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bestiarium · 2 years

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The Abiku [African/Yoruba/Nigerian mythology]

The Yoruba people are an ethnic group who live in what is now Nigeria. In their religion, Abiku are vile, evil spirits with little or no redeeming qualities. Mostly nocturnal, these beings come together at dusk and dawn and congregate in high treetops, darkened corners of homes, and similar spots. Their goal is to search human settlements to find pregnant women. When a suitable target is located, an Abiku will attempt to enter the body of the woman, which they can do because these spirits are incorporeal beings. Once inside the womb, the evil spirit will completely destroy the unborn baby. It will then shape a new body for itself, in the form of a human foetus, which it inhabits.

Eventually, the baby is born just like a normal child. But it is not a human being. The Abiku, now in the form of a newborn infant, will transform into an adult when its mother is sleeping and wander around the town at night. It does this so it can still attend the nocturnal gatherings of the Abiku spirits.

The goal of the Abiku is to collect the tears of a mother, but I am uncertain whether these tears are their nourishment or if they are used as a form of currency among the spirits. Whatever the reason, they will try dirty tricks to obtain these tears. Abiku are known to kill their own body (this does not kill the spirit itself), making the mother think that her child died. The spirit will then wait until the woman gets pregnant again and replace another child, often repeating this process many times in a row with the same woman. And every time the mother weeps for her deceased children, the Abiku collects the tears. However, there are stories of Abiku who remained in their human form for years or even over a decade before dying, in rare cases even reaching adulthood and having their own children.

When a couple suspects they’re being targeted by an Abiku, they sometimes hire a Babalawo, which is a kind of medicine-man or priest in the Yoruba religion. He can attempt to convince the spirit to stop, but there is no solution or cure that can drive away an Abiku.

Finally – and this is just speculation on my part – I belief the myth of the Abiku might have originated as a way to explain why a woman had several miscarriages in a row. Alternatively, given that it was possible for an Abiku to remain in its human form for years, this might have been a way to explain people with physical birth defects or severe mental illnesses. People might have thought that they were eldritch spirits who replaced the original human baby, like the fairy changelings of British folktales.

Source: Thomas, D. and Alanamu, T., 2018, African religions: beliefs and practises throughout history, ABC-CLIO, 284 pp. (image source: EnvakEnkaqti)

#African mythology #Yoruba mythology #Nigerian mythology #spirits #ghosts #myths #mythology #folklore

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deviiancetv · 2 years

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Iyanu, Child of Wonder 🇳🇬

So, Cartoon Network & HBO Max just greenlit a new Nigerian show today!!

I’m really excited about this. I’m happy that the entertainment industry is starting to showcase & are developing more black centric stories with African mythology. It’s been needed for a LONG time.

“Iyanu: Child of Wonder, is a superhero tale set in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland, which draws from Nigerian culture & mythology. Iyanu, a teenage orphan who spends her days studying Yoruba history and ancient arts. One day, responding to danger, she unknowingly triggers her divine powers, that had not been seen since the Age of Wonders. With newly discovered superpowers, Iyanu joins forces with two other teenagers as they embark on a remarkable journey to discover the truth about the evil lurking in her homeland. Throughout her adventure, she’ll uncover the truth about her past, her parents, and her ultimate destiny to save the world. The series is created by Roye Okupe.”

I’m getting a vibe that it’s gonna be more kid-friendly, but will have serious storyline. I’m thinking something like Kipo & The Age of Wonderbeasts meets Avatar: The Last Airbender, but with African mythology & an entirely unique story. YESSSS I CAN’T WAIT!! Definitely gonna read the books now.

Link: “More Black Lead Fantasy Sci-Fi Shows & Movies”

Update: SERIES COMING IN 2024

#cinema starview #iyanu child of wonder #cartoon news #cartoon network #hbo max #nigerian mythology #black cartoons #african culture #afrofuturism #black fantasy #black scifi

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chilledagridolce27 · 1 year

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My sister found this by chance a couple months back and guys!!!!!! It's important to check it out and support the artists please!! I can't recommend it enough

youtube

Enjoy y'all!!

