Briefly discuss the different ways in which man and the deities are related to Nature in the African myths (just state a few of the essential, general ideas; I'm not looking for a long essay). Which myth do you find most compelling or intriguing, and why?
In several African creation myths, the concept that the earth is a
living entity is often either implied or directly conveyed. The myths
describe a variety of interactions among nature, man, and the deities.
The Supreme Being asserts that the deity Tsui
Goab
lived within nature, growing, evolving, and adapting. This perhaps
suggests harmony between deity and nature, quite different from the
account given in The First Words, in which the all-powerful
deity Amma creates the earth through speech, then rapes the earth and
leaves it barren, naked, and defiled. In the Nandi myth When
God Came to Earth, God did not create the earth but simply came to
it with the purpose of establishing order. That then suggests that
earth by itself was chaos, and God represents some sort of order or
justice. In any case, God is the supreme being, the one who creates,
brings order, and demands respect.
On the other hand, man's relationship with nature is [often] quite different. In multiple instances, man is presented as either unable or unwilling to live peacefully with nature and his surroundings. In How Zambe Created Man, the Chimpanzee, and the Gorilla, man, unprovoked, makes a weapon, dips it in poison, and kills his fellow creature, the elephant Zambe. In God Retreats to the Sky, Nyambi, the creator of all things, begins to fear man (Kamonu) for no given reason. Kamonu forges his spear and proceeds to kill away. In The Separation of God and Man, man becomes a meddlesome creature, annoying God in numerous ways. The Quarrelsomeness of Man and How the Earth Was Peopled presents a passive deity and man giving birth to evil through the sister, who was deceived by Ebenga. Only Making the World and Man presents a favorable view of man as a very intelligent and beautiful creation of God, but even it ends abruptly without indulging any further detail.
Of these myths, I find The First Words most compelling primarily because it puts forth the concept that the omnipotent deity has erred. This precise, elaborate myth describes the deity Amma as at times lonely and furthermore carrying a distinct masculine quality. This trait leads to his incestuous rape of his own creation, the feminine earth. Amma's intercourse with the earth is described as ``the first breach of order of the universe''. This phrase directly states that the universe then has a law higher than Amma that even the deity is subject to. Interestingly, the deity becomes ashamed of his actions. In all, The First Words gave deep insight into the personal character of Amma, the creator, which made the myth all the more intriguing.
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