Wind

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 rain is Oya. Oya is a consort of Shango and has her own stormlike characteristics. She can strike down houses and has a face so terrible that no one dares look at it. More contemporary associations with Oya are the places hit by storms or hurricanes in the Americas and the winds of change that blow strongly and frequently in the modern world. Conversely, a gentle wind is associated with the orisha Eshu.

Among the San, wind is personified in a story that informs the listener of the powerful nature of the Wind. The Wind and a young boy were rolling a ball between them. The Wind called the boy's name, but the boy did not know the Wind's name. He asked his mother to tell him the name of the Wind. She advised him to wait until she asked his father to secure the house before she said Wind's name. However, after she had done so, the boy was instructed to run away when he felt the wind because it could blow him away. After the hut was secured, the boy uttered the name of the Wind (/érriten-!kuan-!kuan; !gua- !guabu-ti), and his companion fell down. In doing so, houses vanished, dust rose, and people could not see. The mother of the Wind came out of her house and stood the boy up, at which time the wind became still. So, the San say that when the Wind is blowing hard, it has lain down, and when there is no Wind, it is standing up.

Another tale from Ethiopia casts the wind as the judge between a farmer and a snake. The farmer saves the snake. Subsequently, the snake plans to eat the farmer. The farmer protests and seeks to have his case judged. After consulting with the tree, the river, and the grass, who all side with the snake because of their mistreatment by humans, the Wind declares that it is not a matter for judgment, but that each must act in accord with its own nature. The Wind gives the snake and the farmer each a drum to play. The snake releases the farmer to hold the drum. The farmer escapes to his village.

Among the Dogon, at creation, a great wind broke from inside of the po, the tiniest element of creation. This wind, called Amma, moves in a spiral motion and provides the energy by which all things are created.

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