A Dictionary Of African Mythology

Searchable database of over 400 entries from Harold Scheub's Dictionary of African mythology.

These fascinating and revealing tales capture the sprawling diversity of African mythology. 400 alphabetically arranged entries touch on virtually every aspect of African religious belief, from Africa1s great epic themes (dualistic gods, divine tricksters, creator gods, and heroes) to descriptions of major mythic systems (the Dogon, the Asante, and the San) and beyond. Provides info. about the respective belief systems, the main characters, and related stories or variants. Scheub emphasizes the role of mythmaker as storyteller -- as a performer for an audience. He studies various techniques, from the rhythmic movements of a Zulu mythmaker1s hands to the way a storyteller will play on the familiar context of other myths within her cultural context. Illus.

This collection of fascinating, mysterious, and revealing tales captures the immense sweep and diversity of African mythology. The stories touch on virtually every aspect of belief: gods and goddesses, epic heroes and divine tricksters, along with epics of the world's origins, the struggle between the human and the divine, and much more.

This collection of fascinating and revealing tales captures the sprawling diversity of African mythology. Four hundred alphabetically arranged entries touch on virtually every aspect of African religious belief, from Africa's great epic themes (dualistic gods, divine tricksters, creator gods, and heroes) to descriptions of major mythic systems (the Dogon, the Asante, and the San) and beyond. Scheub covers the entire continent, from the mouth of the Nile to the shores of the Cape of Good Hope, including North African as well as sub-Saharan cultures. His retellings provide information about the respective belief system, the main characters, and related stories or variants. Perhaps most important, Scheub emphasizes the role of mythmaker as storyteller--as a performer for an audience. He studies various techniques, from the rhythmic movements of a Zulu mythmaker's hands to the way a storyteller will play on the familiar context of other myths within her cultural context. An invaluable bridge to the richly diverse oral cultures of Africa, this collection uncovers a place where story and storyteller, tradition and performance, all merge.

The African continent is home to a fascinating and strong tradition of myth, due in part to the long history of human habitation in Africa; the diversity of its geography, flora, and fauna; and the variety of its cultural beliefs. African Mythology A to Z is a readable reference to the deities, places, events, animals, beliefs, and other subjects that appear in the myths of various African peoples. For the first time, this edition features full-color photographs and illustrations.Coverage includes:

Africa : the most distinctive land mass on the surface of the earth. Yet for all its majesty it is a country whose historical and religious wealth remains a mystery to all but a very few of Western observers. How many people know anything at all about pre-Colonial Africa? The Aquarian Guide to African Mythology is the first comprehensive overview of the beliefs, myths and cosmology of African peoples. It deals not only with traditional stories woven around a pantheon of gods and mythical figures but also with legends, fables and more general subjects that played a part in African mythology and African life. The wide range of entries include religious concepts, prophets, the best-known tribes, mystical phenomena, spirits and demons, and the many animals that played such a large part in African mythology. Dr Jan Knappert's alphabetical guide is founded on his many years of personal experience in Africa. Its very accessible style makes it ideal not only as a reference work for students of anthropology but as a sample for general readers wishing to dip in and be informed on any subject that appeals to them. The book is illustrated with examples of African art.