Fiction and Mythology - Afro Emperor

The Mesopotamian pantheon is based on the Sumerian model, but the aspects of deities change from place to place and from era to era. So the gods of the Mesopotamian region were not uniform in names, power, provenance or status, and sometimes several gods become one or one divides into several. Collectively, these deities are the Anunnaki or the “royal ones”. Anu was the somewhat distant Mesopotamian father god, an embodiment of heavens and a member of the triad of deities completed by Enlil and Enki. His consort and feminine counterpart was Antu and from their union were born the Anunnaki. In a Babylonian version, Anu was born of the primordial couple Anshar and Kishar, and his cult center was in Uruk. If at first he was the most powerful of the gods, he lost some of his importance over the centuries, giving way to the gods Enlil, Marduk and the goddess Inanna. Enlil was the Mesopotamian god of the atmosphere and a member of the triad of divinities who ruled Heaven, Earth and the Underworld. He was the only god besides Anu who could bestow the important elements of the Sumerian concept of divine order upon other divinities. The god Enlil was often prayed to in hopes of a fair weather for a good harvest, he was invoked to bless his cities to ensure prosperity and abundance. Enki was one of the most prominent Mesopotamian gods known in Sumer and was further developed by the Akkadians. Nabu was the Babylonian god of writing and wisdom, son of Marduk and grandson of the god of wisdom. In Mesopotamian religion, Marduk is the Babylonian King of the gods, the hero who defeated the forces of chaos and brought order to the universe.

Aziza is a word deeply rooted in West African mythology, and denotes a supernatural creature renowned for its benevolence. In African mythology, these fuzzy little spirits dwell within the depths of the forest, and were revered for their proficiency in bestowing positive magic, especially to hunters. The accounts of the Aziza existence first arise in the folklore of the Dahomey tribes in West Africa, where they are described as benevolent spirits having a fortunate guidance and forest wisdom. In most Dahomey Folklore, the Aziza for all intents and purposes are often portrayed as little creatures that look to be the African version of the fairy known in Europe. While a singular portrayal remains elusive, diverse accounts present the Aziza fairy as little humans scarcely taller than children and possessing remarkable beauty glowing with magical light. Contrary to European Fairies who are usually notorious for being chaotic and mischievous at best, spiteful and vindictive at worst, the Aziza spirits are mostly seen as benevolent creatures of the forest. The mythology says that the Aziza were leading hunters and guiding lost travelers to safety, they own profound magical abilities that were bestowed upon humans for generations.

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As the maidens of the all father and often referred to as beacons of strength, the Valkyries of Norse mythology were women of vast prestige and power, one of the few factions of warriors having a certain influence over the world of men. Upon the backs of their ethereal horses, they came from Valhalla with guttural screams at the back of their throats. According to the Norse mythology, Prose Edda and Poetic Edda, it is not the duty of Valkyries to interfere in the conflicts of men nor to have any role in the physical or mental acts of battle. But rather to choose from the fallen warriors who was worthy enough to ascend to the halls of Odin, and who was benign enough to be sent to the fields of the goddess Freyja. The name Valkyrie means “chooser of the slain,” and once chosen the warriors would be flown on to Valhalla. The Valkyries feature in the stories from the Prose and Poetic Edda, both are the collections of Norse tales as well as Germanic works. It's important to understand that Norse Mythology was passed down orally for generations until the region was converted to Christianity, which introduced literacy. It’s unknown when the concept of the Valkyrie was first mentioned, but in Norse mythology, they were originally seen as bloodthirsty spirits feasting on the bodies of the slain across the battlefields, and took their souls to a generic afterlife. Much like the Greek Keres that we have in Greek mythology. It was only because of the influence of women who fought as men during the Viking age that the Valkyries were more romanticized, and the descriptions of beautiful Valkyries taking the braves up to a glorious afterlife replaced this unpleasant image.

