ABASSI
Nigerian Creator God and Lord of the Sky. Along with his wife ATAI, ABASSI invented the first humans and somewhat nervously introduced them into the wild.

The first couple quickly discovered sex, and were pretty soon doing their own creating. This created a terrible over-population problem, so ATAI gave humanity two gifts, Argument and Death, to keep the numbers under control.

Area or tribe: Efik people of Nigeria
Gender: Male (entirely quotes from "African Mythology")

Creator god of the Efik people in Nigeria. Following his wife Atai's instructions, he made the first man and woman and placed them on earth with the order not to work or have any children. When, eventually, they broke the order Atai killed the man and woman and created strife and fighting between their children (quoted from Galadriel).

In Efik mythology, Abassi was god and the father (togther with his wife Atai) of all mankind. They had two children, and when the children were grown up they wanted to leave heaven and settle on earth. Abassi was hesitant, worried that they may breed a warrior people which might then attack him, but Atai persuaded him to let the children leave and live on earth providing that they never mated or worked and that they came back to heaven to eat when he rang the dinner-bell. This arrangement worked for a while, but then the children began experimenting with ploughing, sowing, harvesting and sex - and soon the earth was swarming with their descendants. Atai solved this potential problem by giving them two presents: argument and death. The primordial parents immediately died, and their offspring have been brawling and haunted by death ever since. As for Abassi and Atai, they were so disgusted with mankind that they lived aloof and alone in heaven taking no notice of mankind at all (quoted from Probert).

Abassi is the creator god. His wife is Atai , who convinced him to allow two humans to settle on Earth , but to forbid them to reproduce or work so that they would not exceed Abassi in wisdom. Eventually, they broke this rule and Atai killed them both, as well as caused strife and war between their children (quoted from TutorGig).

ANANSI: The Spider Trickster God. Very popular with the natives. In fact he's affectionately known as Aunt Nancy.

As well as being sneaky, tricky, sly and crafty, he's also a Creator God who made the sun and moon and hit upon the novel idea of day and night. Legends and tales abound. He's also one of WULBARI's cohorts, apparently.

Gender: Male (entirely quotes from "African Mythology")

Trickster god of the Ashanti people. Created the sun and moon, and instituted the succession of night and day. He is the intermediary for the god of the sky Nyame. He brings rain to stop the forest fires and is in charge of the extent of floods. He taught man to sow grain and till the fields. His mother is Asase Ya (quoted from Galadriel).

The Ashanti trickster/culture hero, also called 'the Spider'. He is the intermediary of the sky god Nyame, his father, on whose command Anansi brings rain to quench the forest fires and determines the borders of oceans and rivers during floods. Later Anansi's place as representative was usurped by the chameleon. His mother is Asase Ya.

Anansi is sometimes regarded as the creator of the sun and the moon and the stars, as well as the one who instituted the succession of day and night. It is also believed that he created the first man, into which Nyame breathed life. A typical trickster, he is crafty, sly, villainous, but he also taught mankind how to sow grain and how to use the shovel on the fields. He set himself up as the first king of the human beings and even managed to marry Nyame's daughter. He was beaten only in his encounter with the wax girl, to whom he stuck fast, having struck her with his legs when she refused to talk to him. The people then rushed forwards and beat the tricky Anansi (quoted from Lindemans).

ASA
God of the Akamba people of Kenya. A strong yet merciful lord and god of sustenance and consolation. He helps when humans can't. Asa is also known as Mwatuangi, "distributor", Mulungu, "creator", and Mumbi, "fashioner" (quoted from Galadriel).

The 'Akamba' live in Kenya , Africa . The supreme god is called Asa ("father" also Mwatuangi meaning "distributor," Mulungu meaning "creator" and Mumbi "fashioner") is a merciful and generally benevolent ruler of the spirits (quoted from TutorGig).

