The Australian Deities and African Deities
They
Objectives
At the end of the lesson the reader should be
able to:
● discuss the deities in Australia and
Africa
● contrast the beliefs of each tribes
● and demonstrate the influence of
environment to the beliefs of people.
Australian Deities
The religion of Aborigine people in Australia has
gods and goddesses who created people and
the environment at the beginning of time. Each
tribe believes in different deities often
represented in tangible forms such as
landscape, plant, or animal form.
Aboriginal people do not believe in Animism, a
belief that all natural objects possess a soul.
They might believe that an object was created
by a deity in the creation period. They believe
that animals and plants are interchangeable
with human life through reincarnation of soul.
Animals and plants were believed to be once
people.
Stories are passed on orally and through virtual.
Aboriginal deities have many rules and no single
description and fall in three categories.
Three main categories of deities
1. Creation Beings
They are involved in the creation of people,
landscape, and aspects of the environment.
2. Ancestral Beings
They are direct ancestors of people today.
taught the first people in making tools and
weapons and collected foods and introduced
laws and ceremonies. Ancestral beings may not
appear in human form. It may be plants or
animals.
3. Totemic Beings
They represent the original form of an animal,
plant, other object. The concept of totemic
beings overlaps with ancestral and creation
Beings because totem beings may create
abundant species.
The Dream time
The Aboriginal people often interpret their
dreams as the memories of things that
happened in the Creation Period. The linkage of
dreams to creation time led to the term ‘Dream
Time’.
Dream time was way back at the very beginning.
Land and people were created by ancestors. It is
believed that they are animal-spirits. North
people think they are huge snakes. While others
believed it’s the Wanadjina who created the
world. The Dream Time is the foundation of
Aboriginal religion and culture originated
65,000 years ago.
Australian Gods
1. Altjira
One of the ancient beings created the world
during Dream Time. He is the father of Aranda,
a central Australian tribe. He’s the one who
shape the world but does not want to be
involved in human affairs and he went in the
sky. He has an emu feet and a human form. His
children and wife got canine feet. In Aboriginal
language his name means ‘him who non made’.

2. Julunggul
She is also known as Rainbow Serpent, one of
the creators in Dream time. She came down
from heaven with water and taught conduct to
human race. She can be a destructive force
when angry.
3. Marmoo
He is the evil force who desire to wreck havoc in
the beautiful world. He made insects and
crashing things but countered by the creation of
bird by goddess Nungeena. He tried to
convinced the birds to just sing instead of
building nest.
4. Eingana
She is an enormous snake and a main creator.
She was pregnant with many animal creatures
but unable to give birth because she had no
vagina. Another god saw her condition and
speared her that made children a way out. After
that, all animals and humans are able to give
birth.
5. Yhi
A goddess of light and brought light to the world
as she opened her eyes. Earth was covered with
green things and she made bees and butterflies
as she wanted to see dancing creatures. She
gave them wings and limbs as they can’t move.
Her last major act was to create a companion to
man.

6. Wandjina
Ha came down from the Milky Way during
Dreamtime and created the earth and all
inhabitants.
7. Lumaluma
He is the god of gluttony and gatecrashing.
When it comes to food he took more than his
share. He declared himself sacred so he’s the
only one who can eat. People stop inviting him
but he turns out anyway. Lumaluma became
partial to eating dead children so people killed
him. Rumors say he didn’t die at all but returned
to sea as a whale.
8. Baiame
He taught humans how everything works and
believes in controlling things. Baiame has
weather forecasting, hunting and fishing skills.
He invented the stone fish trap.
9. Mamaragan
He speaks with a thunder booming voice. He
rides ion vast black storm cloud in the sky
throwing bolt lightning down to Earth.
10. Adno-Artina
Known as Lizard Spirit God of Uluru or Ayers
Rock.
African Deities
African mythology stretches across African
cultures. Religious beliefs directly affect human
life. Africans do not have a unified belief about a
supreme god. Diversity made religions classified
into smaller ones.
Yoruba people in West Africa
Yoruba people believe in an omnipotent sky god
looking over all things on Earth. It takes the
form of Olodumare also known as Olorun, a
celestial being that goes through boundaries of
space, time, gender, and dimensions. Yoruba
people do not have any dedicated shrines or humans will do with their weapons. The destiny
places to worship him. It is because of his of weapons is left in the hands of humans.
distance to humans that detached him from
their daily affairs.

