Myth / Fulani Mythology

The Jackalberry tree or "Nelbi" as it is called in Fula is the most sacred tree in Fulani belief. The shepherd staffs used by the Fulani people are thought to be imbued with supernatural powers from the Nelbi.

"At the beginning there was a huge drop of milk. Then Doondari came and he created the stone. Then the stone created iron; And iron created fire; And fire created water; And water created air. Then Doondari descended a second time. And he took the five elements. And he shaped them into man. But man was proud. Then Doondari created blindness and blindness defeated man. But when blindness became too proud, Doondari created sleep, and sleep defeated blindness; But when sleep became too proud, Doondari created worry, and worry defeated sleep; But when worry became too proud, Doondari created death, and death defeated worry. But when death became too proud, Doondari descended for the third time, And he came as Gueno, the eternal one, And Gueno defeated death."

— Fulani Creation Myth

The Fulani (or as they are called by Wolof and French speakers: Peul) are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. Alongside the Mande speakers and the Tuaregs they have been one of the most widely influential groups of people in the Western Sudan. Most research indicates that they have their origin from a synthesis of possible Afro-Asiatic speaking caucasian pastoralists and Niger-Congo speaking black African farmers. Closely related in language and ethnicity to the Toucouleur of Futa Toro in Senegal, they both belong to the wider Atlantic language family alongside the Wolof and Serer.

The history of the Fulani has been one of near constant migrations since around the 14th century AD or the height of the Mali empire, which have given them a range from their homeland of Futa Toro across the Sahel to the modern state of Sudan. Cattle are life to the Fulani, and they are very rarely (usually never) eaten. The Fulani had both symbiotic and antagonistic relationships with the settled peoples wherever they went. Furious raids before melting back into the grasslands made them feared warriors throughout the region as much as the desert Tuaregs from the north. However, they were often the only source of dairy products for settled communities as well. Fulani society is divided into four main castes whose names are different from group to group: Nobles, merchants, artisans, and slaves.

Alienated by the power of pagan or half-pagan Mande, Songhai, Kanuri, and Hausa kings the highly mobile Fulani would convert to Islam en masse under the rallying cry of charismatic fundamentalist leaders such as Usman Dan Fodio or Al-Hajji Umar Tall throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. They sought to restore pure Islam and emancipate the dispersed Fulani from the rule of whichever local sovereign they lived under. Powerful states with Fulani rulers arose such as Futa Toro, Futa Jallon, Massina, and the Sokoto Caliphate. The wars between the Fulani and the pagan powers contributed to the stream of slaves for the Americas as well as North Africa.

In spite of all this, the traditional beliefs of the Fulani have not been entirely stomped out despite the best efforts of extremists. What is fortunate about many Sahelian traditional religions is their esoteric nature: only initiates may access the true knowledge of the universe. Like the initiation of the Mande peoples, Fulani initiation is a lifelong process through three main sequences: 21 years of apprenticeship, 21 years of practice, and 21 years of teaching. When a man was fully initiated, he was a “Silatigi” or one who knows of the mysterious. The Silatigi was a priest, diviner, herbalist, and teacher among other things.

Like in many Sub-Saharan African beliefs, there is only one supreme God: Gueno or “the eternal one”. He is also called Doondari or “the fearless one” which is a Fulani expression for omnipotence. Gueno does not manifest himself physically although he does interact with the world through the great snake Tyanaba or Caanaba. The Lareeji are the pantheon of the Fulani of which 28 deities exist.

The animated film Kirikou and the Sorceress by Michel Ocelot (who lived a part of his childhood in West Africa) is loosely based on a Fulani fairy tale called Fereyel and Debbo Engal the Witch.

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Fulani Mythology provides examples of the following tropes:

