The Hero with an African Face: Mythic Wisdom of Traditional Africa

255 Pages·1999·7.12 MB·English

by  Clyde W. Ford

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"Discoverai dnege pm�euyn inpjitl
Ajhcan imyslt ihjk ien diann ogl ds najJshot
1! mysle {(i na pllaocnfego rgo.t.t.e.n
Thesmey thasr e moret hajnu fsotl tka les
or. fab.l..e.I s learreee p icass g ranads
G'ilgameshbe,r oeass hardays Hercules,
beroinases v e.xingas Venus" .A ndy et.,
asC lydFeo rddi scovetrheedg r,e amty ths
ofA fricwear e lefto ut oft hek eyw orks of
modern myl'holmoigsys,gi nfromt he
sacresdt orioefws o rldc ultuTraek.i nigt a s
hism issiotno reclaitmh ilso sttr easure,
he hasw rittae nf ascinatainndgi m portant
hook--one thatb othbr ingtso l ifteh e
ancientta.l �Jneds showwsh yt hemya ttesro
much tou s today.
THHEE RWOI TH
AN AFRIFCAACNE
Africmaynt hcso nvey ptehree nniwails dom
ofh umanittyh:e c re-J.tioofnt hew orld,
theh ero'jsou rney,o ur relationwsihtihp
naturdee,a tha,n dr esurrectFiroonm.
theA shantcio mest hem ovingac count oft he
grief-strKiwcakseBnie nefoj'osu rneyt ot he
underwortlods eehki sbe lovewdi vesf.r om
Ugandaw e learonf t hel egendKairyn tu,
who won the loveo fa goddesasn dc reated
a natiofnr oma handfuolfi solatcelda ns.
TheC ongoe'psi hce roM windoi st hes acred
warriwohro shmvsu s thep athe achpe rson
mustt ravteol d iscovheirs true destiny.
Manym ythsr evetahlei ntimaocfyh uman
anda nimaslp iriatnsd,F orda lseox plores
thea rchetypfaolr ceosft heo n��bas-the
WestA fricdaeni titehsa wte rec arriteot dh e
Americaisnt heA friccalni aspora.
(Cont0i1n1 ubeladcl ka p)
tHE HEROW ltH AN
AFRICAN FACE
THE HE �0
WlTH AN
AF�lCAN
FACE
MythWiics dom
ofT radiAtfiroincaal
CLYDEW . FO�D
BANTAM BO O K S
NEW YO R K TO RON TO LON DON SYD NEY AU C KL AND
THEH EROW ITHA NA FRICFAANC E
A BantaBmo okIJ anua1r9y9 9
Alrli ghrtess erved.
Copyright© b1y9C 9l9y dWe. F ord
BOOKD ESIGBNY T ANYPAE REZ-ROCK
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ClydWe. F ord.
p. em.
Inclubdeisb liograrpehfiecraelan ncdei sn dex.
ISBN0 -553-105(4h4e-)2
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface vu
Acknowledgments xv
A Map oft heP eoplaen dM ythso fA frica xvt
Guidelifnoerts h eP ronunciaotfAi forni cWaonr ds xtx
LisotfW atermarks xxt
Lisotf I llustraatnidTo anbsl e xxiii
Voicoefst heA ncestors 1
2 TheH erow itahn A fricFaanc e 16
3 Mythosf D eatahn dR esurrection 35
4 TheS oulH'isg hA dventure 52
5 TheH earotf t heS acreWda rrior 68
6 TheW ayo ft heM asteArn imals 95
7 TheG oddesisnA frica 114
8 OrishaMsy:s teroifea s D ivinSee lf 142
v
vi TABLE OF CONTENTS
9 Mythast t heB eginnainndgE ndo fC reation 170
1 0C lositnhgeS acreCdir cle 192
EndnotaensdP ermissions 201
Bibliography 211
ArtC redits 215
Index 217
Aboutth eA uthor 228
P�EFACE
Littdlree amssa,y t heE lgofno redswte lleorfcs e ntrAaflr icaar,eo f
nog reaatc counbtu,ti fa persohna sa "bidgr eam,t"h ee nticroem ­
munitmyu stb eg atheraenddt oldH.o w thedno easn E lgonkynio w
a bigd reamU?p onw akintgh eriesa ni nstinctivea bfoeutethl ei ng
significoaftn hceed reamf ort hec ommunity-atnhdet hougohft
keepisnugc ha dreams ecrneetv eorc curTsh.i bs ookb egaans j ust
sucah " bidgr eamf"o rm e.