One point in time he was close to Earth. But the

daily needs of humans frustrated him and went
away from Earth. Olorun controlled the world
from a cosmic distance. He thought about the
need to create Orishas. Orishas are the
emissaries of his power and will that have
unique functions ensuring order on Earth.

Pantheon of Orsihas
3. Shango (The Bringer of Thunder)
There isn’t an exact number of Orishas but it
might goes up to 1440 Shango directs the directions of thunder and
lightning depending on the happenings in the
1. Eshun (The Divine Trickster) world. His authoritative power symbolizes
masculinity. He has three wives – Oshun, Oya,
Known as Elegba, he is a benevolent version of and Oba.
Loki in African mythology. He is not seen as
spirit who will destroy humanity through tricks.
He has a position as a messenger between
realms of spirits and humankind. Sacrifices of
resources like tobacco are required by him to
ensure constant appeasement and protection of
human beings.

4. Oshun (The Mother of Rivers)

She is attributed to bring the lifeblood of the

Niger River. Oshun is the favorite wife of
Shango. Her blessings ensure water cleanliness
and plenty of fishes that made her associated
with fertility and childbirth.

2. Ogun (Master of Iron)

He is the giver of iron in Orisha Pantheon

dubbed as Warrior God of War. Ogun oversees
metalwork and conflict arising in Yoruba people.
However, he does not interfere with what
5. Obatala (King of Peace)
He is the master behind shaping every child
when they are in the womb. Obatala practices a
specific approach to humankind by taking deep
care of their psychology while having justice.
6. Oya (Goddess of Weather)
The direct caterer of Shango’s will. Weather is
unpredictable and it associates her as goddess
of change.
7. Obaluaye (Master of Healing)
He is the Orisha of healing and miracles. He can
curse quickly as he can heal. His healing powers
range from skin diseases to epidemics.
8. Yemonja (The Whisper of Ocean)
She not only controls but also radiates power of
compassion and love. Seas sustains life that
seals her importance as a motherly figure in the
pantheon.
9. Orunmila (Oracle of Wisdom)
The Orisha of knowledge, omniscience, and
wisdom, and the embodiment of destiny. He
holds power over knowledge including
information, intuition, and instinct..
10. Oba (The flow of river)
The Orisha of water and manifestation linked to
jealousy. Driven by desire to be Shango’s
favorite wife, she followed the lie advice of
Oshun on what she did to be favorite of Shango.
Oba did it by cutting her ear and putting in
Shango’s food. Shango found the ear and exiled
her. Oba became a river that intersects the Osun
river that symbolizes long rivalry between the 2. Isis
two wives..
The goddess of Moon, protector of women and
children, and healer of the sick. She is the most
important goddess in Ancient Egypt until the
end of civilization.

Egyptian Deities

Over the centuries Egypt worshiped hundreds of 3. Horus

gods and goddesses. These gods are found in
the legends and lots of infrastructures are built
dedicated to them.
Ancient Egypt Famous Deities
Depicted as a falcon headed man and the god of
the sky and war. He avenge his father against his
uncle Set and became the king of Egypt. Horus
lost his eye in the conflict.

1. Osiris

The god of the underworld that symbolizes

death and resurrection. He was responsible for
the cyclical annual flooding in the Nile that is
crucial to the agriculture of Egypt civilization.
His brother Set killed him and he got
resurrected by his wife Isis. They have a son
named Horus and Osiris permanently returned
to the underworld. 4. Set

He murdered his brother out of jealousy. Set is

the god of chaos, violence, deserts, and storms.
 7. Ptah

5. Sobek The most important god among the three gods

in the Triad of Memphis. The other two were his
Depicted as a crocodile headed man. Sobek was wife Sekhmet and son Nefertum. Ptah is the god
believed to have created the Nile river from his of craftsmen and builders while he is the god of
sweat when helping Ra create the world. darkness to others.

