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Flame Tree Collector's Editions Mythology
African Myths & Legends: Tales of Heroes, Gods & Monsters
Beautiful edition with a new introduction to the rich diversity of myth and legends across the many peoples of Africa, highlighting the origins of modern fiction in myth and fable.
Gorgeous Collector's Edition. With its powerful tradition of storytelling, the myths of the continent of Africa have survived colonialism and slavery, bringing together a rich diversity of cultures from Ethiopia to Tanzania, from the Xhosa people to the Yoruba. This collection offers tales of the gods, creation stories, trickster adventures, animal fables and stories which amuse and teach from 'The Tortoise and the Elephant', from the Akamba of Kenya, to 'Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes', from Southern Nigeria, providing an insight into the boundless and vibrant world of African myth.
Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.
Gorgeous Collector's Edition. With its powerful tradition of storytelling, the myths of the continent of Africa have survived colonialism and slavery, bringing together a rich diversity of cultures from Ethiopia to Tanzania, from the Xhosa people to the Yoruba. This collection offers tales of the gods, creation stories, trickster adventures, animal fables and stories which amuse and teach from 'The Tortoise and the Elephant', from the Akamba of Kenya, to 'Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes', from Southern Nigeria, providing an insight into the boundless and vibrant world of African myth.
Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.
416 pages, Hardcover
Published February 21, 2023
45 people are currently reading
503 people want to read
About the author
Jake Jackson
173 books173 followersSF and dark fantasy author but also a writer/creator of practical music books - Beginner's Guide to Reading Music, Guitar Chords, Piano Chords, Songwriter’s Rhyming Dictionary and How to Play Guitar. Other publications include Advanced Guitar Chords, Advanced Piano Chords, Chords for Kids, How to Play the Electric Guitar, Piano & Keyboard Chords, Scales and Modes and Play Flamenco. Also editor of Mythology books
Released EP Jakesongs on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, LastFM, etc and on CDBaby. Lifelong passion for fantastic worlds of any kind, from movies to fiction, art to music, posters, album and paperback book covers.
Jake Jackson is the artist name for Nick Wells, Publisher of Flame Tree Press / Flame Tree Publishing.
Released EP Jakesongs on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, LastFM, etc and on CDBaby. Lifelong passion for fantastic worlds of any kind, from movies to fiction, art to music, posters, album and paperback book covers.
Jake Jackson is the artist name for Nick Wells, Publisher of Flame Tree Press / Flame Tree Publishing.
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September 17, 2025I have had, for a long time now, a vivid dream: a dream in which white Europeans never set foot in Africa. I try to envision what the African continent could have been like, thriving in its own culture and richness, if Western civilisations had never come to impose their destruction on the birthplace of humanity.
Having been born in northern Mozambique, near Lake Niassa (nowadays Mallawy) in the heart of the Makua people's region, from an early age I heard they told their stories in hushed whispers in the campfires, about legends and myths filled with frightening, legendary creatures directly associated with the origin of Creation, fabulous narratives of funeral rites, initiation ceremonies, poems of a military nature, riddles, legends, and dances with mystical attributes that convey the social identity of the dancers and spectators and resonated deeply within our collective heritage.
Mozambique is a country with a rich cultural legacy, shaped by various ethnic groups and a passionate collection of myths and legends. These stories are deeply rooted in the oral traditions of different communities, including the Makonde, Makhuwa, Yao, Tsonga, Sena peoples and many others.
These narratives are shared to explain the origins of large and deep philosophical themes, such as the origin of the Universe and Life itself or, more down to earth, specific customs, natural events, and the relationships between different groups of people. They provide historical and cultural background and context for communities, helping to shape their identity and values.
The Makua, also known as Makhuwa, are an ethnic group living in northern Mozambique and in the southern border provinces of Tanzania, near Lake Malawi, not very far from Nampula, where I was born. They have been an established ethnic group in the region for a long time, long before the 1st millennium CE.
