Mythological Africans Podcast

Mythological Africans

The Mythological Africans podcast features weekly 10 to 20 minute readings and analyses of myths and folktales from the African continent. mythologicalafricans.substack.com

  1. Apr 13

    The Magician Archetype

    Hello to all new subscribers and followers! Welcome! Please read this. Meanwhile, life is life-ing so this week’s episode features a short story reading and a light-hearted discussion of the magician archetype. Hope you enjoy! Can’t Get Enough? Miracles of Another Kind! Still Can’t Get Enough? The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections: * Creation myths and foundation legends * Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created * Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are about some of the most unlikely animals!) I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the historical and cultural context out of which the stories, their themes, and protagonists emerge. There is something for everybody! Mythological Africans is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Mythological Africans at mythologicalafricans.substack.com/subscribe

    9 min

  2. Apr 6

    The Magician

    It’s April, friends, and we’ll spend the month focused on the Jungian archetype of the Magician. We’ll go over what Jung (and Jungian scholars in general) have to say about the Magician, set it in the African context, and then examine specific examples of the patterns of behavior, circumstances, images and ideas which allude to the Magician archetype as they show up in African myth, folklore and legend. We will necessarily touch on the topic of witchcraft in the African context but only peripherally and as relevant to the topic. In today’s episode, we’ll see how Nuer (Sudan) prophet, Ngundeng Bong, embodied the Magician archetype to catalyze change. “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” - Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, English science fiction writer, science writer, futurist, and inventor. References * The Collected Works of Carl Jung. * The Fate of Ngungdeng’s Dang. * Kelsey, Darren. "The Archetypal Magician." Storytelling and Collective Psychology: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Life and the Work of Derren Brown. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. 21-40. * Evans-Pritchard, Edward Evan. The Nuer:: A Description of the Modes of Livelihood and Political Institutions of a Nilotic People. Oxford University Press. 1940. p185. Can’t Get Enough? * Tenets of Kikuyu Witchcraft and Religion Still Can’t Get Enough? The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections: * Creation myths and foundation legends (including the story of Tin Hinan, Founding Mother of the the Tuareg!) * Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created * Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are about some of the most unlikely animals!) I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the historical and cultural context out of which the stories, their themes, and protagonists emerge. There is something for everybody! Mythological Africans is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Mythological Africans at mythologicalafricans.substack.com/subscribe

    12 min

  3. Mar 29

    The Ruler Archetype in African Myth and Folklore

    Hello Friends! We close the series with a short reflection on what this might all mean for us as people living in today’s world of chaos and contradictions. Virtually everything depends on the human psyche and its functions. It should be worthy of all the attention we can give it, especially today, when everyone admits that the weal or woe of the future will be decided neither by the threat of wild animals, nor by natural catastrophes, nor by the danger of world-wide epidemics, but simply and solely by the psychic changes in (hu)man(s). It needs only an almost imperceptible disturbance of equilibrium in a few of our rulers’ heads to plunge the world into blood, fire, and radioactivity. - Carl Jung, God, the Devil, and the Human Soul. Hope you enjoy and see you next week! Can’t Get Enough? The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections: * Creation myths and foundation legends (including the story of Tin Hinan, Founding Mother of the the Tuareg!) * Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created * Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are about some of the most unlikely animals!) I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the historical and cultural context out of which the stories, their themes, and protagonists emerge. There is something for everybody! Mythological Africans is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Mythological Africans at mythologicalafricans.substack.com/subscribe