#yoruba #nigerian mythology #it's so nice to hear my native language you have no idea #african diaspora #the orishas #the story of sango #god of thunder #the yoruba language #african mythology #Youtube

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eyetviseveryonestv · 9 months

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This is a drawing I did at Sage Studios called, “The Water God’s god-dom enters the house of the Sun God and Moon Goddess.” It’s inspired by an old Nigerian myth about how the sun and moon gave up their home for the water to live in the sky, and recalling from a retelling illustrated by Blair Lent, I was greatly inspired by how these deities had their own people or living things they governed over. I also took influence from Renaissance, Baroque, and early 19th century paintings that depicted Greco-Roman mythological events and gave it a more inclusive flair in my own style. I used colored pencils, pen, regular pencils, and permanent maker on paper. It took me from late Spring to August 11th, 2023 to finish this.

#nigerian mythology #west african folklore #i support representation #african mythology #efik ibibio fairy tales #art

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arguablysomaya · 1 year

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Randomly made a presentation on Igbo mythology so if anyone is interested in that for whatever reason here it is

a lot of the information is in the speakers notes

EDIT: updated link so presenter notes are hopefully accessible

#shut up somaya #igbo #nigeria #igbo kwenu #nigerian #mythology #africa #african mythology

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qbdatabase · 2 months

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Love in Color by Bolu Babalola In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places. View the full summary and rep info on wordpress!

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desdasiwrites · 1 year

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– Natasha Bowen, Skin of the Sea

#book quote of the day #natasha bowen #skin of the sea #mami wata #La Sirene #black sirens #mythological creatures #retellings #bipoc representation #Nigerian-Welsh author #ya #book recommendations #sirens

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silverislander · 1 year

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ok i just finally finished lagoon. ohhh my god i am so excited to discuss this in class

#i have been thinking abt it So Much.#who gets to be the protagonist and why!! why is it always americans why is it white people why is it PEOPLE at all. why not fish #maybe a bat or a spider or a ROAD has the most fascinating inner life on earth and we would never fucking know #the way we humans (and esp white people) have a habit of crushing things without understanding how special they ever were #this isnt even just on a plot/character level its in the LANGUAGE of the book. pidgin english as a tool to show class/connections!!#and bc this class is postcolonial lit i just KNOW were gettin into all of that #its SO good dude. its such a good book #i also just thought all the nigerian mythology was super fucking cool even if i dont know much abt it #i knew vaguely abt mami wata and ijele i think. and anansi but anansi isnt really in the book #levi.txt #also just as a smaller thing: i didnt know much abt nigeria in general and its always cool to see new places represented in books #ive never even been close to lagos!! but i can tell the author loves it sm and sees the beauty in it #just. as a huge arachnophobe this book is literally narrated by a massive spider and im endorsing it. thats smth in itself hgfjdkhgfd #i have a lot of feelings abt it 👍#anyway. enjoy the infodump i will not apologize #next book for the same class is midnights children by salman rushdie which also sounds super interesting!!#one of the girls in my writing class last year was indian and her stories talking abt it were always great? so thats a good sign #i dont know loads abt india either but im so excited to see it in this book and learn more

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aislynndmerricksson · 6 months

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Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorofor

Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorofor Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor is the stunning finale to the mystical Nsibidi Scripts trilogy that blends African folklore, and Nigerian culture/ traditions with contemporary life. Themes of friendship, identity, and personal growth take center stage, as Sunny and her Leopard Knocks friends navigate complicated magical politics and face immense battles. The…

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adaezeonstarmaker · 7 months

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Nigerian Mythology

#Nigerian #goddess #mythology and folklore

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sincerelyveronica · 1 year

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What’s up book buddies?

I can't believe it's February already. Time is just zooming by these days! How are the books coming along?