My interienst tr aditiAofnrailc an sacrede swpiescdioaamsli, lt y
isr eflecitnAe fdr icmaynt hoglyo,w asa nu nlikoeultyg rowotfhm y
efforttous n dersttahnedr elationbsehtiwpe epne rsonaanld s ocial
healiAnsga . c hiropraacntdoa r t herapIis sotu ghatn swertosh ow
individaunadlg sr ouppsa,r ticulAafrrliycA amne ricamnisg,h hte al
froml ong-standinga ntdpr aaiunmI.ak newt haat t urnipnogi nitn
thei ndividhueaall ipnrgo ceosfst en came thweh" epne rsosntaol­
rieso"ft raumsah iftferdo ml itanoifev si ctimiztaotl ieogne nodfs
empowermeanntd,I f eltth asto methisnigm ilmaurs tb et ruaeb out
socihaela litnhgo,u gihtw ash ardetrog raswph att hos"es ocisatlo ­
riemsi"g hbte .
WhenI l ookeadtt heh istoreixcpaelr ieonfAc fer icAamne riacns,
Is awa serioefes p isodoenses, l owdliys solivnitntogh en ext":C ap­
turien A frica",M"o nstroTursan sporTth rougthh eM iddlPea s­
sag,e"" TheH orrorosf Slaver"yW,h"i speorfs R ebelliaonnd
Revolt",P"r omisoefsF reedom Brok"eTnh,eE" n trenchmoefn t
Racisma,n"d " TheO ngoinSgt ruggfloerF reedoamn dJ ustice."
WhatI f ailteods eew ast hel argsetro riyn twoh icthh eseep isodes
mighfti Itt.w oulbde e astyo p lacteh emi na na ccouonftv ictimiza­
tiofno cusionntg h ea trociotfir easc isamn do ppressainodnj ,u sats
vii
vm PREFACE
eastyo f itth emi ntao narraotfid veen icalla imitnhgat th eseev ents
happenae ldo ntgi maeg oa nds os houlndo ta ffeucstn ow.
Buti np onderihnogw top ortrtahyeh istoraincdap lr esent-day
experieonfcA efsr icAamne ricainnas s tortyh attr anscenvdiecdt im­
izatiaonnd d eniaIl a,s kemdy sel"fI,fa singpleer sohna dl ived
througahl lt heseex perienhcoews w,o uldI descritbhea pte rson's
lifeI?r "e alitzheadtt h isse rioefse pisodreesm indmeed o ft hee pic
journoefya h eroor h eroianned,i tw ast hinso tioonfA fricAamne r­
ican"sh'e rojiocu rnetyh"a fti rpsoti ntmeed t owarmdy thol.oF goyr
theh erojiocu rneyt heiq su intessesnttoiroayflm ytholotghyr ough­
outt hea gest:h eq uesotf a heroor h eroiwnheo w illinogrul nyw ill­
inglvye nturbeesy ontdh ek nownb oundaroifet sh ed a,ym eetasn d
defeastpse ctacfuolracre tsh,e nr eturwnist hs omeh ard-wopnr,e ­
ciougsi f"tT.h eriesa balmi nG ileads,a"y asn A frican-American
spiritaunadwl h,e nt heA frican-Ameerxipcearni einsvc iee weidnt he
heroitce rmosf m ythogly,o we canf intdh at" Gileawdh"e ret he
traumoafo urh istomrayy b eh ealed.