    8 min

  4. Mar 23

    The Ruler Archetype in African Myth and Folklore

    Hello Friends! New to Mythological Africans? Welcome! Read this. Meanwhile, we’re still talking about the images, symbols, and patterns of behavior or circumstances associated with rulership in African myth, folklore, legend, and history. This week, we linger in that sliver of space where the perception of “good” or “bad” rulership bends to the will of the beholder. Arraweelo of Somalia is a particularly contradictory ruler in African legend. In some accounts of her story, she is maligned as an exceptionally evil ruler who despised men. Yet other accounts present her as a ruler who fought for the good of her people, especially the women. We’ll hear two versions of her story and reflect on how their contradiction is a both a manifestation of the bipolarity of archetypes and an expression of wholeness. References * The Somali Queen: Queen Arraweelo by Farah Mohamed. * British Somaliland by Ralph E Drake-Brockman (pages 169 - 171). * Arraweelo: A Role Model For Somali Women by Ladan Affi. * A Tree for poverty : Somali Poetry and Prose by Margaret Lawrence (pages 126 - 131) Can’t Get Enough Still Can’t Get Enough? The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections: * Creation myths and foundation legends (including the story of Tin Hinan, Founding Mother of the the Tuareg!) * Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created * Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are about some of the most unlikely animals!) I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the historical and cultural context out of which the stories, their themes, and protagonists emerge. There is something for everybody! Mythological Africans is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Mythological Africans at mythologicalafricans.substack.com/subscribe

    12 min

  5. Mar 16

    The Ruler Archetype in African Myth and Folklore

    Hello Friends, In this week’s episode, we examine the archetypal symbols, patterns and motifs from the story of Chief Shemwindo, a case of bad rulership from the legends of the Nyanga of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I also reflect on how this ties to the persistence of bad rulership on the continent in current times. The way I see it, bad rulership is not new to the African continent. What has been disrupted is the ability of the people to organize against it and when they succeed, to move on from it. References * Biebuyck, Daniel, and Kahombo C. Mateene, editors. “The Mwindo Epic.” The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1st ed., University of California Press, 2021, pp. 39–142. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1hm8jb6.5. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026. * Mysterioum Coniunctionis by C.G. Jung Can’t Get Enough? Still Can’t Get Enough? The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections: * Creation myths and foundation legends (including the story of Tin Hinan, Founding Mother of the the Tuareg!) * Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created * Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are about some of the most unlikely animals!) I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the historical and cultural context out of which the stories, their themes, and protagonists emerge. There is something for everybody! Mythological Africans is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Mythological Africans at mythologicalafricans.substack.com/subscribe

    17 min

  6. Mar 9

    The Ruler Archetype in African Myth and Folklore

    Hey Friends We’re on the fourth episode of the MA deep dive into Jungian archetypes in African myths, legend and folklore. We’re remaining focused on the rulership archetype for the month of March and the plan is to look at it from different angles. In this week’s episode (and to honor Women’s Day!) we’re going to talk about rulership in African mythology and folklore from the perspective of women. References * Franz, Marie-Luise von. The Feminine in Fairy Tales. United Kingdom, Shambhala, 1993. * Lewis, Jerome. Forest hunter-gatherers and their world: a study of the Mbendjele Yaka pygmies of Congo-Brazzaville and their secular and religious activities and representations. Diss. University of London, 2002, 175 - 176. * Schipper, Mineke. Source of all evil : African proverbs and sayings on women. Chicago, Bloomsbury Academic, 1991. * Korsah, Chantal. Yaa Asantewaa: Queen Mother of the Ashanti Confederacy * Ogwu, Matthew Chidozie, Moses Edwin Osawaru, and Rosemary Noredia Iroh. “Ethnobotany and collection of west African okra [Abelmoschus caillei (a. Chev.) Stevels] germplasm in some communities in Edo and Delta states, southern Nigeria.” Borneo Journal of Resource Science and Technology 6.1 (2016): 25-36. * Fraser, Douglas, and Herbert M. Cole, eds. African art and leadership. Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1972. * Fisher, Angela. Africa Adorned. United Kingdom, Harvill Press, 1996. Can’t Get Enough? * Read this reflection on archetypes as living territory for transformation: * Read this X/Twitter Thread for some exceptional heroines from African myth, legend and history. * Check out the project page for The Runaway Princess and Other Stories (and references for Yennenga’s story) Still Can’t Get Enough? The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections: * Creation myths and foundation legends (including the story of Tin Hinan, Founding Mother of the the Tuareg!) * Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created * Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are about some of the most unlikely animals!) I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the historical and cultural context out of which the stories, their themes, and protagonists emerge. There is something for everybody! Mythological Africans is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Mythological Africans at mythologicalafricans.substack.com/subscribe

