Encyclopedia of African Religion

Molefi KeteAsante; Ama Mazama

doi:10.4135/9781412964623

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Thunder

Edited by:
Molefi Kete Asante
&
Ama Mazama
In:Encyclopedia of African Religion
Chapter DOI:https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623
Subject:Black Studies
Keywords:cults; lightning

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Thunder is the loud sound following a flash of lightning. However, most Africans do not just perceive it as such; they “see” beyond the lighting and “hear” beyond the loud sound. This is because they consider the phenomenon as representing either the feat of a supernatural being, the symbol of divine power, or the vengeance of an enraged deity. As such, thunder never goes unnoticed, is always treated with awe and caution, and may even become the object of a cult.

Thunder Cult in Africa

In fact, thunder cults are prominent among a number of people in Africa. For example, among the Yoruba, sango is orisa ara (the god of thunderbolt). The thunderbolt deity is called kamalu by the Igbo and sokogba by the Nupe people of ...

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  Asante, M. K., & Mazama, A. (2009). Thunder. In Encyclopedia of African Religion (pp. 663-663). SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623
  
  Asante, Molefi K., and Ama Mazama. "Thunder." In Encyclopedia of African Religion, edited by Asante, Molefi Kete., and Ama Mazama, 663-663. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623.
  
  Asante, M. K. and Mazama, A. 2009. Thunder. In: Encyclopedia of African Religion. Molefi K. Asante and Ama Mazama Editors, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. pp. 663 Available at: <https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623> [Accessed 4 Dec 2023].
  
  Asante, Molefi K. and Ama Mazama. "Thunder." Encyclopedia of African Religion. Edited by Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009, pp. 663-663. Sage Knowledge, doi: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623.
  
  Asante, Molefi K., and Ama Mazama. Thunder. In Encyclopedia of African Religion. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.; 2009: 663-663. doi:10.4135/9781412964623
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