World Mythology: Africa

African Mythology

North Africans are predominantly Islamic, but the many peoples in sub-Saharan Africa have a rich collection of traditional beliefs. Almost all recognize a supreme being who created the universe. There are also many other gods, whose cults flourish in W Africa. Many Africans believe in the power of the spirit world.

Text from: “African Mythology.” Philip’s Encyclopedia, 1st ed., Philip’s, 2008. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6MTA5MTM2NA==?aid=95497.

Egyptian Mythology

Egyptian religion was polytheistic. The gods who inhabited the bounded and ultimately perishable cosmos varied in nature and capacity. The word netjer (“god”) described a much wider range of beings than the deities of monotheistic religions, including what might be termed demons. As is almost necessary in polytheism, gods were neither all-powerful nor all-knowing. Their power was immeasurably greater than that of human beings, and they had the ability to live almost indefinitely, to survive fatal wounds, to be in more than one place at once, to affect people in visible and invisible ways, and so forth.

Text from: "Ancient Egyptian religion." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 4 Nov. 2020. libraries.state.ma.us/login?eburl=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.eb.com&ebtarget=%2Flevels%2Freferencecenter%2Farticle%2Fancient-Egyptian-religion%2F110695&ebboatid=9265928. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Image from: “Re.” Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, by Encyclopaedia Britannica, Britannica Digital Learning, 2017. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDU3ODkz?aid=95497.