Why is it good that all people are not alike? What would it be like if we were all the same? Would we be bored? It would be interesting to take each student and have their classmates suggest some positive characteristic that they have that makes them different. It could be their smile, their ability in math or art, their kindness, their athletic ability, etc.
In the third story of creation by the Yao the God Mulling is driven to heaven by mankind. At first there are no humans, only Mulling and the animals. Everything is peaceful. Then one day the chameleon decides to fish in the river. On the first day he catches a good catch and eats well. On the second day he finds nothing in his trap but a tiny man and woman. The chameleon takes them to Mulling who tells him to release them and let them walk the earth. The chameleon watches them grow to the size people are now. Then they rub two sticks together and make fire, which spreads to an uncontrollable forest fire that threatens all the animals. The man and woman next kill a buffalo and cook it. Mulling is upset that the humans are destroying his creation. All the animals run away. The chameleon goes into the high branches of a tree and the spider climbs so high it disappears into the sky. The spider throws down a line to Mulling who also climbs up into the sky where he remains. Thus God is driven from earth by the evils of mankind. Here the God Mulling is himself confounded by his creation. His only reaction is to run away.
It is interesting that this early African myth has man and woman emerging from the water which is now thought by most scientists to be the place of origin for the earliest life on earth. Mostly due to the importance of water in their lives it is not surprising that they incorporated this into myth.
This story brings up the notion of free will because even god is puzzled by the behavior of the man and woman. Why doesn’t god stop the man and woman? Does he act the way other gods have in the stories we read? Does god control the people in the story?
This myth makes us realize the power of humans over the land and how we can be forces for good and/or evil. The man and woman make fire and cook food but they also set the forest on fire and almost destroy the world. Why do we say that people have to take care of the world? How should we do that?
Along with creation of the earth there are many stories of interest about the sun and moon and sky. The Wute of Cameroon tell of the early days when the sun and moon were good friends.10 Both shine with equal radiance. One day the sun suggests that the both sun and moon along with their families should take a bath in the river. The sun suggests that each family take turns and that he would go upstream where he could have some privacy. He tells the moon that when he sees the water boiling he will know that the sun is in the water. Then he leaves but he has no intention of doing what he had said. When the sun and his family are out of sight he tells his family to cut dry branches off the trees, set them on fire, and throw them into the river. When the moon sees the steaming water he thinks that the sun has taken his bath and he goes into the water. When the moon comes out he is quite pale and has lost most of his heat. When the sun appears he laughs that now he is brighter than the moon. The moon, seeing that he has been tricked, decides to take bloody revenge. Some time later there is a great famine. The moon suggests that he and the sun kill all their children and wives because they can no longer feed so many people. The moon says that he will go upstream and when the sun sees the blood in the river he will know that the moon has killed his family. The moon does not kill his family. When he is out of sight he has his boys throw red clay into the river until the water turns red. When the sun sees the red water he kills all of his family. Now he remains alone in daytime shining brightly, while the moon seems pale and cool, but is surrounded by his wives and many children.
In a story by the Chaga who live in Tanganyika the sun and moon are husband and wife who live on earth.11 The sun often visits where the water lives. One day the sun asks why the river never visits him at his house. The river replies that sun’s house is too small for him and his family, and they would probably drive the sun and moon out of their home. It just so happens that at this very time the sun and moon are building a new house. The sun asks the river if he will visit if the new house is bigger. When the new house is completed the river comes to visit. He is still skeptical but doesn’t want to disappoint his friend. So the river comes in and flows bringing in many fish and rats and water snakes. The water level reaches knee deep. The river asks the sun if he still wants to have all of the river’s family visit. The sun insists that it is all right and so more water flows in and the water level rises. The sun and moon are forced to climb onto the roof to keep dry. But this is still not all of the river’s family. Again the river asks if the sun wants all of his people to come. Not to go back on his word the sun said they are all welcome. The river continues to flow now rising to the top of the house. The sun and moon are forced to go right into the sky where they remain to this day.
These two stories can lead to a discussion of the nature of friendship and trust. In both stories we have supposed friends. We see in the first that the sun and moon can really not trust each other. In actuality they are envious of each other. Students can easily relate to how a good friend today can abandon you very quickly. Discussions might concern what are some of the qualities we look for in a friend? Can we be friends with someone we cannot trust? What makes us feel jealous? What can we do to stop that feeling?
In the second story the sun is really a bit too polite. Are there times when we have to say no to a friend? How do you think the river would have felt if the sun and moon stopped him from visiting? What does it mean to give our word? The sun and moon are now in the sky do you think they are still friends with the river?
There is also a great opportunity to use this story as a bridge to some science lessons on the sun and moon. Do we believe the explanation that the myth gave us about the sun and the moon and how they got into the sky? Do we believe that the sun and moon can talk like the characters in the story? Why do you think the Africans made up this story? Did anyone ever tell you a story (myth) to explain something? What about the tooth fairy and Easter bunny? Did you once believe them? Why do we keep telling these stories? Should we do away with myths? Why are they important?
In a third story the story of thunder and lightning is told.12 Again the two main characters dwell on the earth. Thunder is an old mother sheep and lightning is her only son a handsome ram. Lightning has a quick temper and when he gets mad he flies into a rage and destroy houses and field. He is so strong he could uproot trees and crops. When his mother finds out she yells at him with her loud voice. Of course over time the people become fed up with this behavior and speak to the ruler about the ram’s behavior. The two are asked to live at the end of town. The problem still continues. The ruler is forced to have the mother and son banished from the town. They go into the woods and cannot go into town again. On the way out of town lightning sets the woods on fire which starts a terrible fire. This time the ruler meets with his advisors. They decide that the only thing to do is to throw both of them high into the sky. So mother and son are sent into the sky to live, however, the people still are not rid of them. Lightning still loses his temper and fires down fire to the earth and his mother still can be heard scolding him.
Here again powerful forces of nature are cloaked in the guise of animals with human characteristics. The Africans probably didn’t have a clue as to the scientific explanation of what caused thunder and lightning. It would be interesting to have students write a few lines about what they have been told about the origins of thunder and lightning. I know from past conversations that most have been told stories such as, god is throwing things around heaven, he’s shaking out a rug, or he’s bowling. Why did your parents tell you these stories? Why didn’t they tell you the scientific reason? Did you believe the story? How did you feel before and after you heard the story? Do you still believe it?
Not only does this story lead into possible science topics but it also unlocks the concept of metaphor and simile. We try to introduce students to these ideas and how they can be incorporated into their writing to increase detail through comparison. This story nicely offers obvious comparisons of temper to lightning and a powerful voice to thunder. It is a good place to begin or continue the discussion.