Interesting African Myths!!
African Myths are very different from the general myths because not only are they funny they also aren't popular. Every country has those scary stories or oneliners they tell kids in a bit to scare them from doing certain things. African countries surely does not disappoint in sharing make believe stories like that, afterall their culture relays heavily on storytelling. Here are a few we found interesting;
- Whistling at night invites demons; According to Nigerian folktale, whistling at night is wrong and could have dire consequences. I belive Nigeria is one of the few countires in Africa where you can find a lot of "African Myths".
- There's a common myth in which some people believe Egyptians were obsessed with death. They weren't obsessed but they cared for the bodies because they saw death as a gateway to another life.
- There are Fairy circles found in the Namibian desert. Urban legend believes they're either the footprints of God or the crust of a fire breathing dragon from under the vegetation.
- One of the most popular Nigerian myths is the one told about the Yorubas, where the dead returns to their family in the form of a newborn baby. The resurrected child is determined by its resemblance to the dead.
- Sun and rain; hunters believe that if it rains while the sun is out, a lion is giving birth.
- Were Egyptians in Contact with Aliens? Not true! The pyramids were simply built by black hands and it took years to build one. Also, workers were hired to build it.
- If a very beautiful girl invites you to the beach or river on the first date, she's probably a siren or what the Yorubas call a "Mami Water", RUN!
Some Myths With Short Stories
- The King's Drum: The story is about a tortoise who became greedy when he realized the king's drum could grant any food request the king made. One day he grabbed the Queen and held her hostage, her ransom fee was the drum. His demands were met but the drums conditions didn't meet his request. Instead, whenever they played the drum he and his family were also beaten by spirits. Days later, he and his family went into hiding beneath a prickly palm tree. This is why till date the tortoise lives in shame under the palm tree.
- The Maasai people's love for cattle started when God gave them a ton as instructions he ordered them to love it. There's a longer story to it but this is the shorter version.
- The Biloko; This is one of the ancestral spirits in Zaire, DRC. These spirits roam the forest and are able to swallow a whole human for no reason. Simply stay clear of that and hopefully, you'll be fine!
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