Quoted from Encyclopedia Mythica
The god of the Akamba people of Kenya. He is 'the strong lord', above the spirits, but also a merciful one. As god of consolation and sustenance, he intervenes when human help is slow or ineffective. He is supposed to have said, "It is I who made the people; whom I love, he will thrive; and whom I refuse, he will die."

Asa is also known as Mwatuangi, "distributor", Mulungu, "creator", and Mumbi, "fashioner".

BUMBA
From the Bushongo in the Congo comes BUMBA, the African God of Vomit. Yes, vomit.
Also known as MBOMBO and MBONGO

Racked with stomach pain, he vomited up the Sun, choked out the Moon and threw up the Earth. This nauseating display was brought to a triumphant conclusion when, as an encore, he vomited forth plants, animals, human beings and diced carrots.

Area or tribe: Bushoong people of the Congo
Gender: Male (entirely quoted from "African Mythology")

QUOTED FROM The Gods of African Mythology

In the beginning, all was dark. Then out of the darkness came BUMBA, a giant pale-skinned figure. He was not feeling well. In fact he had not been feeling well for millions of years. He was lonely, and the unbearable solitude was making him ill.

Troubled by a ballooning bellyache, he staggered, moaned and vomited up the Sun. Light burst forth into the Universe - and he choked out the Moon. The stars came next and then, with a tremendous effort, he threw up the planet Earth. We do live in a very sick world.

This nauseating display was brought to a triumphant conclusion when, as an encore, he vomited forth nine animals, an assortment of humans, and a pile of diced carrots.

Exhausted from his labors, he sat and watched as the nine creatures multiplied. After a while, they had evolved into every living thing on Earth. Which goes to show that Creationism and Evolution are both right.

Apart from a pesky critter named TSETSE-BUMBA, all his creatures were friendly and respectful. His loneliness abated and finally he was content.

Then BUMBA's three sons appeared. NYONYE-NGANA, CHONGANDA and CHEDI-BUMBA added the finishing touches and thus the world was made. BUMBA spoke kindly to his human creations before ascending to Heaven, never to be seen again. So far as we know, his stomach has never troubled him since.

(Bumba)

ESHU
Very popular Trickster God. Particularly keen on Opportunity, Communication and Instant Messaging.

ESHU directs traffic along the Road of Life from his abode at the Crossroads of Fortune. If you're faced with an important choice or a powerful opportunity, ESHU can offer advice to help swing things your way. A super-speedy go-between, he can carry complaints to the Gods, questions to the spirit world, and messages to any living thing.

With his connections, ESHU can be a powerful ally. But he's also a God with a sense of humor and will often throw a spanner in the works to keep life interesting. This could explain why we don't always get what we want. Be careful - this God of crossroads is also a master of cross-purposes. See also FA and LEGBA.

Area or tribe: Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin Gender: Male (entirely quotes from "African Mythology")

Yoruba god of beginnings, doorways and crossroads. He rules the opportunity and potentiality of a situation, and the risks and rewards inherent in it. also known as Exu (Brazil), Eleggua (Cuba),and Esu (West Africa), is the owner of every road of life (quoted from Galadriel).

KALUNGA

Originally the ancestral god of the Lunda people of Angola, Zaire and Zambia. Later he became the supreme being, a god of the sky and of creation. He is all-knowing and all-seeing, and a righteous judge of the dead whose decisions are characterized by wisdom and compassion. He is also the god of the sea, where the dead dwell (quoted from Galadriel).

Originally the ancestral god of the Lunda people of Angola, Zaire and Zambia. Later he became the supreme being, a god of the sky and of creation. He is all-knowing and all-seeing, and a righteous judge of the dead whose decisions are characterized by wisdom and compassion. As the god of the dead he is associated with the underworld and the sea (which is regarded as the realm of the dead). Kalunga is the father of the popular patron god(dess) Musisi (quoted from Lindemans).