I had the privilege of living among these extraordinary people for a few brief years, unfortunately, and through my father, superficially, I became familiarised with their beliefs, legends, traditions and stories.
One of the main mythical legends in the oral tradition of the Makua people tells that their Ancestors were the Original man and woman born on the sacred Namuli Mount, their original home, while other living creatures came from other nearby mountains. A female foot is said to be imprinted on the outside of the cave on the top of the Mountain, hence the matriarchal family structure.
It's believed that the Makua are the largest animistic people group in Africa. Their mythology tells us about a God (Muluku) who created the whole world and is almighty, but who is also remote and not involved in the ordinary daily things of humans, a role taken by the Forefathers (the spirits of dead ancestors).
They have a saying in Makua: "God is life, the forefathers are medicine."
Meaning that God gave life, and that's it, the rest is up to us. We have already received life; what is now needed from time to time is not life, but "medicine", and it's here that we need the forefathers.
Like most animists, they believe in this High God, but their religious life typically has little to do with Him/Her. The focus of animistic religious life and practice is rather on the middle zone between the High God of the upper zone and the everyday human life of the lower zone.
Among the Yao people, who replace "Muluko" with "Mulungo", one tale describes how Mulungu and the beasts lived on earth, but when humans were created and began setting the bush on fire, Mulungu was forced to ascend to the sky to escape human wickedness and stupidity. This story explains the origin of fire and humanity's fraught relationship with nature and the divine. Centuries later, the Romans and the Jews crucified another jew and forced God to flee to Heaven. I wonder...
As in many African cultures, animal fables are a central part of Mozambican oral tradition. These stories, often featuring talking animals with human traits (nothing new in the occidental storytelling tradition, just a few centuries younger...), are used to teach moral lessons about greed, cunning, community and all other human traits. The magical word "Karingana!" is often used by children in response to a storyteller, similar to "once upon a time."
African tribal oral literature is rich, diverse, and persuasive, but written literature, until recently, was rare and was largely compensated for by music, dance (the "ethahura" dance of the Makua people, for example), magic, and sculpture. Oral narrative is, above all, imaginative and filled with supernaturalism, mythologies, and superstitions (okhuiri).
Those lacking experience and knowledge of African realities may initially have difficulty appreciating the beauty of the symbolism and emotional climate these fables evoke, and may be tempted to dismiss them as naive and primitive. This was the first major mistake of the Western invader upon setting foot in Africa.
Since African mythology has little recorded and preserved data, in the traditional Western sense, relying essentially on oral tradition, it is difficult to determine dates. However, if the human species, as we know it today, originated in Africa, then it seems logical to accept that the myths and legends transmitted orally from generation to generation on that continent are the first philosophical attempts to explain our existence, life, the world, and the Universe.
In this context, this short book by Sola Owonibi is quite interesting and comprehensive on African fables and myths, from the Congo in Central Africa to the Zulus in the south. More interesting than this book, however, is a manuscript containing descriptions of Mozambican folklore in a collection of fables. It was discovered in the Archives of the Jesuit Curia of the Province of Portugal in Lisbon, written both in Portuguese and in various local languages. The collection of stories is considered to be written by Father José Manuel Teixeira (1911-1959), a Jesuit missionary who worked in Lifidzi, Zambezia, and at the Tete mission in Mozambique.
The fables recorded there present aspects of prehistoric ethnic identity, the great African myths, which reflect ethical values, social customs and habits, traditions, and religious beliefs, narrated in time immemorial and transmitted through oral tradition and through the songs and dances of these peoples to this day, preserving their cultural identity.
Today, we know that African myths and legends first influenced Egyptian mythology, which in turn influenced Greek mythology. Notable parallels exist in some core myths. Both Greek and Egyptian creation myths depict the world emerging from a primordial state of chaos, similar to the stories found in central and southern Africa. Documented influences from sub-Saharan African mythologies are limited, but Egypt's impact on Greek thought, religion, and art is well-established.