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Cats and their reputations have often swayed from good to evil, for they have been both worshiped and feared like what we’ve seen in ancient Egypt. One of the most malevolent associations cats have is with witchcraft, but another connection comes from Japan through Japanese mythology, in the form of the legendary Bakeneko. The demonic cat is at the origin of many legends, behind the peculiar appearance of the animal hides a monster capable of mischievous deeds. The origins of the Bakeneko stem from the 17th century, an era where cats were greatly valued for protecting the silkworm industry and the sutras from rodents when Buddhism came to Japan. Originating from Japanese folklore, this ordinary looking cat is a member of the Yokai family, and the term Bakeneko could be translated as the shape-shifting cat. Making a difference between a Bakeneko and a domestic cat might not be an easy task, for the reason that they change as they get older. When the tail of a Bakeneko splits in two, you're dealing with a Nekomata which is a more malevolent cat, and with almost no difference between them the Nekomata are essentially powered up Bakeneko, they are the oldest and have two tails allowing them to create double the trouble. Although not all Bakeneko are nefarious, all Nekomata are known to be because they always find great pleasure in creating chaos in humans’ lives. Based on Japanese Folklore and mythology, not every cat could turn into a Bakeneko as it should meet certain criteria. There are plenty of urban legends featuring a Bakeneko in various parts of Japan, and one of them is related to the vampire cat from the Nabeshima Bakeneko.

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The Irish god of nobility and the former king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Lugh is was one of the most important Celtic divinities particularly in Ireland. Lugh of the long arms was more accurately portrayed as a master of all crafts and a cunning warrior, a prominent figure in many stories of Irish mythology, especially where he leads the Tuatha Dé Danann at the second battle of Moy Tura. Despite the popularity of his name in the Celtic world, the meaning behind it has been the source of significant debate causing differences in its pronunciation, often changing from Lug, Lughr and Lugh depending on the account. In a context of Indo-European languages, Lugh is thought to be connected to the Proto-Indo-European word Leuk-, which means brightness or light. This further strengthens his association to the sun, as the deity is often considered a solar figure in Celtic mythology. Lugh was also a trickster who was willing to cheat to overcome his opponents, so the Irish god was in this manner similar to Lugus, a trickster entity pictured by the Romans as the Gaulish Mercury. Lugh went by numerous epithets including the common Lugh Lámfhada, meaning Lugh of the long arms. What seem interesting is that he was given this epithet not because his arms dragged on the ground, but because his weapons extended his reach beyond other warriors’ abilities.

Nephthys was one of the original gods in the genealogy of Egyptian divinities defined by the priests of Heliopolis. Born from Geb and Nut she was the fourth one after Osiris, Isis, Seth and was the older sister of blind Horus. The goddess Nephthys features in the narratives as the devoted companion of her sister Isis, but she was also a protective deity in funerary rituals who attended mummies on their mortuary biers. In Egyptian mythology, Nephthys was usually pictured as a kite or as a woman with outstretched falcon wings, a symbol of protection, and the meaning of her Egyptian name is mistress of the house or Lady of the temple enclosure. Being the sister of Isis and especially Osiris, Nephthys is a deity who symbolizes the death experience just like Isis represented the birth experience. Alongside Isis, Neith and the scorpion goddess Selket, Nephthys guarded the remains of the dead, for they are mentioned in the Pyramid scriptures as the four goddesses watching over the pharaoh’s mummified body and organs, and their images were found inside the tomb of Tutankhamun as the guardians of his canopic vessels. Though she doesn’t appear in many stories, the goddess Nephthys is best known for the part she played in the Osiris myth as we cannot talk about it without mentioning her and Isis.

