Nyame

Nyame
King of Heaven

Adinkra Symbol: Gye Nyame
Consorts Asase Ya

Issue

Tano
Bia
Anansi

Apo[1]
Bosomtwe[2]

Nyame (or Nyambe, Nyankopon) is the God of the Akan people of Ashanteland.[3]

His name means "he who knows and sees everything" and "omniscient, omnipotent sky god" in the Akan language;

Function

He is called "omniscient, omnipotent God of the Akan people".

Nyame is portrayed as a benevolent God, if sometime aloof and distant.

One of Nyame's creations was Kamunu, the first human being. Nyame gave Kamunu the task of naming all the other creations.[4][5]

Family

Nyame is Spirit and has no family.

Nyame and Anansi

A giant python once terrorised the Ashanti people, who then prayed to Nyame. Nyame was tired of a human named Kwaku Anansi, the Spider Man, boasting about his so called wit and intelligence, and as a punishment, assigned him with the task of dealing with the python.

Anansi tricked the python into eating a heavy meal and consuming strong wine. When the snake fell unconscious, Anansi summoned the villagers to beat the creature and drive it away. Nyame was pleased with Kwaku's wit and blessed him with tremendous wisdom and life.

See also

References

  1. ↑ God of waters.
  2. ↑ Also god of waters.
  3. ↑ Egerton Sykes, Alan Kendall (2001). Who's who in non-classical mythology. Routledge. p. 144. ISBN 9780415260404. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  4. ↑ Origin of death
  5. ↑ Harold Scheub, Nyambe And The Origin of Death. A Dictionary of African Mythology, Oxford University Press, 2000
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