Wulbari is a
supreme deity
{{broad-concept article
A supreme deity, supreme god or supreme being is the conception of the sole deity of monotheistic religions or, in polytheistic or henotheistic religions, the paramount deity or supernatural entity which is above all other ...
figure worshipped in the traditional religions of the
Krache and
Guang people
The Guan or Guang people are an ethnic group found almost in all parts of Ghana, including the Akyode people who speak Gikyode, Anii, Krachi people Nkonya tribe, the Gonja, Anum, Larteh, Akposo, Etsii in the Central Region, Nawuri, Nyagb ...
in
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
and
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...
.
Aside from his role as a supreme deity, Wulbari is a
sky god
The sky often has important religious significance. Many polytheism, polytheistic religions have deity, deities associated with the sky.
The daytime sky deities are typically distinct from the nighttime ones. Stith Thompson's ''Motif-Index o ...
, where he lived ever since he retreated from
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
. He is also often depicted as the foil to the spider god
Anansi
Anansi or Ananse ( ; literally translates to ''spider'') is a character in Akan religion and folklore associated with stories, wisdom, knowledge, and trickery, most commonly depicted as a spider. Anansi is a character who reflects the culture ...
.
Legends
Retreat from earth
There are several versions of the folktale that led to Wulbari’s retreat from earth to the skies, which represented heavens. Lynch and Roberts (2010) laid out several of these accounts:
# A woman who was pounding her pestle caused Wulbari pain, since her motions hit him. So, Wulbari kept going higher to escape the pain and eventually arrived at the skies.
# Wulbari was used as a towel for human’s soiled hands.
# Earth became too crowded and Wulbari left for the skies to escape the masses.
# The smoke of the cooking fire annoyed Wulbari greatly, and he decided to move to the skies.
# Wulbari was cut to pieces by a woman who used him as a seasoning, and so he left earth.
Origin of death
A
hornbill
Hornbills are birds found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia of the family Bucerotidae. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a horny casque on the upper ...
bird called Animabri started killing and eating mankind. Wulbari called on his court to decide on what to do next. The court, represented by animals, was later by Wulbari to name their people and their place. The
elephant
Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...
controlled the far countryside – and thus the lands are under its control. The goat stated that they have dominion over the grasslands. The dog claimed the humans, and thus Wulbari put him in charge of the medicine that would revive those that have been killed by Animabri.
[{{Cite web, title=Wulbari and the Bird That Liked Human Flesh, url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803125127462, access-date=2021-05-13, website=Oxford Reference, language=en]
Unfortunately, in his journey to deliver the medication to the humans, the dog became hungry and left the medicine on the roadside while he feasted on a bone. The goat snatched the medicine and poured it all over the grasses. Thus, mankind die and cannot return to life, while the grasses that die each season shall return to life in the next season.
See also
*
Nyame
Onyame, Nyankopɔn (Onyankopɔng) or Ɔdomankoma is the supreme god of the Akan people of Ghana, who is most commonly known as Nyame. The name means "The one who knows and sees everything", and "omniscient, omnipotent sky deity" in the Akan lang ...
*
Abassi
*
List of African mythological figures
This is a list of African spirits as well as deities found within the traditional African religions. It also covers spirits as well as deities found within the African religions—which is mostly derived from traditional African religions. Additi ...
References
African mythology
Sky and weather deities