• Adoptive Peer Parent: In versions where Ilo’s mother dies young and he is left to care for Tyanaba.
• The Ageless: The black scorpions were older than the mountains, elephants, vultures, baobobs, and even Kikaala the first man.
• All That Glitters: Kaidara’s gifts of gold are meant to teach the initiate that material wealth is worthless compared to spiritual understanding.
• All Your Colors Combined: Tyanaba has 96 scales for every sacred color combination of cattle hide.
• Alien Sky: There are seven suns, each corresponding to the colors of the rainbow and differing levels of "clearings" on the journey to initiation.
• Alternate Company Equivalent:
  • The old woman who goads Ilo’s wife into seeing Tyanaba is a Fulani variant of or influenced by the Mande Mythology Muso Koroni.
  • Ga who is the “mother of life” water goddess that lives in Lake Debo is the Fulani Faro.
• Always Identical Twins: Averted with prejudice. Ilo was a normal Fulani boy. His twin Tyanaba was born from an egg. And was a magic snake. And a god.
• Androcles' Lion: Bawamnde aids grasshoppers, turtles, dogs, toads, a porcupine, a hippo, and spiders. During his journey to Weli Weli the animals repay his kindnesses by gifting him seven magic charms.
• Angry Guard Dog: There is a dog in the sixth clearing who acts as Threshold Guardians. After Koumen assuages Sile Sadio's fear of the fearsome creatures in this realm he realizes the value of the dog in driving off the wicked and dangerous beasts.
• Animal Stampede: Sile Sadio almost gives in to fear in the sixth clearing where a host of bizarre creatures fall upon him until Koumen recites a spell of protection.
• Animorphism: After failing to destroy Bagoumawel’s uncles with the stone coffins, Njeddo Dewal turns into a magnificent stallion that prince Sakkai just had to have.
• Beauty Equals Goodness: Subverted in the case of Njeddo Dewal and her entourage of seven beautiful courtesans when they arrived in a city of Heli to seduce Bagoumawel’s uncles yet again.
• The Blacksmith: Bawamnde encounters a blacksmith donkey in Weli Weli. He farts a lot and sends Bawamnde with his sheep Koubbu onto a very hot bed of peppers.
• Blood Magic: The sage Bawamnde rescued the gods Demba Nyassorou and Koumbasara from Njeddo Dewal by sacrificing a sheep in the heart of Weli Weli.
• Buried Alive:
  • Not quite buried, but Bagoumawel’s uncles are trapped inside of seven stone coffins by Njeddo Dewal after she lures then from the safety of Heli and Yoyo.
  • Prince Sakkai gets this treatment from her too.
• Call to Adventure: Sile Sadio was searching for a lost cow when he heard the voice of Koumen.
• Carry a Big Stick: Koumen wields a club for those with dense minds and hard hearts.
• Chase-Scene Obstacle Course: Bagoumawel conjures a gaping abyss, raging river, gigantic mountain, and burning plain to slow down the pursuit of Njeddo Dewal. This successfully throws her off their trail.
• Cool Chair: Kaidara sits on a rotating throne with four feet. The design reflects time and space. The four feet represent the elements and the four cataclysms which will end the world.
• Creation Myth: Before the creatio of the world, there was nothing except for a nameless being. The being was a living void composed of all possibilities. The being existed outside the confines of things like space and time. It had two eyes, and when they closed it became night. When they opened again, day was born. Lewru the Moon was the embodiment of Night and Naange the Sun was the embodiment of day. Lewru and Naange had a child together: Dumunna. Dumunna was the divinity of Time. Dumunna asked the great being what name should be used to invoke it, and the being responded that it was to be called "Gueno". Gueno wished to be known, so he created a miraculous egg with nine divisions, and introduced the nine fundamental states of existence. Gueno entrusted the egg to Dumunna and asked her to brood it. Dumunna named it Bocoonde and hatched from it twenty miraculous beings embodying the totality of the seen and unseen universe, all forces and all knowledge. But none of these beings were fit to be the agent of Gueno, so he took part of each being and mixed them together. Gueno then blow his fiery breath into the mixture to imbue it with his divine spark. This new being was called "Neɗɗo" the primordial Man. Neɗɗo was the nexus of all divine forces and gifted with a piece of Gueno's creative power. The Spirit and Word of Gueno were now his. Gueno taught Neɗɗo the laws of the elements and appointed him custodian of the universe, tasked with maintaining cosmic harmony. Neɗɗo initiated his descendants just as Gueno had initiated him. Neɗɗo fathered Kikala who was the first terrestial man, married to the first terrestial woman called Naagara. Kikala begat Haɓɓana-koel or "Every man for himself". Haɓɓana-koel begat Celi ir "Fork of the road". Celi begat Gorko-mawɗo or "Old Man" who represnted the path of good, and also begat Dewel-Nayewel or "Little Old Woman" who represented the path of evil. Gorko-mawɗo begat Neɗɗo-mawɗo, the "Man worthy of consideration," who himself gave birth to four children: "Great Hearing," "Great Vision," "Great Speak," and "Great Act". Dewel-Nayewel begat "Misery", "Curse", "Animosity" and "Abomination".
• Crossover Cosmology:
  • Tyanaba was recognized as the Mande Mythology Ninkinanka.
  • Ndomadyiri is part of this mythology as well.
  • Sile Sadio was the first initiate and is often identified with King Solomon by Muslim Fulani.
  • The relationship between the sacred star and the Ostrich egg is related to a similar myth from Serer Mythology.
• Divine Ranks:
  • Koumen is subordinate to Tyanaba who is subordinate to the almighty Gueno.
