Candomblé is an Afro-American religion practiced chiefly in Brazil but also in adjacent countries. The religion came from Africa to Brazil, carried by African priests and adherents who were brought as slaves between 1549 and 1888. The name Batuque is also used, especially before the 19th century when Candomblé became more common. Both words are believed to derive from a Bantu-family language. Although originally confined to the slave population, banned by the Catholic church, and even criminalized by some govern ...

Including:

• Candomblé - Nations
• Candomblé - Beliefs
• Candomblé - Syncretism
• Candomblé - Rituals
• Candomblé - Temples and priesthood
• Candomblé - Books

Read more here: » Candomblé: Encyclopedia - Candomblé

Thunder is the sound of the shockwave caused when lightning instantly heats the air around it to up to 30 000 °C (54 000 °F). That super-heated air expands rapidly, then contracts as it cools. The rapid expansion/contraction generates sound waves, making the sound that is called "thunder." Since sound and light travel at different speeds through the atmosphere, one can time the interval between them to roughly estimate how far away the bolt of lightning is. The speed of sound in air is approximately 340 m/s (761 mph), while t ...

Including:

• Thunder - List of thunder gods
• Thunder - European gods
• Thunder - Asian gods
• Thunder - Gods of the Americas
• Thunder - African gods
• Thunder - Gods of the South Pacific

Read more here: » Thunder: Encyclopedia - Thunder

Ifá is a system of divination that originated in West Africa among the Yoruba people. The system is also practiced among believers in Lucumi, (sometimes referred to as Santería), Candomblé, and similarly transplanted Orisa'Ifa lineages in the New World. Ifá - Overview of divination system. The Yoruba divination system enabled diviners to invoke Orunmila, the Yoruba deity of wisdom, prophecy and ethics, and Esu (Eshu), who as messenger of the gods lends his authority or Ase to ...

Including:

• Ifá - Overview of divination system
• Ifá - Divination process
• Ifá - Odu Ifa
• Ifá - Vocabulary
• Ifá - Names
• Ifá - Resources

Read more here: » Ifá: Encyclopedia - Ifá

The sky is (roughly) that part of the atmosphere or of outer space visible from the surface of the earth (or any other planet; see Skies of other planets). Birds, airplanes, and kites are often considered to fly in the sky. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight the sky has the appearance of an opaque blue surface, but this is the result of the air scattering sunlight. There is no "blue object" above the earth in any normal sense, so it is hard to say what object the sky is. The sky is thus sometimes ...

Including:

• Sky - Sky in religion
• Sky - Deities of the sky
• Sky - Expressions

Read more here: » Sky: Encyclopedia - Sky

Bambuti mythology is the mythology of the African Bambuti Pygmies (also: Mbuti Pygmies, Ba Mbuti). The most important god of the Bambuti pantheon is Khonvoum (also Khonuum, Kmvoum, Chorum), a god of the hunt who wields a bow made from two snakes that together appear to humans as a rainbow. After sunset every day, Khonvoum gathers fragments of the stars and throws them into the sun to revitalize it for the next day. He occasionally contacts mortals through Gor (a thunder god who is also an elephant) or a chameleon (similar to th ...

Read more here: » Bambuti mythology: Encyclopedia - Bambuti mythology

The word mythology (from the Greek μυϑολογία mythología, "storytelling" [1]) literally means the (oral) retelling of myths – stories that a particular culture believes to be true and that use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity. In modern usage, "mythology" is either the body of myths from a particular culture or religion (as in Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology or Norse mythology) or the ...

Including:

• Mythology - Definition
• Mythology - Religion and mythology
• Mythology - Classifications
• Mythology - Related concepts
• Mythology - Formation of myths
• Mythology - Myths as depictions of historical events
• Mythology - Other theories
• Mythology - Modern mythology
• Mythology - Myths by region
• Mythology - Africa
• Mythology - Asia non-Middle East
• Mythology - Australia and Oceania
• Mythology - Europe
• Mythology - Middle East
• Mythology - North America
• Mythology - South America and Mesoamerica
• Mythology - Mythological archetypes
• Mythology - Mythological creatures
• Mythology - Books on mythology

Read more here: » Mythology: Encyclopedia - Mythology

The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on a pentatonic scale and a characteristic twelve-bar chord progression. The form evolved in the United States in the communities of former African slaves from spirituals, praise songs, field hollers, shouts, and chants. The use of blue notes and the prominence of call-and-response patterns in the music and lyrics are indicative of the blues' West African pedigree. The blues has been a major influence on later American and Western popular music, finding expression in ragtime, jazz, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, hip-hop, and count ...

