Mythology is erudite for ebullient discussions, sparks critical thinking, stirs the imagination, and imbues us. Great mythologies” because of their rich characters, engaging narratives, enduring motifs, and timeless themes all seem to give us clues to the experience of life. “Myths are clues to the spiritual potentialities of the human life,” explains scholar Joseph Campbell on the celebrated PBS series Joseph Campbell on The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers. Campbell define myth as rather than being examples of the search for life’s meaning, that myths are the ongoing search for “the experience of life.” According to Campbell, what myths—all myths—tell us is that the meaning of life is the experience of life: “Eternity isn’t some later time, eternity isn’t a long time. Eternity has nothing to do with time! It is that dimension of here and now which thinking, and time cuts out … This is it. If you don’t get it here, you won’t get it anywhere. The experience of eternity right here and now is the function of life.” Campbell also saw that myths and dreams both come from the same place.
Although, one may ask as to why myths are significant in our life and what lessons and values they seek to illuminate. What makes these stories such powerful cultural elements? What do they tell us about the cultures that gave birth to them? Why have they persisted for hundreds, even thousands of years? By studying great mythologies, we can understand how myths influenced social structures, key historical moments, and trends, and deeply held cultural values. They also have lives of their own, shape shifting as they move from age to age and from culture to culture. Myths survive where political dynasties collapse because they speak intimately and effectively to human experience.
African morality tales, play a different role than myth as they seek to provide lessons in how a society expects its people to act and sometimes posing questions that allow listeners to consider and debate important moral issues. Myths on the other hand seek to tell us “Our story” about our experiences as a human. It is not something that is false or unreal, argued Carl Jung. Africa is the cradle of humanity — the birthplace of mankind; thus, to explore ancient African myth is to consider some of humanity’s earliest thoughts about life and the world around us.
Along time ago, a powerful god rose to prominence in the heavens. Despite his great authority, he was known for his jealousy, and at times, he harshly punished mortals. His weapon was the thunderbolt, which he hurled at all who displeased him. He is Shango, also called Chango, Sango, or Xango, a powerful African god who is revered as an Orisha after his death. Shango is a god of the Yoruba of Nigeria and Benin; West Africa and his story has spread across continents and centuries. His story suggests that the people who believed in him thought deeply about the meaning of life and shared rich tales that reflected their experiences in the world. Ancient African myths are considered some of humanity’s earliest thoughts about divinity, the world, and life itself.
Before becoming a god, Shango is said to have been a fearsome king of the city-kingdom of Oyo, the most important of the early Yoruba states. Oyo was in the southwestern part of present-day Nigeria and lasted from roughly 1200 to 1800 C.E. Shango was known as a warlike tyrant who carried a two-headed ax — the Yoruba symbol for a thunderbolt. He also had magic powers. When he spoke, smoke and fire billowed from his mouth. As the fourth king of the Yoruba Oyo Empire, Shango is known as the god of thunder, drumming, dancing, fire, and male strength, and is famous for his love of partying. He even has a special dance named after him. Shango is an expert at playing the drums, and the sound of thunder reminds us of his rhythmic beats. Along with Oshun, Yemaya, and Obatala, he is one of the four pillars of Santeria. Shango was married to different Orisha goddesses, including Oya, Oshun, and Obba, and he is a passionate warrior who also values love. Some believe that he lives in a batea, a shallow, covered wooden bowl that is typically placed on a pilon, or pedestal by his worshipers. Shango is usually adorned with beads of red and white, known as elekes, which represent his two favorite colors. Then, there are his thunderstones. These double-headed stones are believed to contain potent mystical energy, which Shango is said to wield with ease and symbolize Orisha’s control over thunder and lightning.
As king of Oyo, Shango expanded his empire by waging ruthless battles against the surrounding kingdoms. After one of those battles, Shango became angry when two of his generals, Timi and Gona, received greater recognition than he did. Shango ordered Gbonka to attack Timi, and when Gbonka had captured him, Shango insisted that the two commanders (who were also close friends) duel to the death.
Gbonka won the duel, but he refused to follow Shango ’s order to kill Timi; thus, Shango made the two commanders duel once more. Gbonka won again, and this time, he cut off Timi’s head and threw it in anger into Shango’s lap. Shango was enraged and decided to kill Gbonka. A pyre was constructed, and Gbonka was placed on top of it. With a mighty blast from his mouth, Shango set the wood ablaze. But to Shango’s amazement, Gbonka walked out of the fire unharmed. Gbonka confronted Shango and demanded that he leave Oyo forever. Shango’s shame and sorrow must have been great because he went to a forest and hanged himself. Two chains appeared from above to carry Shango to his new home in the sky.
When people came to look for Shango, all they found was his double-headed ax on the ground. They concluded that he had left this world to live in the heavens, but they continued to fear him. Forever after, it has been said that Shango is watching and ready to strike anyone who behaves unjustly or otherwise displeases him. Shango may not seem like an especially sympathetic character, but he seems to have had a sense of shame, and in the end, he learned from his mistakes. After Gbonka’s emergence from the fire, Shango realized that he couldn’t control everything; he understood that there was a higher law that governed the earthly realm over which he reigned. His violent temperament was unsuited for life on earth, but he chose to withdraw to the heavens, where his anger could serve the higher cause of justice.
Shango has various symbols and associations that are important to understanding his power and importance. All these elements play a vital role in Shango worship and are important symbols that serve as a conduit for communication with Shango and the other Orishas. Dogs, turtles, and roosters are considered sacred animals to the Orisha Shango. Dogs are believed to represent loyalty and protection, whereas turtles symbolize long life and patience. Roosters, on the other hand, represent vigilance and the announcement of the new day. Then there is Shango’s sacred nature area, the royal palm tree. This majestic tree is considered sacred by many because it is believed to have the power to heal and provide protection. As a symbol of royalty and strength, it has become strongly associated with the Orisha Shango.
The stories of Shango and other African myths were preserved for centuries through a vibrant oral tradition, and that tradition continues to this day. Unlike what we might imagine, this oral tradition was a complex and thoughtfully planned system —one that recognized the importance of myths as repositories of precious cultural beliefs and customs and was carefully designed to preserve them.
