All of una know about Thor, the Greek god of thunder but una no know about Sango and Amadioha. We wan tell una about these eastern amd western Naija gods.
Before we even hear about the Greek god of thunder, Thor, Naija already get two gods of thunder, not one. E dey very common to hear the slang, “thunder fire you” but una no even know where that talk for originate.
For African folklore, Amadioha and Sango na gods of thunder to the Igbos and Yorubas respectively. Many difference dey between them but many similarities dey too. Both of dem sabi vex well well and the both of dem dey serve as agents of justice.
Dem dey carry people wey dey accused of crimes go their shrines to declare their innocence, or else lightning go strike dem. Their common colour na Red and white, and white ram. The ram dey sacred to to the African thunder and lightning gods, both dey serve as sacrifice and as symbol.
SANGO
Sango na one of the ancestral fathers and Orisha of the Yoruba, Caribbean and certain Latin American people. He be the highly reverenced god of Thunder, Lightning. He be powerful ruler wey bring prosperity to him land. He gain him powers from one babalawo (spiritualist) when he be dey seek more powers to destroy him enemies. He gain the powers to control lightning and come dey possessed by the spirit of lightning, he come ascend to Orisha level. According to Yorubas, he be dey breath fire and he no ever die.
Due to slave trade, Sango dey known for Haiti, as the god of thunder and weather; for Brazil, he dey known as Xangô; for Umbanda, as the very powerful loa Nago Shango; for Trinidad as Shango god of Thunder, drumming and dance ; and for Cuba, Puerto Rico and Venezuela – he dey known as Changó.
Him symbol na double-headed axe, wey dey represent fast and balanced justice.
He be the owner of Bata (double-headed drums), as well as the Arts of Music, Dance and Entertainment for the Yoruba Culture.
AMADIOHA
Amadioha na the god/arusi (deities)of thunder and lightning of the Igbo people of south eastern Nigeria. He be first dey known as the god of justice. He dey speak through thunder, and he dey strike with lightning.For some parts of Igboland, he dey referred to as Amadiora, Kamalu (wey be short form for Kalu Akanu),Kamanu, or Ofufe.
He also dey considered as the creator of love, peace and unity. Him name dey used as oaths for Igboland and these oaths carry death penalties when people break them.
He no ever manifest as human. Unlike him fellow thunder and lightning deities, Amadioha no dey carry any object of power like Thor wey dey carry hammer or like Shango wey dey carry axe. Him symbol na white ram. From witness reports, Amadioha dey appear to people in the form of large white ram sometimes.
Astrologically, him home na the sun and he dey often associated with Anyanwu, wey be the Igbo god of the Sun.
Our elders talk say ” e dey better to get a little knowledge of everything, than to get total knowledge of only one thing”
Credit: Igbo history.TV