Mawu-Lisa the Creators
an African tale

Nana Buluku, the Great Mother, created the world. She had twins, Mawu and Lisa.

She did nothing after that.

Mawu was the moon who had power over the night and lived in the west. Lisa was the sun, who made his home in the east. At first, Mawu and Lisa had no offspring. But then, when there was an eclipse--when one of them was in the shadow of the other or another heavenly body--they came together and created children.

Mawu and Lisa were Mother and Father of all the other gods. And there were fourteen of these gods, who were seven pairs of twins. The gods of earth, storm, and iron were born first.

One day, Mawu-Lisa called all of their children to come around them. When they all came, Mawu-Lisa gave each pair of twins a good place to rule. The first twins were told to rule earth.

"Take what you wish from our heaven," Mawu-Lisa told them.

The second pair of twins were told to stay in the sky.

"You will rule over thunder and lightning," said Mawu-Lisa.

The third pair, who were iron, were the strength of their parents.

"You will clear the forests and prepare the land," Mawu-Lisa said. "And you will give humans their tools and weapons."

The next twins were to live in the sea.

"Children, rule all waters and all fishes," Mawu-Lisa commanded.

Other twins would rule over the birds and beasts of the bush country. They would take care of all of the trees everywhere.

More twins were to take care of the space between the earth and sky. "And you will also make the length of time that humans shall live," said Mawu-Lisa.

Then Mawu said, "Come visit me. You will tell me everything that goes on in the world."

Mawu-Lisa took care that none of the lesser gods were ever seen by human beings. That is why people speak so of the sky as a spirit, and speak of storms and lightning as spirits, too.

And all of it is because of the power of the sky gods, Moon and Sun, Mawu-Lisa.

COMMENT: This is a myth of the Fon people of Abomey (Republic of Ben in). The Fon were the first inhabitants of Dahomey in the twelfth century. The myth is one of many stories of Mawu and Lisa, who were partners in the sky and often said to be twins.