Before the pyramids, before the empires, before history as we know it, there were the stories. Whispered around fires, chanted by shamans, and passed down through generations, the creation myths of Africa are as vast and diverse as the continent itself. These are not just tales of gods and giants; they are epic sagas of cosmic eggs, divine vomit, and celestial beings who descended from the stars to shape humanity. From the Yoruba's divine king Oduduwa to the Boshongo's giant Bumba who vomited the world into existence, these stories offer a glimpse into a forgotten world of wonder and imagination. Join us on a journey to explore the breathtaking creation myths from across Africa, and discover the secrets of how a continent explained its own existence.
The Children of Oduduwa, West Africa
The Yoruba people from West Africa call themselves the Children of Oduduwa. Oduduwa is held to be the first of all the kings, who came from the east and ruled over ancient Ife, where, with Obatala, he began the creation of the world. Obatala created the first humans out of clay, while Oduduwa became the first divine king of the Yoruba. He sent his sons and daughters out with crowns to rule over all of the other Yoruba kingdoms and all the Yoruba royal families claim descent through them back to Oduduwa.
Statue of Oduduwa at Ile-Ife. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Oduduwa first-born of my sons, to you I give
The five-clawed Bird, the sand of power. Go now,
Call a despairing land to smiling life
Above the jealous sea, and found sure homesteads
For a new race whose destiny is not
The eternal life of Gods. You are their judge;
Yours is the kingship
