africa

On Myths and Legends of Africa: Part 6

Last time, Moyra told the story of Kivanga. Now she provides the commentary…. Many African mythologies assume that the first beings were deformed versions of the human race, and had to undergo transformation with the help of some hero or heroine. In the case of Kivanga, it is significant that the human race comes into [...]

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On Myths and Legends of Africa: Part 5

Moyra has been exploring the universal meaning of mythical stories, the connection between the ancient stories and our present lives. She continues… I will tell you a story now that is so rich in meaning and fascinated me so much I put it in my own book: Mythical Journeys, Legendary Quests. Before people as we [...]

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On Myths and Legends of Africa: Part 4

The White Bird At a still pool in the Kalahari A hunter stoops to drink. The mirror surface Flashes with white light As wings spread to rise. He looks up But already the bird Has flown. Nothing in sight But a measureless sky. The red dust of the earth, Thorn bushes And the stark skeletons [...]

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On Myths and Legends of Africa: Part 3

In “On Myths and Legends of Africa: Part 1″ and “On Myths and Legends of Africa: Part 2″ Moyra has been talking about the universal meaning of some traditional African legends. This time she explores the meaning of the story of The Young Man, The Lion, and the Yellow-flowered Zwart-Storm Tree… In this story a [...]

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On Myths and Legends of Africa: Part 2

In the first of this series, “On Myths and Legends of Africa: Part 1” Moyra concluded that all cultures have myths that speak to other cultures, because they address a universal need: to make sense of life and death. Now she continues… Take Africa, for example. The African continent is huge and contains many different [...]

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On Myths and Legends of Africa: Part 1

In this series of articles, storyteller and bard Moyra Caldecott reflects on the perennial meaning and importance of myths and legends. To me a MYTH is a seminal, original story, using symbolic images, with the aim of stirring up thought about the great mysteries of life. “Where do we come from?” “Who are we?” “Where [...]

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