The ancient Greeks frequently drew parallels between their pantheon of gods and those worshipped in Egypt, a phenomenon known as "interpretatio graeca". This intriguing process of interfaith dialogue not only fostered cultural exchange but occasionally evolved into syncretism—an amalgamation of beliefs and deities. For instance, the Greek messenger god Hermes found similarities with the Egyptian god Thoth, who presided over writing and wisdom. Similarly, the nurturing goddess Isis was often equated with Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility. Such associations highlight the fascinating interplay of mythology and spirituality between civilisations.
The influence of sub-Saharan Africa on the Greeks was more indirect, yet the Greeks acknowledged and respected the people they referred to as "Ethiopians." This term encompassed all dark-skinned peoples, including those from Nubia and regions further south. In both the Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer describes the "blameless Ethiopians" as residing on the outskirts of the known world. Their righteousness was such that even the gods would leave Mount Olympus to feast with them. This depiction reflects a sense of admiration rather than disdain. The princess Andromeda was the daughter of the king of Ethiopia and was a central figure in the myth of Perseus. Although modern depictions often show her as European, ancient sources describe her as Ethiopian, a detail that was central to her story.
Many African myths and legends likely developed and evolved as they spread, adapting to different cultures. One interesting example is the dugong: although this marine mammal is real and endangered in Mozambique, it has inspired local legends. The dugong's nurturing behaviour toward its young may have contributed to the creation of Greek mermaid myths, as the animals are often perceived as gentle and human-like.
The Persephone myth is present in several stories about relatives going to "The Land Of The Ghosts" to rescue a lover or a relative.
In the Yoruba religion, the Orisha Yewa, an Orisha of death, cemeteries, and decomposition, is a direct parallel to Persephone's dual role as queen of the dead and goddess of new growth. Like Persephone, Yewa's story involves a loss of innocence and a transition to a new, powerful domain
In the Igbo religion, Ala (or Ani) is a powerful female deity of the Earth, representing the Earth itself, and is the source of all fertility, morality, and law. She rules over the underworld, where the souls of the deceased ancestors reside within her womb. This dual role as a goddess of the living, fertile earth and as a ruler of the dead is a clear thematic parallel to Persephone and Demeter combined.
Even Disney, in the adaptation of The Frog King or the Iron Henry, a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, can be found in a story, common all around central Africa, of a frog that was a rich prince condemned to marry a beautiful girl to be restored to his human appearance. In the African version, he stays a frog...YEAH!
The creative minds of all those African people easily accommodated the highly improbable or completely impossible. Crocodiles, lizards, and legions of other creatures lived in absolute harmony with humans, and a sense of fantasy was shared by all. Humans, under the right conditions (punishment, revenge, accident, or stupidity), could be transformed into animals (Circe, anyone????).
Today, it's too late and naive to keep dreaming and hoping that dreams will come true. There remains hope that the resilience of African magic will prove stronger than Western materialistic influence.
Having been born in northern Mozambique, near Lake Niassa (nowadays Mallawy) in the heart of the Makua people's region, from an early age I heard they told their stories in hushed whispers in the campfires, about legends and myths filled with frightening, legendary creatures directly associated with the origin of Creation, fabulous narratives of funeral rites, initiation ceremonies, poems of a military nature, riddles, legends, and dances with mystical attributes that convey the social identity of the dancers and spectators and resonated deeply within our collective heritage.
Mozambique is a country with a rich cultural legacy, shaped by various ethnic groups and a passionate collection of myths and legends. These stories are deeply rooted in the oral traditions of different communities, including the Makonde, Makhuwa, Yao, Tsonga, Sena peoples and many others.
These narratives are shared to explain the origins of large and deep philosophical themes, such as the origin of the Universe and Life itself or, more down to earth, specific customs, natural events, and the relationships between different groups of people. They provide historical and cultural background and context for communities, helping to shape their identity and values.