What's everyone reading this month?

I somehow suckered myself into reading two books and an audiobook this month. Actually, I should have finished one book last month, but I didn’t. 🫣

Currently reading/listening:

📖 A Game of Fates- Hades Saga (yes, I still haven’t finished it but I’m workin it!)

📖 Iyanu Child of Wonder vol 1 (it’s a Nigerian graphic novel!)

🎧 Spare by Prince Harry (it’s an emotional book. I’ve had to take several breaks after some chapters.)

You will have my thoughts on them soon. Hope you’re enjoying your current book too! Happy Reading!

OXOX

Sincerely,

Veronica

#sincerelyveronica #book review #book blog #bibliophile #bookblr #booknerd #bookworm #hades and persephone #a game of fate #hades #greek mythology #Iyanu child of wonder #Iyanu #Nigerian novel #spare by prince harry #prince harry #royal family #memoir

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sabinabardot · 1 year

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introduction to writeblr!

Hey, I'm Sabina Bardot, a YA fantasy writer who focuses mainly on queer themes, magic, and monsters. I'm very new here and i'm always looking for more writeblr friends so please interact with this post if you also love to write and I'll try my best to follow back!

sab - she/her

about my writing

I love anything with an interesting plot, bonus points if there's magic and mystery, but I personally will be writing a lot of YA queer fantasy

Magic and mystery; witches, mythology, folktales and folklore. I especially love Scandivian and Nigerian folklore, but anything passed down through generations is my jam

Fantasy and sci-fi; usually low fantasy but I've had my high fantasy moments

Diversity; I write about people being people, and people are diverse, so my characters are too

Horror; my books won't contain much horror in them, but I personally love to read it.

about me

I started off writing, and still do write, fanfiction in multiple different fandoms.

fandoms, currently: House, M. D / The Secret History / Moon Knight

what i'm looking for

More writers to follow!

Beta readers/Critique Partners (i also beta read for people!)

Vibes and frens :)

genres i read

Fantasy / Science Fiction / Contemporary / Mystery-Thriller / Folktales and Fairytales / Horror

Current reads: The Shining by Stephen King, Whichwood by Tahera Mafi, and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Current fave books: The Secret History by Donna Tart, The Binding by Bridget Collins, and The Familiars by Stacey Halls

WIPS

Project Autumn (wip title): In a world where marriage reigns above all and two is, by law, better than one, all August wants is to escape his mother's rule over his life. Enter Sorrel, a boy who harbors illegal magic and has a penchant for shifting shapes...

I'm looking forward to meeting you all!

#writeblr intro #writeblr #writers of tumblr #queer writers #writeblr introduction #female writers #intro #introduction #writer

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iwtvfanevents · 29 days

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Rewind the Tape —Episode 3

Art of the episode

Just like we did for the pilot and for episode two, we took note of the art shown and mentioned in the third episode while we rewatched it. Did we miss any? Can you help us put a name to the unidentified ones? Do you have any thoughts about how these references could be interpreted?

On the Origin of Species*

Charles Darwin, 1859

* Not exactly art... ...and not exactly confirmed, but given the time, the subject of their conversation, and Lestat's "...this naturalist that fogs your mind" remark, this seems the most likely attribution for the book Louis is reading during the opening scene.

Darktown Strutters' Ball

Shelton Brooks, 1917

The song Antoinette is first singing was published that same year, and you can hear it performed by The Platters here.

Minuet in G

Christian Petzold, circa 1725

As pointed by @cardassiangoodreads in this post, the song Lestat first plays before he starts improvising is Petzold's Minuet in G, often falsely attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach.

Wolverine Blues

Jelly Roll Morton, 1923

While the scene in which Lestat improvises the melody happens in 1917, Morton would go on to record and release the song in Indiana in 1923.

