Jump Up. Luisah Teish

      The Serpent wrapped Itself around the Earth and the Sky, holding the two together like a covered calabash.

      The Moon called out, alarmed by the magnitude of the work they had done. Her cry resounded to the depths of the Earth, and up from the center came the Rainbow Serpent (Damballah Hwedo). The Serpent wrapped itself around the Earth and the Sky, holding the two together like a covered calabash.

      Sun and Moon smiled at the work of the Serpent. Within Its Ring of Power the Celestial Couple made love and brought into being all the deities as twins. And on the planet's surface the palm and banana trees swayed in the wind, birds sang, fish swam, and the bush cows roamed in the garden.

      This myth is a blending of two West African myths. It is a composite of the Creation stories of the Fon People of Dahomey (Republic of Benin) and the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria. Throughout this book, I have used the names of deities from these cultures to personify Cosmic forces and have merged this myth into some corresponding modern beliefs about the Universe. This story contains the same elements as can be found in the mythologies of most of the world's people. The greatest similarity among the world's creation myths lies in the attempt to explain how things were “in the beginning.” Some stories, like those of the Maori people of New Zealand (Aotaeroa), put great emphasis on the Nothingness that existed before Creation. In the beginning there is a Void, and in the Void there is a small but powerful potential. It may be a spark of Light, a seed, or an egg. That small potential is so full of power that it causes a turbulence of some kind. There is a sound, perhaps “the Word” is spoken by a Great Deity, and then the Light Show begins. In this version of the myth, our beginnings are cracked from the Cosmic Egg. The Sun, Moon, and Stars spring from the bowels or the heads of deities. They crawl out of holes in the ether. Water splashes, land erupts, things grow, fly, swim, and roam. And after a time, Human Beings show up for the party.

      

      All the myths speak of the relationships between Creator and Creation, between Humans and the Natural World. And every culture designs its calendar, its art, its rituals, and its celebrations according to the beliefs set forth in its mythology.

      It erupts and explodes from darkness to light.

      The World's Myths

      Most of the world's holidays are based on ancient myths. I am using the word myth to describe stories that attempt to explain Universal Truth in symbolic language. Unfortunately, the popular notion of myth mistakenly defines it as a simple untruth. Actually, myths are the cornerstone of Spirituality and Religion, their rituals and traditions. Real myth impacts culture at every level. It shapes political perspective and social structure. It determines our attitudes and actions toward the Earth, the natural world, and each other. Even science and its explorations are influenced by the cultural symbols and ideals found in myth.

      Myths of Origin tell us why and how a particular tradition came into being. Usually these stories are populated with supernatural beings such as deities or mythological beasts, and they feature the actions of heroic human ancestors. So we find a genesis myth that tells us to tend a garden (the Earth) and to offer the fruits of our labor (to sacrifice) to a deity who is responsible for its existence. This is the origin of Harvest Festivals. We also have stories about exceptional human beings, infused with spiritual power, who with the guidance and support of deities are empowered to perform extraordinary feats, such as virgin birth and triumph over death. We celebrate these stories and characters because they have a significant impact on how we live life on Earth.

      In all myths everywhere, the Earth is called “Our Mother,” “Mother Nature,” and “The Great Mother Goddess.” Her name is Gaia in the traditions of Europe, Haumea—or Papa to Native Hawaiians—and Asase Yaa among the people of Ghana. Many aspects of Nature—the wind, water, forest, and fire—are given male and female attributes in human culture. But most often, the Earth is seen as a Woman in various stages of life, with self-renewing powers.

      In Spring, the Earth is seen as a young Maiden wearing wild-flowers in her hair. This is the Greek Persephone and the African Goddess Oshun, Daughter of Promise. In Summer, when the Sun is brightest, Isis of Egypt and other Mothers of Light bring forth the fullness of the flowers, Their beautiful children who adorn the Earth for celebration. She is seen as Mother-Woman. In Autumn, when the crops are ripe for picking, She becomes Ceres, Queen of the Harvest, the Abundant Provider. But when the multicolored leaves fall and seeds fly through the air, She becomes Oya, the Amazon Goddess of the Winds of Change. In Northern climates, Grandmother Earth may sleep or appear to die in Winter, but in tropical climates She is the Pregnant Mother gestating in the quiet depths awaiting the moment of rebirth in Spring.

      As we move through the seasons in this book, you will meet many mythological and historical figures who personify the powers of Nature and exemplify human intelligence and courage. Some of the stories and figures associated with major Western holidays are probably familiar to you, whereas others may be completely new. Following is a brief introduction to the cast of characters and a sampling of some of the myths that surround them.

      The Deities

      Nana Buluku: Nana Buluku is the Primal Darkness, the Great Mother of the Sky pantheon for the West African people of Dahomey. She is seen as gynandrous, that is, primarily female but with male potential contained within Herself. Thus, She is able to give birth to Mawu and Lisa.

      Olodumare: Olodumare is the Owner of the Rainbow in Yoruba mythology (West Africa). He gives us each day, which IG' contains a spectrum of possibilities that is as high, wide, and colorful as the rainbow we see in the sky. Olodumare is related to Olorun, the Owner of the sky.

      

      Mawu and Lisa: Mawu and Lisa are the divine twins born from Nana Buluku. Mawu, the Moon, is feminine, old, cool, and kind. She lives in the West and has rulership over the nighttime, when humans rest. Lisa, Her twin brother, is young, hot, and fierce. He lives in the East and has rulership over the daytime with all its human activity and concerns. In the Yoruba pantheon (West Africa), the dual nature of life is personified as a set of twin children, Taiwo and Kehinde, the Ibeji. In Haiti they are called the Marassa. Ibeji-Marassa can be viewed as female/male, Moon/Sun, night/day, cool/hot, left/right, and collective/individual.

      Odudua, the Earth: In Yorubaland (West Africa), Odudua is the Goddess of the Good Black Earth and the twin sister of Olorun, the Owner of the Sky. We also find a culture hero by the name of Odudua, who is the progenitor of the Yoruba people. The Igbo people call the Earth Ala. She is the Queen of the Yam Festival, the LawMaker, and the Judge. She gives Life, fulfillment, and Death. She is also the ruler of the Underworld.

      Yemaya-Olokun: Yemaya and Olokun are the Owners of the Deep Blue Sea. In West Africa Yemonja is the owner of the Ogun River. In Brazil She is Imanje, the Mermaid. In the Caribbean Islands She is Yemaya, the Mother of the Children of the Sea, the fish. Her waves dance constantly to the rhythm of the Moon, shifting the sands, polishing the shells, and birthing the many generations of fish that feed us. Olokun, a deity from Benin in West Africa, is the deep and darkly mysterious part of the Ocean, the unfathomable realm where evolution began with the single cell. Olokun is regarded as androgynous, that is, primarily male with a female aspect contained within Himself. Together they are the salt waters of the Earth, the Secret Keepers, the Dream Weavers. Deities such as Elusu, the chalk-white mermaid of Togo; Papa Densu, also of Togo; Agwe Taroya of Haiti; and Mami Wata, who is found in West Africa and Jamaica, all share this realm with a world of mer-folks.

      Damballah and Aida Hwedo: Damballah and His wife, Aida Hwedo, originate in Dahomey, West Africa, and are very popular in South America and the Caribbean Islands, especially Haiti. They are the Great Serpents, the rainbow pythons who wrap themselves around the Earth and the Sky and thereby hold the world together. The serpent is known in many cultures (including India and Australia) not as the wicked beast of Genesis, but as the wise and powerful creature that renews Itself by shedding Its skin. It is a symbol of regenerative