    20 min

  7. Mar 2

    The Ruler Archetype in African Myth and Folklore

    Hello Friends! This week’s episode is a bit experimental. We tell a story. Not a folktale, legend or myth. Just a story about a Malinke boy who has a very interesting dream. Then, we talk about the dream and tease out some archetypal images, patterns and symbols which, in the context of West Africa’s Mande-speaking people, might allude to the rulership archetype. I hope you like it! References * Jung on Dreams: Part I - Definitions, Components, Functions and Features * Sundiata : an epic of old Mali by Djibril Tamsir Niane * The Epic of Son Jara by John W. Johnson * The Collected Works of Carl Jung * Dreams as Portals to the Soul: Dreamwork and Analysis Across Freudian, Jungian, Indigenous, and African Perspectives * McCall, Daniel F. “The Prevalence of Lions: Kings, Deities and Feline Symbolism in Africa and Elsewhere.” Paideuma, vol. 19/20, 1973, pp. 130–45. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40341534. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026. * Manzon, Agnes Kedzierska. "Humans and Things: Mande" Fetishes" as Subjects." Anthropological Quarterly 86.4 (2013): 1119-1151. * Chidester, David. “Dreaming in the Contact Zone: Zulu Dreams, Visions, and Religion in Nineteenth-Century South Africa.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion, vol. 76, no. 1, 2008, pp. 27–53. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40006024. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026. * Four Characteristics of Archetypes: Autonomy, Affect, Activation, Agency * Jung and the Individuation Process * The Persona * The Shadow * The Anima and Animus * Our Inner Partner: The Anima and Animus * 12 Jungian Archetypes: The Foundation of Personality Need a book of African Mythology and Folklore? The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections: * Creation myths and foundation legends (including the foundation legend of the Tuareg!) * Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created * Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are about some of the most unlikely animals!) I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the historical and cultural context out of which the stories, their themes, and protagonists emerge. There is something for everybody! Mythological Africans is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Mythological Africans at mythologicalafricans.substack.com/subscribe

    25 min

  8. Feb 23

    The Ruler Archetype in African Myth and Folklore

    Hi Friends! In week three of our Jungian archetypes meets African myth and folklore series, we start on the story of Sundiata (AKA Son Jara) Keita, arguably one of the major figures from African legends about good and courageous rulership. Sundiata is to the Manding people what Arthur of Camelot is to the British. We preface things with a bit more contextualization of rulership as an archetype and then take a quick look at Sundiata’s life to lay the foundation for our discussion. This is a big topic and I feel the weight of my own limited knowledge as I poke and prod at it. I ask for your understanding as we go along. I will try to be as thorough as I can be. I hope you enjoy! References * The Epic of Son Jara by John W. Johnson * The Collected Works of Carl Jung * Jung and the Individuation Process * The Persona * The Shadow * The Anima and Animus * Our Inner Partner: The Anima and Animus * 12 Jungian Archetypes: The Foundation of Personality Can’t Get Enough? Need a book of African Mythology and Folklore? The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections: * Creation myths and foundation legends (including the foundation legend of the Tuareg!) * Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created * Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are about some of the most unlikely animals!) I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the historical and cultural context out of which the stories, their themes, and protagonists emerge. There is something for everybody! Mythological Africans is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Mythological Africans at mythologicalafricans.substack.com/subscribe

    20 min
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About

The Mythological Africans podcast features weekly 10 to 20 minute readings and analyses of myths and folktales from the African continent. mythologicalafricans.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Mythological Africans
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    133
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Mythological Africans
  • Show Website
    Mythological Africans Podcast