“A supreme deity, supreme god or supreme being is the conception of the sole deity of monotheistic religions or, in polytheistic or henotheistic religions, the paramount deity or supernatural entity which is above all others. Supreme god...
more“A supreme deity, supreme god or supreme being is the conception of the sole deity of monotheistic religions or, in polytheistic or henotheistic religions, the paramount deity or supernatural entity which is above all others. Supreme god or Supreme being: in many religions, it may be a Creator deity, King of the gods, Supreme god, or the singular deity of monotheistic religions.”
“A supreme deity, supreme god, or supreme being: Creator deity, often also the supreme deity in many religions, King of the gods, the lead god of a polytheistic pantheon, Supreme god, the god exclusively worshipped by henotheists, God, the singular deity of monotheistic religions.”
“High God, in anthropology and the history of religion, a type of supreme deity found among many nonliterate peoples of North and South America, Africa, northern Asia, and Australia. The adjective high is primarily a locative term: a High God is conceived as being utterly transcendent, removed from the world that he created. A High God is high in the sense that he lives in or is identified with the sky—hence, the alternative name. Among North American Indians and Central and South Africans, thunder is thought to be the voice of the High God. In Siberia, the sun and moon are considered the High God’s eyes. He is connected with food and heaven among American Indians.”
Of the many Supreme Deities in Africa, 14 are Bantu-related, 7 are Niger-Congo-related, 6 are Afroasiatic-related, and 3 are Nilo-Saharan related.
1 Chukwu in Igbo religion, Niger-Congo related
2 Mwari in Shona religion (a Bantu ethnic group) and Nyambe god in Bantu religion
3 Bakongo people/Lele people, Bantu ethnic groups, Nzambi god in Bakongo religion
4 Bassa people, Ngambi/Nyombe god, Bantu related
5 Chokwe people, Nzambi god (similar to the Bakongo god, Nzambi Mpungu), Bantu related
6 Fang people, Nzeme god, also called Mebere, Bantu related
7 Nyoro and Toro people, Nyamuhanga god, Bantu related
8 Hambukushu people, Nyambi god, Bantu related
9 Herero people, god Njambi Kurunga, whom they also refer to as Omukuru, Bantu related
10 Lozi people, Nyambe god, Bantu related
11 Akan people, god Nyame (also Oyame), Bantu related
12 Ọlọrun in Yoruba religion / Ashanti of Ghana: How Spider Obtained the Sky-God’s Stories, Niger-Congo related
13 Ruhanga god in the Rutara religion, Bantu related
14 Mbombo of Bakuba/Kuba mythology, Niger–Congo and Bantu related
15 Unkulunkulu, a god in Zulu mythology, Bantu related
16 Bemba god, Bambara people of Mali, Niger–Congo related
17 Ngewo god, Mende people, Niger–Congo related
18 Waaq (also Waq or Waaqa) god, Cushitic languages (Afro-Asiatic related)
19 Kushite religion, god Amun (also called Asha Renu, Amen, Aman, and Gem Aten), Afroasiatic related
20 Serer religion, god Roog (or Rog), Niger–Congo related
21 Chadian classical religions, Ra sun god/sun spirit, (Afroasiatic language family), and Nilo-Saharan related
22 Khonvoum (also Khonuum, Kmvoum, Chorum), Mbuti (Bambuti) mythology, Bantu related
23 Many different names for God in Lugbara mythology, Nilo-Saharan related
24 Ndzambyaphuungu, Suku people, Bantu related
25 god Gomwa: Gomwa, Gbaya people, Niger-Congo language related
26 Enkai (also called Engai), an androgynous god, Maasai people, Nilo-Saharan related
27 Kamba people, Mulungu/”Nyàmbé” god, Bantu related
28 Berbers of North Africa, sun (Tafukt in Tamazight) and oon (Ayyur in Tamazight), and for some Ancient Egyptian god Amon, Afroasiatic related
29 Chiuta god, Tumbuka group of Bantu peoples, and god Amazigh for Libyan and Tehenu tribes of the Western Desert, Berber related: Afroasiatic related
30 Amun-Ra and Aten, Ancient Egypt, Afroasiatic related
AI Overview: Religious myths are sacred, interconnected stories within cultural groups that explain the origin of the world, human existence, death, and supernatural beings. These religious and mythic narratives reflect a culture’s values and beliefs or form a culture’s values and beliefs. Traditional African religions are vast and diverse, yet they share common threads, including a general belief in a single supreme creator deity, often described as distant or remote, who is approached through lower deities, spirits, or ancestors. These religions are often lived through ritual, oral tradition, and cosmology rather than written texts. Africa has no single, unified supreme deity; rather, various cultures and regions revere their own supreme creators, such as Olodumare (Yoruba), Nyame (Akan), Nana Buluku (Fon/Ewe), Amma (Dogon), and Mwari (Shona). These beings are typically viewed as omnipotent, distant, genderless, or sky-dwelling creators responsible for the universe. Supreme deities across diverse African cultures share striking similarities, primarily featuring a singular, transcendent Creator God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and often distant from daily human affairs. Common characteristics include being the source of life, benevolent, and the final authority, usually worshipped through intermediaries like ancestors or lesser divinities.
Characteristics of African Supreme Beings
Distant/Withdrawn: Often considered remote, having created the world and then left daily management to lower deities or ancestors.
Indirect Worship: Unlike lesser deities (orishas/spirits), the supreme being often has no shrines or direct sacrifices, with prayers offered through intermediaries.
Genderless/Androgynous: Frequently described as beyond gender, though sometimes referred to with masculine or feminine pronouns based on the culture.
Omnipotent/Creator: Responsible for bringing order to the universe.
Key similarities among African supreme deities include
Creator and Sustainer: The supreme deity is universally viewed as the ultimate creator of the universe, earth, and human beings, often referred to as “The Molder,” “Giver of Breath,” or “Owner of All”.
Transcendent yet Immanent: While often viewed as distant or “hidden” from daily life, the Supreme Being is simultaneously considered omnipresent, acting as a protector who can be reached anywhere.
Role of Intermediaries: Because the Supreme Being is deemed too high or remote to be directly approached for mundane issues, worship often involves lesser gods, spirits, or ancestors who act as intermediaries.
Monotheistic Structure: Despite the presence of many lesser spirits, African traditional religions are generally considered monotheistic, with one supreme god (e.g., Olodumare in Yoruba, Nyame in Akan, Chukwu in Igbo, Ngai in Kikuyu) who is not an equal to other deities.
Ethical and Benevolent: The Supreme Being is almost always considered good, holy, and a source of moral order, rather than causing arbitrary destruction.
Gender Neutrality or Duality: While sometimes assigned male attributes, the Supreme Being is frequently considered genderless, transcendent of gender, or in some cases, both male and female (e.g., the Mawu-Lisa duality).