Wind, like many other forces of nature, has a variety of distinct manifestations that African peoples have incorporated into their religious beliefs and practices. These distinct manifestations of wind are caused by the unique regional climates of Africa. In turn, people's perception of wind is influenced by how the wind impacts their daily lives. For example, the Harmattan is a wind that blows from the southern Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea from November to March; it brings with it dust, hazy skies, and short tempers because of the extreme amounts of dust it deposits over parts of West Africa. Among the Yoruba, the wind that accompanies rain, lightning, and thunder is a manifestation of the orisha Shango. Fierce wind that is not accompanied by ...