Including:

• Blues - Characteristics
• Blues - Origins
• Blues - Lyrics
• Blues - Musical style
• Blues - History
• Blues - Origins
• Blues - Prewar blues
• Blues - Early postwar blues
• Blues - Blues in the '60s and '70s
• Blues - Blues from the 1980s to the present
• Blues - Musical impact
• Blues - Social impact
• Blues - Notes

Read more here: » Blues: Encyclopedia - Blues

Mana is a traditional term and a concept among the speakers of Oceanic languages, including Melanesians, Polynesians and Māori. It is an impersonal force or quality said to reside in people, animals and inanimate objects which provide an observer with a sense of wonder or respect. In anthropological discourse, mana as a generalized concept has attained a significant amount of interest; often understood as the precursor to genuine religion. It has commonly been interpreted as "the stuff of which magic is formed," although this vie ...

Including:

• Mana - Mana in Oceanic culture
• Mana - Universal archetype
• Mana - Similar cultural concepts
• Mana - Mana in anthropological discourse
• Mana - Mana in fantasy

Read more here: » Mana: Encyclopedia - Mana

Candomblé Ketu' (or Queto in Portuguese spelling) is the largest and most influential nation (sect) of Candomblé, an Afro-American religion widely practiced in Brazil. Its beliefs and rituals are similar to those of other Candomblé nations in general terms, but different in almost every detail. Although related to the batuque cults that started in the late 1500s, Ketu developed mostly in the early 19th century, chiefly in the region of Bahia, among slaves belonging to the Yoruba (Iorubá) ethnic g ...

Including:

• Candomblé Ketu - Deities
• Candomblé Ketu - Ritual language
• Candomblé Ketu - Hierarchy

Read more here: » Candomblé Ketu: Encyclopedia - Candomblé Ketu

The music of the Yorùbá people of Nigeria is best known for an extremely advanced drumming tradition, especially using the dundun hourglass tension drums. Yoruba folk music became perhaps the most prominent kind of West African music in Afro-Latin and Caribbean musical styles. Yorùbá music left an especially important influence on the music used in Lukumi practice and the music of Cuba [1]. Yorùbá music - Folk music. Ensembles using the dundun play a type of music that is also called dundun. Th ...

Including:

• Yorùbá music - Folk music
• Yorùbá music - Folk instrument
• Yorùbá music - Popular music

Read more here: » Yorùbá music: Encyclopedia - Yorùbá music

In the study of mythology, folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, human hero or anthropomorphic animal who breaks the rules of the gods or nature, sometimes maliciously (for example, Loki) but usually with ultimately positive effects. Often, the rule-breaking takes the form of tricks (eg. Eris) or thievery. Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or both; they are often very funny even when considere ...

Including:

• Trickster - Tricksters
• Trickster - Modern day tricksters

Read more here: » Trickster: Encyclopedia - Trickster

In order to consider mythology, it is first necessary to consider what is meant by the term myth. The ancient Greek Μυθος originally meant simply word or speech, and by extension, a story or narrative. This quickly took on the sense of fiction, and both Pindar (d. 443 BC) and Plato (d. ca. 347 BC) contrast Μυθος with Λογος as "historical truth." Many ancient usages of Μυθος are specifically as fiction; see here for details in the Liddell-Scott- ...

See also:

Mythology, Mythology - What is mythology?, Mythology - Religion and mythology, Mythology - Classifications, Mythology - Related concepts, Mythology - Formation of myths, Mythology - Myths as depictions of historical events, Mythology - Other theories, Mythology - Modern mythology, Mythology - Myths by region, Mythology - Africa, Mythology - Asia non-Middle East, Mythology - Australia and Oceania, Mythology - Europe, Mythology - Middle East, Mythology - North America, Mythology - South America and Mesoamerica, Mythology - Mythological archetypes, Mythology - Mythological creatures, Mythology - Books on mythology

Read more here: » Mythology: Encyclopedia II - Mythology - What is mythology?