Slave Auction

Jean-Michael Basquiat, 1982

Our very first look at Basquiat's Slave Auction comes in the third episode, though it will be the backdrop of most of the sixth. While some elements, like the crown of thorns, lend themselves to varied interpretations, it's clear this collage shows a boat (golden for money, perhaps) crossing a blue expanse, and the faces of the slaves being transported.

Mother Daughter and Twins 1

Rahmon Olugunna, undated

Rahmon Olugunna, born in Osogbo in 1975, is a member of the Oshogbo school of artists in Nigeria. His work represents Yoruban mythology as well as modern Nigerian life. He is represented by New Orleans curator Katie Koch. [Identified by @vfevermillion.]

Untitled ceramic totems

Julie Silvers, undated

Each unique totem is made by New Orleans native Julie Silvers, and they are distributed by New Orleans store Villa Vici. Two can be seen in the sitting room. [Identified by @vfevermillion.]

Javelina

Bryan Cunningham, undated

By "Junkyard Alchemist" Bryan Cunningham, who posted about it here. [Found by @iwtvdramacd18.]

In the same shot we can see an unidentified painting, maybe of a man's profile. Perhaps you can place it?

Untitled photo of loading docks in St. Paul, Minnesota

Bradley Olson, 2015 (Alamy Stock Photo)

Forty-two Kids and Cliff Dwellers

George Bellows, 1907 and 1913 respectively

Several Bellows pieces have been featured around Rue Royale already, in episodes one and two. [Identified by @nicodelenfent, here.]

Nocturnes, Op. 55: No. 1 in F minor. Andante

Frederic Chopin, 1842-1844

This is the song that plays during Jonah and Louis's escapade to the Bayou.

Roman Bacchanal

Vasily (Wilhelm) Alexandrovich Kotarbiński, 1898

Kotarbiński was a Polish artist and painter of historical and fantastical subjects, and co-founder of the Society of Kyiv Painters. [Identified by @nicodelenfent.]

Weeping Nude

Edvard Munch, 1913

Young Man kneeling before God the Father

Egon Schiele, 1909

Two more artists we've seen already, in episodes one and two.

Self-Portrait

Edvard Munch, 1881-1882

Bouquet in a theater box

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1871

While we have seen Munch's work already, this is the first Renoir featured. He was a French artist and a leading figure in the development of the Impressionist style. [Identified by @nicodelenfent.]

Church in Stein on the Danube

Egon Schiele, 1913 [Identified by @nicodelenfent, here.]

If you spot or put a name to any other references, let us know if you'd like us to add them with credit to the post!

This week, we are rewatching and discussing Episode 4, …The Ruthless Pursuit of Blood with All a Child's Demanding. We can't wait to hear your thoughts!

And, if you're just getting caught up, learn all about our group rewatch here ►

#louis de pointe du lac #daniel molloy #lestat de lioncourt #vampterview #interview with the vampire #iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire amc #amc iwtv #iwtv amc #IWTVfanevents #rewind the tape #is my very nature that of a devil #analysis and meta #art of the episode

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readerbookclub · 8 months

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Hello everyone, it's time for a new book list! This month, I've made a list of books inspired by folklore. Hope you enjoy! I tried to include stories from different countries and cultures. As always, please be sure to vote using the link at the end of the post :)

Onto the books...

Gods of Jade and Shadow, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

Deathless, by Catherynne M. Valente

Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century.

Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei’s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

Things in Jars, by Jess Kidd

Bridie Devine, female detective extraordinaire, is confronted with the most baffling puzzle yet: the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick, secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, and a peculiar child whose reputed supernatural powers have captured the unwanted attention of collectors trading curiosities in this age of discovery.

Winding her way through the labyrinthine, sooty streets of Victorian London, Bridie won’t rest until she finds the young girl, even if it means unearthing a past that she’d rather keep buried. Luckily, her search is aided by an enchanting cast of characters, including a seven-foot tall housemaid; a melancholic, tattoo-covered ghost; and an avuncular apothecary. But secrets abound in this foggy underworld where spectacle is king and nothing is quite what it seems.

