African myths

Sub-Saharan legendary tales

African myths are the traditional stories, legends, and religious narratives originating from the diverse cultures of the African continent.

These encompass creation stories, tales of gods and spirits, explanations for natural phenomena, and moral teachings passed down through oral tradition.

The term covers an enormous range—from Yoruba orishas to San creation narratives to Egyptian mythology—reflecting hundreds of distinct cultural traditions rather than a single unified body of folklore.

Related

spirit world · lunar cycles · sun and moon · world tree · primordial waters · sacred rivers · rain dances · Shaka Zulu · origin · fertility rituals · oral tradition · griots · genesis · harvest celebrations · drum circles · trickster tales · talking animals · celestial navigation

Opposites
geographic/cultural origin

African mythsEuropean folklore

Traditional tales from Europe

Norse mythology · Greek mythology · Roman mythology · Celtic mythology · Slavic mythology

epistemological status

African mythsempirical evidence

Proof from measurable observation

historical record · verified accounts · scientific knowledge · modern science · objective truth

temporal/documentary status

African mythsarchival records

Systematically preserved documentation

contemporary accounts · documentary evidence · recorded history · academic scholarship · modern literature

Family

African, Africa, Africans, myth, myths, mythic, mythical, mythology, mythological

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G