8. Hathor
6. Ra
Depicted as a cow or a woman with a head of a
The most important god or the Creator god. Ra
cow. She is the goddess of motherhood and
created earth, heaven, and the underworld.
fertility.
Even the gods and living creatures in it. Ra
sailed across the sky during the day carrying
sun. Then spent the evening traveling the
underworld and bringing the sun up the next
morning. Egypt pharaohs tried to convince
people they were the personification of Ra on
earth.

9. Anubis

A god with a head of jackals and often

associated with death and afterlife. He is the
protector of the graves.
 Zulu Religion

Zulu has numerous deities associated with

animals and natural phenomena. Unkulunkulu is
their highest god and creator of humanity. He
was created in Umhlanga, a marsh where
humanity comes from.

Gods of Zulu

10. Geb
The god of earth and father of snakes. He is the
father of Osiris, Isis, and Set. Geb is depicted
with a goose on his head and his laugh would
cause earthquakes across the world.
1. Nomkhubulwane
Her name means ‘she who chooses the state of
an animal’ and is also known as Mbaba Mwana
Waresa. She is the fertility goddess who rules
over rainbows, agriculture, rain and beer. She
taught people in sowing and reaping as well in
making beer.

2. uNgungi

The deity of blacksmiths.

3. iNyanga

The moon goddess.

4. Ukhulukhulwana

Ancestor who came from stars and found Zulu

11. Nut
people living like animals with no laws. He
taught them to build huts and the laws.
Wife of geb and mother of Osiris, Isis, and Set.
She is the goddess of sky and portrayed as a
woman with an arched body of stars.
Igbo religion

Igbo people are an ethnic group in Nigeria. Also

some are found in Cameroon, Gabon, and
Equatorial Guinea.

1. Chukwu (Chi Ukwu)

The name means ‘the great spirit’. Igbo believes

Chukwu as an all-powerful, all-knowing divinity,
the maker of cosmos. He is not believed to have
human form. Igbo thinks he live in the sky
associated with the sun. The sun is believed to
be God’s eye on Earth.
2. Ala
She is a goddess associated with the moon. Ala
is in charge of conserving the creation and
enforcing the law created by Chukwu. Igbo
people regarded her as the mother of all crops.
3. Agbula
References
Aboriginal Culture (n.d.). Aboriginal Religion.
https://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/aboriginal-r
eligion/
Godchecker (n.d.). The Australian Aboriginal
Pantheon.
https://www.godchecker.com/australian-aboriginal-
mythology/pantheon/

The priestess of Ala. She leads community

Bromley B. (n.d.). On the go tours blog. Egyptian
rituals for Ala and punishes immoral acts such
Mythology: 12 of the Most Important Egyptian God.
as murder, witchcraft, and perjury.
https://www.onthegotours.com/blog/2021/10/god
4. Mbari s-of-egyptian-mythology/

The divine guardian of ritual form.

Wikipedia (n.d.). Zulu Traditional
Religion.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zulu_tradi
5. Amadioha
tional_religion
He is the god of thunder and lightning or the
owner of the sky. Amadioha is presumed to be a Kabir S.F. (2002). History Cooperative. 12 African
gentle deity but gets violent when provoked. Gods and Goddesses: Orsiha Pantheon.
White ram is the preferred sacrifice to him https://historycooperative.org/african-gods-and-go
because his favorite color is white. ddesses/

6. Agwu

The trickster god of Igbo. He is capable of

causing confusion in the mind of the clearest
reasoner. But he can also clarify if it’s caused by
ignorance or evil deeds of humans.

11. Ekwensu

The evil Igbo spirit. People possessed by him

can do evil acts.

Prepared by
Randolf Surca