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MythologyTraditionMemory

Mythology, folklore and cultural memory from Nigeria and across Africa.

Grounded in research and alive with wonder.

Spotlight
Why the Chameleon Changes Colour
Mythology· Folktale & Narrative Retelling · The Feature

Why the Chameleon Changes Colour

A favoured messenger loses both his colour and his place through pride.

By Akunna Danugwu5 min read
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Editor's picks

Tradition· Editorial

The Oriire Journal: Call for Submissions

We're opening a short call for original, deeply researched work on mythology, folklore and cultural memory for the first issue of The Oriire Journal. Submissions close on 1 November 2026.

Oriire5 min read
Mythology· Podcast · EP 13

Voodoo vs Hoodoo

Voodoo and Hoodoo get used interchangeably, but they aren't the same thing. This episode draws the line between Voodoo, the religion, and Hoodoo, the magical practice that grew out of it.

Sesi & Haleemah12:01
Tradition· Long-Form Article

Ten Nigerian Traditions Quietly Slipping Away

A look at ten Nigerian traditions that are still around, but not quite the way they used to be

Star Gurl5 min read
Tradition· Essay

Beyond Currency: The Enduring Lives of the Cowrie Shell in Igbo Cosmology

A shell once carried from hand to hand as currency, became a vessel through which history, spirituality, and identity continue to speak

Akunna Danugwu6 min read
See all picks →
Open the codex →
Baron SamediMythology
Deity · Haitian Vodou; head of the Ghede family of loa
Ezili DantorMythology
Deity · Haitian Vodou; Petwo / Kongo origin

Latest articles

All articles →
Do We Live Once, Twice, or Forever?
Mythology· Essay

Do We Live Once, Twice, or Forever?

The distance between the grave and the cradle is not always as wide as it seems in Igbo folklore

By Gospel Okoro· 9 min read

The Oriire Journal: Call for Submissions
Tradition· Editorial

The Oriire Journal: Call for Submissions

We're opening a short call for original, deeply researched work on mythology, folklore and cultural memory for the first issue of The Oriire Journal. Submissions close on 1 November 2026.

By Oriire· 5 min read

Gizzo and the Two Giants
Mythology· Folktale & Narrative Retelling

Gizzo and the Two Giants

Gizzo the Spider cannot overpower the Elephant or the Hippopotamus. So he turns their pride against them

By Bilkisu Sabiu· 8 min read

Àkúdàáyà
Mythology· Encounter

Àkúdàáyà

Five years after her husband’s closest friend was buried, Ujunwa hears a terrifying claim: he has been seen alive in a crowded market

By Chidera Dickson Oji· 11 min read

And they tricked ever after…
Mythology· Heritage Review

And they tricked ever after…

Sometimes the only way for a powerless person to fight back is to be clever

By Shalom Kasim· 5 min read

Ten Nigerian Traditions Quietly Slipping Away
Tradition· Long-Form Article

Ten Nigerian Traditions Quietly Slipping Away

A look at ten Nigerian traditions that are still around, but not quite the way they used to be

By Star Gurl· 5 min read

Challenges

All challenges →
Mythology· Riddle

My River Home Is Barred by a Wall of Man: Who Am I?

Test your knowledge of deities, figures and spirits with this riddle

Mythology· Knowledge

Can You Match the Mythological Figure to Their Story?

Think you know African mythology? Match each being to their legend and prove your knowledge.

Mythology· Outcome

Who is Your Inner Trickster?

The trickster is the spirit of wit, wisdom, and creative chaos. Answer these questions to reveal the nature of your own inner trickster.

Mythology· Riddle

My Children Are as Numerous as Fish: Who Am I?

Solve this riddle to prove your knowledge of Mythological figures

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From the Oriire Codex

Open the codex →
uMvelinqangiMythology
Deity · Zulu (South Africa)
Mami WataMythology
Spirit · West-African
Nana BulukuMythology
Deity · Fon (Benin); Yoruba (Nigeria); diaspora to Brazil and Cuba
Dahomey AmazonsMemory
General · Fon (Kingdom of Dahomey, Benin)
Princess InikpiMythology
General · Igala (Nigeria)
Oro MasqueradeTradition
Ritual · Yoruba (Nigeria, Benin)
NgaiMythology
Deity · Kikuyu, Kamba, and Embu (Kenya)
TokolosheMythology
Spirit · Zulu & Xhosa (South Africa)

From the podcast

All episodes →
EP4
Mythology·Podcast

African Folktales, Folklore and More

Many African folktales repeat across the continent with small changes, and a surprising number of them turn up reshaped in modern films, books and cartoons. Imisi joins this episode to put a few side by side.

Season 142:23
EP11
Tradition·Podcast

The Jollof War

UNESCO has officially named Senegal as the birthplace of Jollof rice. The war is far from over. Pamela, Adwoa, and Jen join this episode to argue for their regional version, and why theirs is the one to beat.

Season 230:28
EP18
Mythology·Podcast

Mutu: The Practice of Attaching Humans to Animals

In Northern Nigeria, a person can be spiritually tied to an animal, usually as a settlement for a debt money won't cover. Maria joins this episode to talk about Mutu, and how the binding actually works.

Season 223:37

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Cosmologies, deities, and the foundational stories that explain the world.

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Tradition

Rituals, customary practice, and the living institutions that carry them.

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Memory
Memory

History, diaspora, and the politics of how a people remembers itself.

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