The Makua, also known as Makhuwa, are an ethnic group living in northern Mozambique and in the southern border provinces of Tanzania, near Lake Malawi, not very far from Nampula, where I was born. They have been an established ethnic group in the region for a long time, long before the 1st millennium CE.
I had the privilege of living among these extraordinary people for a few brief years, unfortunately, and through my father, superficially, I became familiarised with their beliefs, legends, traditions and stories.
One of the main mythical legends in the oral tradition of the Makua people tells that their Ancestors were the Original man and woman born on the sacred Namuli Mount, their original home, while other living creatures came from other nearby mountains. A female foot is said to be imprinted on the outside of the cave on the top of the Mountain, hence the matriarchal family structure.
It's believed that the Makua are the largest animistic people group in Africa. Their mythology tells us about a God (Muluku) who created the whole world and is almighty, but who is also remote and not involved in the ordinary daily things of humans, a role taken by the Forefathers (the spirits of dead ancestors).
They have a saying in Makua: "God is life, the forefathers are medicine."
Meaning that God gave life, and that's it, the rest is up to us. We have already received life; what is now needed from time to time is not life, but "medicine", and it's here that we need the forefathers.
Like most animists, they believe in this High God, but their religious life typically has little to do with Him/Her. The focus of animistic religious life and practice is rather on the middle zone between the High God of the upper zone and the everyday human life of the lower zone.
Among the Yao people, who replace "Muluko" with "Mulungo", one tale describes how Mulungu and the beasts lived on earth, but when humans were created and began setting the bush on fire, Mulungu was forced to ascend to the sky to escape human wickedness and stupidity. This story explains the origin of fire and humanity's fraught relationship with nature and the divine. Centuries later, the Romans and the Jews crucified another jew and forced God to flee to Heaven. I wonder...
As in many African cultures, animal fables are a central part of Mozambican oral tradition. These stories, often featuring talking animals with human traits (nothing new in the occidental storytelling tradition, just a few centuries younger...), are used to teach moral lessons about greed, cunning, community and all other human traits. The magical word "Karingana!" is often used by children in response to a storyteller, similar to "once upon a time."
African tribal oral literature is rich, diverse, and persuasive, but written literature, until recently, was rare and was largely compensated for by music, dance (the "ethahura" dance of the Makua people, for example), magic, and sculpture. Oral narrative is, above all, imaginative and filled with supernaturalism, mythologies, and superstitions (okhuiri).
Those lacking experience and knowledge of African realities may initially have difficulty appreciating the beauty of the symbolism and emotional climate these fables evoke, and may be tempted to dismiss them as naive and primitive. This was the first major mistake of the Western invader upon setting foot in Africa.
Since African mythology has little recorded and preserved data, in the traditional Western sense, relying essentially on oral tradition, it is difficult to determine dates. However, if the human species, as we know it today, originated in Africa, then it seems logical to accept that the myths and legends transmitted orally from generation to generation on that continent are the first philosophical attempts to explain our existence, life, the world, and the Universe.
In this context, this short book by Sola Owonibi is quite interesting and comprehensive on African fables and myths, from the Congo in Central Africa to the Zulus in the south. More interesting than this book, however, is a manuscript containing descriptions of Mozambican folklore in a collection of fables. It was discovered in the Archives of the Jesuit Curia of the Province of Portugal in Lisbon, written both in Portuguese and in various local languages. The collection of stories is considered to be written by Father José Manuel Teixeira (1911-1959), a Jesuit missionary who worked in Lifidzi, Zambezia, and at the Tete mission in Mozambique.
The fables recorded there present aspects of prehistoric ethnic identity, the great African myths, which reflect ethical values, social customs and habits, traditions, and religious beliefs, narrated in time immemorial and transmitted through oral tradition and through the songs and dances of these peoples to this day, preserving their cultural identity.