In order to consider mythology, it is first necessary to consider what is meant by the term myth. Myths are generally narratives passed down traditionally intended to explain the universal and local beginnings ("creation myths" and "founding myths"), natural phenomena, inexplicable cultural conventions, and anything else for which no simple explanation presents itself. Not all myths need have this explicatory purpose, however. Myths are by definition sacred and usually involve a supernatural force or deity. Many legends and narratives passed down orally from gener ...

See also:

Mythology, Mythology - Definition, Mythology - Religion and mythology, Mythology - Classifications, Mythology - Related concepts, Mythology - Formation of myths, Mythology - Myths as depictions of historical events, Mythology - Other theories, Mythology - Modern mythology, Mythology - Myths by region, Mythology - Africa, Mythology - Asia non-Middle East, Mythology - Australia and Oceania, Mythology - Europe, Mythology - Middle East, Mythology - North America, Mythology - South America and Mesoamerica, Mythology - Mythological archetypes, Mythology - Mythological creatures, Mythology - Books on mythology

Read more here: » Mythology: Encyclopedia II - Mythology - Definition

Brazilian slaves came from a number of ethnic groups, including Yoruba, Ewe, Fon, and Bantu. Slave handlers classified them by the shore of embarkment, so the relation to their actual ethnicity may be accurate or not. As the religion developed semi-independently in different regions of the country, among different ethnic groups, it evolved into several "sects" or nations (nações), distinguished chiefly by the set of worshipped deities, as well as the m ...

See also:

Candomblé, Candomblé - Nations, Candomblé - Beliefs, Candomblé - Syncretism, Candomblé - Rituals, Candomblé - Temples and priesthood, Candomblé - Books

Read more here: » Candomblé: Encyclopedia II - Candomblé - Nations

The word originates in Polynesian religion, and its modern use is a result of the popularization of the concept by anthropology and, to a great extent, by certain varieties of fantasy fiction. In Polynesian culture (e.g., Hawaiian, Māori), mana is analogous to respect, but it combines elements of respect, authority, power, and prestige. To have mana is to have influence and authority. This property is not limited to persons—peoples, governments, places, and inanimate objects can possess mana. In H ...

See also:

Mana, Mana - Mana in Oceanic culture, Mana - Universal archetype, Mana - Similar cultural concepts, Mana - Mana in anthropological discourse, Mana - Mana in fantasy

Read more here: » Mana: Encyclopedia II - Mana - Mana in Oceanic culture

Ayyavazhi Religion - Bible stories - Biblical names - Born-again Christian laypeople - Buddhist terms and concepts - Cathedrals - Christian denominations - Christians - Deities - Demons - Di Indigetes (Roman gods & goddesses) - Dramatic portrayals of Jesus Christ - Founders of major religions - Greek mythological characters - Hinduism - Islamic terms - Jesus-related articles - Major world religions - Monasteries dissolved by Henry VIII of England - Mormonism - Muslims - Names for the Biblical nameless - Ninety-nine n ...

See also:

List of religious topics, List of religious topics - List of lists, List of religious topics - 0-9, List of religious topics - A, List of religious topics - B, List of religious topics - C, List of religious topics - D, List of religious topics - E, List of religious topics - F, List of religious topics - G, List of religious topics - H, List of religious topics - I, List of religious topics - J, List of religious topics - K, List of religious topics - L, List of religious topics - M, List of religious topics - N, List of religious topics - O, List of religious topics - P, List of religious topics - Q, List of religious topics - R, List of religious topics - S, List of religious topics - T, List of religious topics - U, List of religious topics - V, List of religious topics - W, List of religious topics - X, List of religious topics - Y, List of religious topics - Z

Read more here: » List of religious topics: Encyclopedia II - List of religious topics - List of lists

Blues - Origins. Main articles: Origins of the blues, and [[{{{2}}}]], and [[{{{3}}}]], and [[{{{4}}}]], ...