Yetm ytholosgeye msa nachroniIsnt tiocd.a yc'osm monp ar­
lancteh,et ermm ythr efetrosu nwarranftaelds ificraattihoenrs than
unceasitnrgu thTsh.eg odsa ndg oddessheesa,v eannsd h elldse,v ils
andd emonsh,e roeasn dh eroinoefms y thh avel onsgi ncyei eldteod
them icroscotpeelse,s coapnedsi ,n telloefcm tosd erhnu mansD.i m
remindeorfos u rm ythipca sftl asbhy o nlyo ccasionnaolwl-yo n
them otiopni ctusrcer eeinnr, e collecotfio ounrds e epedsrte amosr,
int hee yeosf a chilfdr ettoivnegrw hatl iewsa itibnegn eaat hc rib
orb edI.t 'tsr uteh agtr aspitnhgef inirteea lomf s pacaen dt imies
beslte fttos cientchei;hs a sn evebre enm ythologgyo'aslB .u tp ursu­
ingt hei nfintiitmee,l esspsa,c elreesasl omf t heh umans ouils w here
mytholosghyi nefso,rt heh erop'usb lijco urntehyr ougmhy thh as
longb eena marvelomuest aphofro rt hes oulp'rsi vajtoeu rney
throulgihf Ter.a ditio,nt ahliplsuy blitce llionfmg y thpsr ovidaend
anchofro rb othi ndividaunadlg sr oupMsy.t hsar e,i nf actth,e " so­
ciaslt oritehsa"ht e alF.o rm ythssu pplmyo ret hant hem oratla g
linwees learneeadr loyn t oa ssociwaittenh u rserrhyy measn df airy
tales. Prroepaedrm,yl tyh sb rinugs i ntaoc corwdi tht hee ternal
mysteroifeb se ingh,e lpu sm anagteh ei nevitapbalses agoefso ur
liveasn,dg ivues t emplaftoeros u rr elationwsihtithph es ocietiine s
whicwhe livaen df ort her elationosfth hieps seo ciettiote hsee arth
we sharwei tha llli fWeh.e nt raumcao nfronuts,si ndividuoarl ly
PREFACE IX
collec,tm iyvtehlasyr ea wayo fr eestablishingi nt hhaewr amkoen y
of chaos.
Stiwlelh ,a vfee wg uidimnygt hisn W estecrinv ilizwahteitohne,r
AfricAamne ricoarno therwibseey,o ntdh osoefJ udaiasnmd C hris­
tianiatnyde, v ehne rwee commonlrye a(dm isreatdh?em) y thology
ofW esterrenl igaisohn iss torfiaccartla, t htehra mny thologtircuatlh .
Some Afrmiyctahnds i ds urvitvheee rao fs lavearnydh avbee come
parotf t hef olkloofrA ef ricAamne ricabnust,t heswee rea dapted
moret oo urs urvidvuarli ntgh osber uttailm etsh atno o urp resent­
dayc ircumstaAnncdes soI. w onderwehda tw e mighrte clafirmo m
the mythoolfto rgayd itiAofnraitlch aa wto ulbde o fu sei nt hew orld
tod.a y
Butt hel iteraotnuA rfer icmaynt holoigsny o tw elcomiWnegs.t ­
ernm ythologiinsctlsu,d tihnelg a tJeo sepCha mpbewlrli,t sep arsely
ando ftedne risiavbeoluyAt f ricmaynt hol,od geymotiAnfgr iccaonn ­
tributtioot nhsel evoeflf olktarlaetsht ehra inn cludtihnegmi nt he
rankosft he" higher mythologifeosor"r ireensatenardolv c ecdi den­
taclu ltures. Cianmp pabretlilc,,iu sle anrigmactoincc ernAifnrgi ca.
Durinhgi sl ifethiemd ei,d m oret haann ys ingilned ividtuopa rlo ­
motep opulianrt eriensm ty thoglyo,y etA friicsam entionoendl y
raretlhyr oughtohuebt r oarda ngoef h iss cholarAsdhmiipt.t leyId,
havbee einn fluenbcyhe idst houghotnsm ythoglyo,e vetnh oughhe
saildi tatbloeu Atf riciam'pso rtaronltIe n.d eehde,r Ieh avea pplied
thuen ivertshaelm ehses pokoeft ot heA fricmaynt hhse n evebro th­
eretdo e xploArned.I h avef ountdh er esulatsst oundainndgp ro­
found.
Africiast hel argeisnth abictoendt iniennt th ew orldw,i thm any
thousaonfdl sa nguaagnedp opulatgiroonu ptsh;ev ernyo tiotnh,e n,
ofw ritian sgi ngbloeo ko nA fricmaynt holoigssy o mewhparte ten­
tiouCsu.r ren,tt hleyriese vesne rioduesb aotvee trh eu seo ft het erm
Afrtiodc eas crsiubceth h inagss" Africaarnt ,""A friccaunl turoer, "
"Africmaynt hologSyo.m"es cholhaarvsea rguetdh adto insgo r e­
ducetsh ed iversoiftt hyic so ntinteona t m eaningblleus,wrs h iloet h­
erhsa ve countthearate v di tapla,n -Afreitchaoncs a nb ef oundI. 1d o
notw istho t akuep t hidse baitnet hespea gebsu,tI d ow antt oi ndi­
catteh ec ourIsn ea vigattherdo utghhi cso nceptluaably riInb teh­.
lieve mtyhtahto locgayna ,n dm ustb,e i nvestiagnadtu endd erstood