Ancient West African Legends

giraffe and zebra in Africa

"Explaining the World Through Mythology: Tales of Far-Away Lands and Long-Ago Times," presented by Sharonah Fredrick, assistant director, Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies

The Orixas, worshipped today from Brazil to West Africa, have their origin in the rich epic tales of tenth century Nigeria. There, gods and humans intermingled, and their literary/oral avatars, whether the sea goddess Yemanja, the jester god Exu, the queen of love and beauty Oxun, or the god of thunder and iron, Xango, shared the dramas, triumphs, and amorous entanglements that are perhaps more familiar to Western publics through Greek mythology. Like ancient Greek religion, thought, myth and parable empowers its worshippers with vivid examples: the stories themselves, which teach human beings how to behave, and teach a great deal about the time periods in which these stories came into being, from medieval Africa to Renaissance Brazil and the Caribbean Sea.

Kendra Bruning
Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
480-965-8097
Kendra.Bruning@asu.edu
http://acmrs.org/news/events
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Southeast Regional Library - Gilbert