LEGBA

He is a Yoruba god of destiny. The first to be invoked since he holds the key to the gate separating the realms of the gods from those of man. He appears as a poorly dressed old man but is very strong. He is known for his intelligence, cunning and knowledge of all the languages of man. He is a trickster (quoted from Galadriel).

Legba, a god of West Africa and Voodooism, is the child of the Sky Pantheon. He is allied with destiny, but has no particular domain. Legba is very intelligent and cunning, despite the fact that he is a trickster. Although Legba appears as a weak poorly dressed old man, he is really very strong. He understands all languages of humans and of the gods. In Voodoo ceremonies, Legba is always the first to be invoked. No Loa, a spirit of the dead, is allowed to enter into the worshippers unless he has Legba¹s permission. This is because he holds the key to the gate separating the humans' world and the world of the gods (quoted from Lindemans).

OBATALA
Also known as OLUFON, ORISALA, and ORISHALA
Creator God who didn't get a chance to create. He was issued with the task of building the Earth by Sky God OLORUN, who gave him blueprints, a handful of mud, a chain, a five-toed chicken, and detailed instructions.

Unfortunately, on his way to perform this important task, OBATALA accidentally gatecrashed a Godparty and spent the rest of the evening roaring drunk on palm wine. Seeing the chance for fame and glory, his younger brother ODUDUWA pinched the holy building materials and attempted to jerry-build the Earth himself.

Advised by a friendly chameleon, he lowered the chain over the edge of heaven, climbed down, and tossed the lump of mud into the primeval sea. The chicken hopped onto the mud and began scratching it in all directions.

Pretty soon there was a decent size landscape and thus was the Earth born. OLORUN was so pleased with ODUDUWA that he promoted him to God of the Earth, while the disgraced and boozy OBATALA was put to work making mankind as punishment.

If you ever wondered why humans aren't quite as perfect as they should be, here's the answer: he was drunk at the time. So now you know.

OBATALA eventually learned the error of his ways and became the Great White God of mankind, specialising in white wine, laundry and refrigerators. He's also God of the North, although in what capacity (Pole? Wind? Star?) we have yet to ascertain.

Area or tribe: Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin
Gender: Male (entirely quotes from "African Mythology")

One of the major deities of the Yoruba people. With his brother Odudua he forms the primordial pair of gods. He is the creator of the human body in which his father Olorun breathes the soul. He is the sky-god and god of the North, and the first Orisha to be created. He helped to create humans (quoted from Galadriel).

One of the most important gods of the Nigerian Yoruba people. He is the creator of the human body in which his father Olorun breathes the soul. Since Obatala, under influence of palm wine, created crippled people he became the patron god of the handicapped. He is the god of the north (quoted from Lindemans).

QUOTED FROM The Gods of African Mythology

He was issued with the task of building the Earth by Sky God OLORUN, who gave him blueprints, a handful of mud, a chain, a five-toed chicken, and detailed instructions.

Unfortunately, on his way to perform this important task, OBATALA accidentally gatecrashed a Godparty and spent the rest of the evening roaring drunk on palm wine. Seeing the chance for fame and glory, his younger brother ODUDUWA pinched the holy building materials and attempted to jerry-build the Earth himself.

Advised by a friendly chameleon, he lowered the chain over the edge of heaven, climbed down, and tossed the lump of mud into the primeval sea. The chicken hopped onto the mud and began scratching it in all directions.

Pretty soon there was a decent size landscape and thus was the Earth born. OLORUN was so pleased with ODUDUWA that he promoted him to God of the Earth, while the disgraced and boozy OBATALA was put to work making mankind as punishment.

If you ever wondered why humans aren't quite as perfect as they should be, here's the answer: he was drunk at the time. So now you know.

OBATALA eventually learned the error of his ways and became the Great White God of mankind, specialising in white wine, laundry and refrigerators. He's also God of the North, although in what capacity (Pole? Wind? Star?) we have yet to ascertain.