See also:

Blues, Blues - Characteristics, Blues - Origins, Blues - Lyrics, Blues - Musical style, Blues - History, Blues - Origins, Blues - Prewar blues, Blues - Early postwar blues, Blues - Blues in the '60s and '70s, Blues - Blues from the 1980s to the present, Blues - Musical impact, Blues - Social impact, Blues - Notes

Read more here: » Blues: Encyclopedia II - Blues - History

Blues - Origins. Main article: Origins of the blues Blues has evolved from the spare music of poor black laborers into a wide variety of complex styles and subgenres, spawning regional variations across the United States and, later, Europe, Africa and elsewhere. What is now considered "blues" as well as modern "country music" arose at approximately the same time and place during the nineteenth century in the southern United States. Recorded blues and country can be found from as far bac ...

See also:

Blues, Blues - Characteristics, Blues - Origins, Blues - Lyrics, Blues - Musical style, Blues - History, Blues - Origins, Blues - Prewar blues, Blues - Early postwar blues, Blues - Blues in the '60s and '70s, Blues - Blues from the 1980s to the present, Blues - Musical impact, Blues - Social impact, Blues - Notes

Read more here: » Blues: Encyclopedia II - Blues - History

Many African countries have seen turbulence and violence during their forced transition from a diverse region of folk cultures to a group of modern nation states. Nigeria has experienced more difficulty than most African countries in forging a popular cultural identity from the diverse peoples of the countryside [17] . From its beginnings in the streets of Lagos, popular music in Nigeria has long been an integral part of the field of African pop, bringing in influences and instruments from many eth ...

See also:

Music of Nigeria, Music of Nigeria - Folk music, Music of Nigeria - The Hausa, Music of Nigeria - The Igbo, Music of Nigeria - The Yoruba, Music of Nigeria - Theatrical music, Music of Nigeria - Children's music, Music of Nigeria - Traditional instruments, Music of Nigeria - Popular music, Music of Nigeria - Palm-wine and the invention of jùjú, Music of Nigeria - Apala, Music of Nigeria - The 1950s '60s and '70s, Music of Nigeria - The 1980s and '90s, Music of Nigeria - Music at festivals and holidays, Music of Nigeria - Classical music, Music of Nigeria - Notes

Read more here: » Music of Nigeria: Encyclopedia II - Music of Nigeria - Popular music

The trickster deity breaks the rules of the gods or nature, sometimes maliciously (for example, Loki) but usually with ultimately positive effects. Often, the rule-breaking takes the form of tricks (eg. Eris) or thievery. Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or both; they are often very funny even when considered sacred or performing important cultural tasks. In many cultures, (as may be seen in Greek, Norse or Slavic folktales, along with Native American/First Nations lore), the trickster and the culture hero are often combined. To i ...

See also:

Trickster, Trickster - Mythology, Trickster - Tricksters, Trickster - Archetype, Trickster - Modern day tricksters

Read more here: » Trickster: Encyclopedia II - Trickster - Mythology

Many cultures ascribed strong religious qualities to Earth's sky, believing it to be the home of the heavens and various deities. Among the Chinese, in certain situations, sky means god. For example, people may say "They became friends after several fights: this is the idea of the sky" or "Why does the sky always fool me?" Some religion and art historians believe that in Christianity, in particular, the connection between heaven and sky arose because of a medieval painting technique, where different places were drawn separately ...

See also:

Sky, Sky - Sky in religion, Sky - Deities of the sky, Sky - Expressions

Read more here: » Sky: Encyclopedia II - Sky - Sky in religion

Polytheistic peoples in areas with much thunder, or areas where thunder precedes drought-breaking rain, may postulate a thunder god. Thunder - European gods. Zeus (Greek mythology) Jupiter and Jofur (Roman mythology) Thor (Norse mythology) Ambisagrus (Celtic mythology) Ukko (Finnish mythology) Horagalles (Sami mythology) Aplu (Etruscan mythology) Gebeleizis (Dacian mythology) Zibelthiurdos (Thracian mythology) Perkūnas (Lithuanian mytholo ...

See also:

Thunder, Thunder - List of thunder gods, Thunder - European gods, Thunder - Asian gods, Thunder - Gods of the Americas, Thunder - African gods, Thunder - Gods of the South Pacific

Read more here: » Thunder: Encyclopedia II - Thunder - List of thunder gods