Blending darkness and light, history and folklore, Things in Jars is a spellbinding Gothic mystery that collapses the boundary between fact and fairy tale to stunning effect and explores what it means to be human in inhumane times.

Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold - by Bolu Babalola

A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen.

A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life.

A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart.

In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places.

With an eye towards decolonizing tropes inherent in our favorite tales of love, Babalola has created captivating stories that traverse across perspectives, continents, and genres.

A Master of Djinn, by P. Djèlí Clark

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world 50 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and her clever girlfriend Siti, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city -or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems…

Please vote for our next book here.

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wizardnuke · 1 month

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if my classmate could stop attempting to draw parallels from a book that takes place in 1800s nigeria and is written by a christian, nigerian author to greek mythology i would be very grateful

#its not. its not that. its not that. i was bitching about this last semester with the nordic pagan girl #not everything is connected to your mythology/pantheon of choice. analyze the book #its not like theres never any influence but like. when we were looking at a book that PREDATES all known written records of greek mythology #he was doing this. it can still be done but. use the cultural knowledge..is the culture or the author impacted by yr mythology?#no? find a different fucking angle you cant look at every piece of literature from the same pov or youre bad at analysis. sorry

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shadowmaat · 4 months

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Sun's out, tantrum's out

Another day, another booktwit drama unfolding. It seems white authors can't go five minutes without attacking Black authors for existing, and in this case accusing them of theft.

You can find part of the drama on twitter, where Lauren M. Davis accuses Marvellous Micheal Anson of plagiarism and copyright violations for having a protag who can control the sun. Because apparently that's her thing. Which will come as a surprise to everyone who has ever written characters utilizing that concept. Including quite a number of gods.

Now that the dogpiling has begun, Lauren is claiming that it isn't just the sun powers thing that was stolen, but hasn't really offered any evidence of what Marve did wrong. About all I can see, between Lauren's snippet and the first chapter of Marve's book, is that in addition to the "sun powers," Marve's book, like Lauren's, also features a character on the run from religious authority figures. If there's any more to that then she hasn't seen fit to tell us.

The official summary for Lauren's book, Nova's Playlist: From Cinders to Tiara is less than helpful in determining a plotline. It's billed as "a story within a story within a story," but from the snippet she posted it sounds like a generic Magical Girl origin story where an "ordinary" girl discovers she has magical powers (superspeed and flight) due to her alien nature and she's recruited into the Solar Girls- to help fight evil, probably. It sounds a little bit Superman and a little bit Sailor Moon, and perfectly fine as a concept. Just not a stunningly original one worthy of vicious defence.

Marve's book, meanwhile, is called Firstborn of the Sun and is steeped in Nigerian culture and Yoruba mythology. It's all about the gods, not aliens, and I can't tell if the plot is going to be about saving the world or something on a smaller scale. There's no information available (that I can find) other than her (broken) link to the first chapter, which is on the Future World's Prize website (chapter here). It seems unlikely that Lauren could have somehow wrangled a copy of the entire book to read in order to determine that enough was "stolen" to warrant a copyright claim. TBH I'd say that Marve dipping into the stories of the Yoruba people is enough to set it distinctly apart, but maybe that's just me.

Lauren's insistence that she's right and the vast majority of the internet is wrong seems disproportionate to the situation and the fact that she chose to target a Black author is definitely suspect, no matter what she says. How did she even find Marve in order to attack her?

Anyway, this isn't going to end well for Lauren. Her book is already being negged on the major sites, which is a bit of an iffy tactic, IMO, given that we just went through a whole condemnation of "review bombing" during the Cait Corrain scandal.

Word to the wise: if you're going to go after someone, especially on social media, make sure you have plenty of evidence and receipts first. Know what you're doing and make sure you're in the right. Or be prepared to reap the consequences you've brought on yourself.

Also? Don't be a fucking racist.

#bookworld drama #the whites are at it again #(they say as a white themself)

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