Throughout the Egyptian religion, female divinities were mostly seen as nurturers and protectors of the pharaoh and his people. But unlike mainstream goddesses like Sekhmet or Isis, there are two others who are rarely talked about when discussing the Egyptian mythology,

so today we are going to discuss the legend surrounding the entities closely related to the pharaoh’s sovereignty, the goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet representing the Upper and Lower domains of Egypt. According to the ancient Egyptian scriptures, the "Two Ladies" was a religious epithet for the goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet, the two deities worship by all after the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt. When the two kingdoms were joined together, a lot of similar deities from different cities were combined to form a unique entity, but this was not the case of Wadjet and Nekhbet as they were simply kept separated. From the early dynastic period, the Two Ladies were the divine protectors of the king and were featured on royal headdresses, jewelries and furniture. Nekhbet whose name signifies She of Nekheb was a local mother goddess identified with the crown of Upper Egypt, equating to Wadjet, the snake-goddess of royal authority whose name stands for the green one or She of the Papyrus.

Yemaya was a primordial spiritual entity charged by the supreme deity to assist Obatala with the creation of humanity. She is mainly venerated by women as the giver of life within the Yoruba spirituality.

In traditional Yoruba culture, Yemaya is seen as the queen of the sea, she first appeared in Yorubaland in modern day Nigeria where she is known as the Orisha of the Ogun River. Yemoja is frequently portrayed as the wife of various male Orisha and was perceived to be at the root of numerous ancient goddesses. The Orisha Yemaya is often depicted as a beautiful, queenly-looking mermaid wearing a dress with seven skirts symbolizing the seven great oceans. Yemaya went by many other names including Yemoja and Iemanja, the etymology of her name reveals that Yemaya is a contraction of the Yoruba words Iye meaning mother, Omo meaning children and Eja meaning fish, when put together and translated roughly means Mother whose children are the fish. Originally, Yemaya was a river entity who had nothing to do with the ocean nor the seas. Her worship spread beyond African borders, and was notable in Cuba and Brazil where she came to be called Yemaya, which is in fact the Spanish variant of the Yoruba Yemoja. Some stories describe Yemaya as the most nurturing Yoruba deity whose motherly presence was crucial for the beginning of all life, She is viewed in a way as the protector of women and children, and as such Yemaya governs everything pertaining to a mother’s relationship to their offspring. Yemaya also played an important role in another myth involving her counterpart, Olokun, the Orisha representing the unknown and deep bottom of the seas while she represents all superficial waters.

The Haitian people believe that the first man buried in a cemetery becomes the manifestation of its guardian who is reality the Baron, an entity considered to hold knowledge of the dead and the underworld. Baron Samedi often comes into the world as a beggar with a unique presence, but he is depicted as a tall black man wearing a formal attire which includes a black tuxedo and a top hat. Along with his iconic cane, the baron often appears with his face painted to resemble that of a skull, no wonder why in some cases he is depicted as having a skull instead of a human face. The Baron is represented by phallic symbols and noted for obscenities and debauchery, with a particular fondness for tobacco and alcohol. There are few symbols associated with the Baron as well and these include coffins, black goats, roosters and skeletons. Even the colours black and purple which appear in his clothing have become to be related with this powerful Lwa. To understand the Baron and his powers, we must first understand the religion that he was born into. Voodoo is a monotheistic religion originated from French colonies and common in Haiti and New Orleans, Voodoo brings together Catholic and African beliefs to form a unique set of rituals including dolls and symbolic drawings.

As the central figure of the Shinto religion, the heaven-shining Amaterasu is the ancestress by of the imperial family of Japan, she has always been an important Kami in the Japanese spiritual life. Amaterasu is a glorious goddess and the personification of the rising sun, the queen of Shinto divinities. based on Japanese mythology, the sun represents order and purity, two important concepts in Shintoism. Amaterasu symbolizes not just order but the justice that maintains it as well. The sun goddess is often depicted as a beautiful woman holding a mirror, the raven Yata Garasu is believed to be the messenger of the goddess. The name Amaterasu comes from the verb Amateru which can be translated as to shine from heaven, and this is the shorthand for Amaterasu ōmikami.