Today, we know that African myths and legends first influenced Egyptian mythology, which in turn influenced Greek mythology. Notable parallels exist in some core myths. Both Greek and Egyptian creation myths depict the world emerging from a primordial state of chaos, similar to the stories found in central and southern Africa. Documented influences from sub-Saharan African mythologies are limited, but Egypt's impact on Greek thought, religion, and art is well-established.
The ancient Greeks frequently drew parallels between their pantheon of gods and those worshipped in Egypt, a phenomenon known as "interpretatio graeca". This intriguing process of interfaith dialogue not only fostered cultural exchange but occasionally evolved into syncretism—an amalgamation of beliefs and deities. For instance, the Greek messenger god Hermes found similarities with the Egyptian god Thoth, who presided over writing and wisdom. Similarly, the nurturing goddess Isis was often equated with Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility. Such associations highlight the fascinating interplay of mythology and spirituality between civilisations.
The influence of sub-Saharan Africa on the Greeks was more indirect, yet the Greeks acknowledged and respected the people they referred to as "Ethiopians." This term encompassed all dark-skinned peoples, including those from Nubia and regions further south. In both the Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer describes the "blameless Ethiopians" as residing on the outskirts of the known world. Their righteousness was such that even the gods would leave Mount Olympus to feast with them. This depiction reflects a sense of admiration rather than disdain. The princess Andromeda was the daughter of the king of Ethiopia and was a central figure in the myth of Perseus. Although modern depictions often show her as European, ancient sources describe her as Ethiopian, a detail that was central to her story.
Many African myths and legends likely developed and evolved as they spread, adapting to different cultures. One interesting example is the dugong: although this marine mammal is real and endangered in Mozambique, it has inspired local legends. The dugong's nurturing behaviour toward its young may have contributed to the creation of Greek mermaid myths, as the animals are often perceived as gentle and human-like.
The Persephone myth is present in several stories about relatives going to "The Land Of The Ghosts" to rescue a lover or a relative.
In the Yoruba religion, the Orisha Yewa, an Orisha of death, cemeteries, and decomposition, is a direct parallel to Persephone's dual role as queen of the dead and goddess of new growth. Like Persephone, Yewa's story involves a loss of innocence and a transition to a new, powerful domain
In the Igbo religion, Ala (or Ani) is a powerful female deity of the Earth, representing the Earth itself, and is the source of all fertility, morality, and law. She rules over the underworld, where the souls of the deceased ancestors reside within her womb. This dual role as a goddess of the living, fertile earth and as a ruler of the dead is a clear thematic parallel to Persephone and Demeter combined.
Even Disney, in the adaptation of The Frog King or the Iron Henry, a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, can be found in a story, common all around central Africa, of a frog that was a rich prince condemned to marry a beautiful girl to be restored to his human appearance. In the African version, he stays a frog...YEAH!
The creative minds of all those African people easily accommodated the highly improbable or completely impossible. Crocodiles, lizards, and legions of other creatures lived in absolute harmony with humans, and a sense of fantasy was shared by all. Humans, under the right conditions (punishment, revenge, accident, or stupidity), could be transformed into animals (Circe, anyone????).
Today, it's too late and naive to keep dreaming and hoping that dreams will come true. There remains hope that the resilience of African magic will prove stronger than Western materialistic influence.
March 13, 2024
It's a lovely object; there are some great stories in here; and the introduction by Sola Owonibi is good. But the book itself has no real information on sources, and that's a problem. I don't mean the introductory notes like "From Zanzibar, Tanzanian coast." That's context, not provenance. Who told these stories, and who wrote them down? Many of them feel very obviously filtered through a European cultural context, and that raises a lot of questions that could be at least partly answered if it were possible to look back at the sources that they were taken from. Folklore collections are not much good without at least some information on that.
