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The Bantu mythology is the system of myths and legends of the Bantu peoples of Africa. Although Bantu peoples account for several hundred different ethnic groups, there is a high degree of homogeneity in Bantu cultures and mythologies, just as in Bantu languages.〔See Werner, chapt. 1〕 The phrase "Bantu mythology" usually refers to the common, recurring themes that are found in all or most Bantu cultures.〔See Lynch, p. xi〕 ==God== All Bantus traditionally believe in a supreme God. The nature of God is often only vaguely defined, although he may be associated with the Sun, or the oldest of all ancestors, or have other specifications. Most names of God include the Bantu particle ''ng'' (''nk''), that is related to the sky; some examples are ''Mulungu'' (Yao people and others), ''Mungu'' (Swahili people), ''Unkulunkulu'' (Zulu people), ''Ruhanga'' (Nyoro and others), and ''Ngai'' (some other groups). In many traditions, in fact, God is supposed to live in the skies, much like in western mythologies and religions; there are also traditions that locate God on some high mountain (as in Greek mythology), for example the Kirinyaga mountain for Kikuyu people. There are several Bantu myths that are intended to explain, or that elaborate on, the distance between God and men, i.e., the sky and the earth. In many Bantu creation myths the sky and the earth used to be closer to each other, and were separated by God because of some disturbance caused by men. For example, there's a Bantu myth of God being disturbed by the pestles handled by women, that would hit His belly when raised up, and another one where God is offended by the smoke of man-made fires. There are also myths about men trying to climb up to God's place (e.g., by climbing up a very high tree, or up a dangling rope). God is almost never described as the Creator of all things, as in most Bantu mythologies the universe is eternal and has no beginning. Animals are also a part of this eternal universe. While not its creator, God is intimately related to the universe; animals are sometimes referred to as "His people", and in some of the myths about God moving away from men (for example, the one mentioned above about the smoke of man-made fires) it is clear that God's discontent with men has to do with their habit of manipulating and corrupting the natural world. In traditional Bantu religions, anyway, God is far and detached from earth and mankind. As a consequence, very few religious practices, if any, are intended to worship him. This traditional attitude of Bantu belief systems has been modified, to various degrees and in various ways, by the advent of Christianity (or Islam), as the God of Christians and Muslims has been equated to the Bantu supreme God. ''Mungu'' has thus become a God that cares about humanity and that it makes sense to worship and pray to.〔''Mungu'' is in fact the standard translation of "God" used in Swahili; for example, in Swahili Bible. The anthem of Tanzania is ''Mungu ibariki Afrika'', "God bless Africa".〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bantu mythology」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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