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.
- AnansiWest African spider deity
- cosmic eggMythic universe seed
- thunder godDeity of storms
- ancestor worshipReligious honoring of forebears
- ancestral spiritsSouls of deceased kin
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
African mythsEuropean folklore
Traditional tales from Europe
Norse mythology · Greek mythology · Roman mythology · Celtic mythology · Slavic mythology
African mythsempirical evidence
Proof from measurable observation
historical record · verified accounts · scientific knowledge · modern science · objective truth
African mythsarchival records
Systematically preserved documentation
contemporary accounts · documentary evidence · recorded history · academic scholarship · modern literature
African, Africa, Africans, myth, myths, mythic, mythical, mythology, mythological