December 14, 2023
I had to return this book to the library but I believe it’s worth owning. I’m adding it to my Amazon classroom wishlist and I’ll probably order it for next year. It’s not a book you read and return. It’s a resource you’ll have to revisit and treat as a reference.
However, if I hadn’t checked it out from the library I wouldn’t know. I am grateful to my librarian for adding this to the collection. The collectors edition was a treat for me and my AP African American studies students. We used the text as a companion to Unit 1: Origins of the African Diaspora.
Disclaimer: my 3 star rating = this is good and I may revise this review later because I’m not done thinking about it.
However, if I hadn’t checked it out from the library I wouldn’t know. I am grateful to my librarian for adding this to the collection. The collectors edition was a treat for me and my AP African American studies students. We used the text as a companion to Unit 1: Origins of the African Diaspora.
Disclaimer: my 3 star rating = this is good and I may revise this review later because I’m not done thinking about it.
March 12, 2024
I haven't rated this book based on the quality of the stories in it. I feel you can't really judge the stories that a different culture is based on... Well okay, maybe you can if they involve forced marriage, marital abuse and murder someone who's cheating... But that's not the point here, is all I'm saying.
What I did judge the book on, was the way it was set up. It starts with an opening saying how Afrika is not 1 single country, and how these stories show the context and lifeblood of different African cultures.
Except that while they do list the peoples/regions these stories originate from, I think it would have been better to have grouped the stories from the same.cultures together, rather then by type of story (creation, moral, animal). This way you don't get an overview of what a single culture is like regardless.
The second thing is that there is no explanation or clarification about the stories. No context. Some mention guns and dollars, while others are 'back in the day when animals could talk'. That's a LARGE range. I want to know when and how these came to be, and how people look on them.
Unfortunately, the book does not deliver very well in what the intro implies. Fortunately the stories are still fun, and you can get some sort of context from them.
What I did judge the book on, was the way it was set up. It starts with an opening saying how Afrika is not 1 single country, and how these stories show the context and lifeblood of different African cultures.
Except that while they do list the peoples/regions these stories originate from, I think it would have been better to have grouped the stories from the same.cultures together, rather then by type of story (creation, moral, animal). This way you don't get an overview of what a single culture is like regardless.
The second thing is that there is no explanation or clarification about the stories. No context. Some mention guns and dollars, while others are 'back in the day when animals could talk'. That's a LARGE range. I want to know when and how these came to be, and how people look on them.
Unfortunately, the book does not deliver very well in what the intro implies. Fortunately the stories are still fun, and you can get some sort of context from them.
August 24, 2024
I really enjoyed this. I liked that each story told you which tribe or location the story originated from, showing a large variety.
My favorites were Anansi and Nyame's story, and the Chameleon wins a wife. There was something really satisfying in that story. The Lion of Manda was really satisfying, too.
Surprisingly, I found a lot of the stories morally grey. A lot of not so good characters get away with bad actions, and that was surprising to me. Which I get as life not black and white, but these being tale told to tribe members and children it surprised me. These tales are more survival of the fittest, and that means being willing to do anything to win. Not bad. Just different than I expected.
My favorites were Anansi and Nyame's story, and the Chameleon wins a wife. There was something really satisfying in that story. The Lion of Manda was really satisfying, too.
Surprisingly, I found a lot of the stories morally grey. A lot of not so good characters get away with bad actions, and that was surprising to me. Which I get as life not black and white, but these being tale told to tribe members and children it surprised me. These tales are more survival of the fittest, and that means being willing to do anything to win. Not bad. Just different than I expected.
April 3, 2024
I liked the way the book was formatted and the expansive glossary. It's also just a beautiful book. There was one story with very poor grammar however, it was very bizarre, like it was missed by the editor completely.
October 11, 2025
The lack of star rating is not due to not liking this book!
I just dont like rating these types of collections when they cover topics I´m unfamiliar with. :)
I just dont like rating these types of collections when they cover topics I´m unfamiliar with. :)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews