Lugbara mythology
Encyclopedia
The Lugbara
live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and Uganda
. In Lugbara mythology, Adroa
appeared in both good and evil aspects; he was the creator god and appeared on Earth
as a human
who was near death. He was depicted as a very tall white man with only one half of a body, missing one eye
, one leg, etc. His children were called the Adroanzi.
The Adroanzi were nature gods of specific river
s, tree
s and other sacred wild areas. At night, they followed people and protected them from animal
s and bandits as long as they did not look over their shoulder to ensure that an Adroanzi was following; if the person did so, the Adroanzi promptly killed him or her. The humans they killed, they ate. They were also sometimes known as water snakes. Some Africans consider then gardeners.
Lugbara people
The Lugbara are an ethnic group who live mainly in the West Nile region of Uganda and in the adjoining area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. In Lugbara mythology, Adroa
Adroa
Adroa is a god of the Lugbara people of central Africa.Adroa has two aspects: one good and one evil. He is the creator of Heaven and Earth, and he appears to those about to die. His good and bad aspects are depicted as two half bodies: the evil one is short and coal black while his good aspect is...
appeared in both good and evil aspects; he was the creator god and appeared on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
as a human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
who was near death. He was depicted as a very tall white man with only one half of a body, missing one eye
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
, one leg, etc. His children were called the Adroanzi.
The Adroanzi were nature gods of specific river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and other sacred wild areas. At night, they followed people and protected them from animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s and bandits as long as they did not look over their shoulder to ensure that an Adroanzi was following; if the person did so, the Adroanzi promptly killed him or her. The humans they killed, they ate. They were also sometimes known as water snakes. Some Africans consider then gardeners.