African Folklore: Mother, Monster
An excerpt from Helen Nde’s book “The Runaway Princess and Other Stories”, a collection of short stories recounting the deeds and misdeeds of memorable women from African history, legend, and folklore.
An excerpt from Helen Nde’s book “The Runaway Princess and Other Stories”, a collection of short stories recounting the deeds and misdeeds of memorable women from African history, legend, and folklore.
Mother goddesses are present in all kinds of mythology around the world. They all bring the archetypical mother qualities: giving birth, nurturing, taking care, and teaching their offspring, for example. In Brazil, we have the influence of three big –- and totally different –- cultures that shaped customs and beliefs we have today.
In Tudor and Stuart England, angels were believed to deliver messages, protect the godly, carry souls to heaven, punish sinners, and carry out God’s will.
For the Pre-Christian Sami people who inhabited parts of modern-day Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Russia, fishing was a livelihood.
Psychopomps — beings who guide the soul to the afterlife — have long been part of mythology and folklore, ranging from Hermes to Anubis to birds, bees and even children’s story characters.
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