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:

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.

A collection of myths shaped by the cultures and beliefs of Africa, featuring creator gods, tricksters, shape-changing animals, and heroes who overcome unthinkable hardship.

A collection of African myths, legends and fables about gods, spirits, ghosts, heroes, and animals.

Discover The Gods and Myths of African Mythology Ancient Africa holds a rich legacy of oral cultures, philosophies, and standards that reflect today's deep moral standards. For centuries, African mythology has largely been overlooked by its Western neighbors, particularly Greece and Rome, where myths and legends are typically narrated as single stories, unlike their African counterparts. But in recent years, academics and popular readers are starting to steer back to this continent, where legends and deities from ancient civilizations are just waiting to be revealed to the world.

Africa south of the Sahara is a land of wide-ranging traditions and varying cultures. Despite the diversity and the lack of early written records, the continent possesses a rich body of folk tales and legends that have been passed down through the strong custom of storytelling and which often share similar elements, characters and ideas between peoples. So this collection offers a hefty selection of legends and tales – stories of the gods, creation and origins, trickster exploits, animal fables and stories which entertain and edify – from ‘Obatala Creates Mankind’, from the Yoruba people of west Africa, to ‘The Girl Of The Early Race, Who Made Stars’, from the San people of southern Africa, all collected in a gorgeous gold-foiled and embossed hardback to treasure.

Captured here in one illuminating volume, African myths reflect the creative traditions of hundreds of tribal groups and reveal fascinating perspectives on nature, humanity, and the divine, as well as on the origin and destiny of the world. Each of these tales depicts a close relationship with the land and a deep interest in the spiritual realm.

This book is filled with strange stories, mystic rites, angry gods, vision quests and magic symbols at the heart of African culture.