  • Koumen, Kaidara, the One-eyed King, Njeddo-Dewal, Ham, Dem, Tyanaba, and other major deities are emanations from Gueno himself.
  • The Suudiibe are the myriad nature spirits that haunt the world for good and ill.
  • The 28 Lareeji are lesser in power but very important for the Fulani as they control the wellbeing of herders and everything that concerns their lifestyle.
• Disabled Deity: Nounfayiri is one eyed.
• Dreaming of Things to Come:
  • Welore the wife of Bawamnde has a dream about giving birth to seven sons and a daughter. The daughter will bear a son who will vanquish Njeddo Dewal.In order to accomplish this, Bawande had to sacrifice a one-eyed deaf-mute sheep in Weli Weli.
  • Njeddo Dewal sleeps near the grave of Kikala the first man and magically realizes Bagoumawel was born to destroy her.
• Earth Mother: Foroforondu is the “Queen of milk and butter” and as such fertility goddess.
• Eldritch Location: When the world was young, the mountains were soft like butter.
• Enfant Terrible: Bagoumawel speaks before he is even born, shocking his mother Wamnde and everyone else. He declares he will save his uncles from Njeddo Dewal and names himself.
• The Fair Folk: Tongo and Rongo are malevolent little bush spirits who hurt cattle and shepherds. Koumen is their top enemy.
• Familial Cannibalism Surprise: Njeddo Dewal’s daughters applied suction cups to Bagoumawel’s uncles each night they spent together in preparation of feeding, but were thwarted by him staying awake to distract them each time. On the seventh night the uncles put the suction cups on the demonesses and swapped clothing with them. Njeddo Dewal was extremely hungry and feasted upon them before decapitating them. The next morning, she woke up and realized she drained her own daughters.
• Fantastic Flora: In the sixth clearing there are trees which turn blood into milk.
• Food Chain of Evil: Dandi attacked Tooke who proceeded to kill him in self defense. A group of toads saw Tooke and ate him. Then a group of snakes saw the toads and ate them. Then a group of scorpions saw the snakes and ate them.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Njeddo Dewal absolutely adored Bagoumawel in his calf form. She didn’t even get angry when he wandered off. So he took advantage of this to wander a long way away and she sent the children she kidnapped to recover him. Once they were at a safe distance he turned back into a boy and led the children home by a trail of ants.
• Extra Eyes: Njeddo Dewal had three eyes.
• Forced Transformation: Sire was a sorcerer imprisoned and transformed into a Humanoid Abomination by Njeddo Dewal in order to keep anyone from discovering the nature of her being. He was somewhere between man, beast, and plant before his rescue by Bawamnde.
• Friendly Neighborhood Spider: Hammadi asks the Spider Queen to send for the flies to find Bagoumawel.
• Friend to All Living Things: Koumen is the custodian of both nature and livestock.
• Funny Animals: Weli Weli was only inhabited by animals that lived much like humans. Considering the only humans who made it to Weli Weli were prey for its queen and her daughters, this is jusified.
• Garden Garment: Foroforondu covers her privates with leaves.
• Garden of Eden: In ancient times there was a magnificent flood zone called Walo more fertile than any other. In Walo there was a paradise called Heli and Yoyo (Muslim Fulani identify it with Eden). There was no poverty, no disease, and no want. Death was rare and when it did occur the person was totally content with moving on. Even elders were as lively and hardy as young people. Cattle all had perfect health. Wild beasts were as gentle as domesticated ones. When the moon waned the stars shined as bright as a full moon. The mists produced by the rivers revitalized anyone who stood in them. Heli and Yoyo was fed by seven great rivers from seven great mountains. All fruits were edible, delicious, and had healing properties. According to Muslims, Heli and Yoyo was designed by king Solomon himself using the labor of Djinns for his consort Bilqis who was an ancestor of the Fulani. It was a country beloved by Gueno. Unfortunately, being so spoiled made man arrogant and decadent.
• Geas: Tyanaba was forbidden to be approached by a woman with yellow and ochre skin, red eyes, and a flat chest.
• Geometric Magic:
  • The six-pointed star was a symbol of the universe. The top triangle represented fire and the bottom triangle represented water. The six points represent the four directions, as well as the zenith and nadir. Among other things the seven internal cells represent the seven days of the week. The twelve angles represent the twelve months. The symbolism is not totally lost on Muslim & Christian Fulani who identify it with the seal of Solomon. In Islamic mysticism, the hexagon is interpreted as a geometric spelling of Allah.
  • Koumen uses the Ostrich egg to cast spells. The Ostrich having protected its eggs using the six-pointed star.
  • The king of Heli brought 22 Silatigis and 56 wise shepherds to Yoyo in order to divine the cause of the disasters brought about by Njeddo Dewal. They used geomancy to predict the rising of an evil star in the north and widespread sin among man.
  • When the Fulani created a new camp, the convoy leader would create a great six-pointed star at the site either with his horse or on foot. This was thought to create a magical protective field around the camp.
• Glowing Eyes: Koubbu’s eyes glow when he frees Koumbasara from his prison.
• God Couple: Koumen and his wife Foroforondu.
• Godiva Hair: In the twelfth clearing Foroforondu undoes her braids and covers her self up with her hair.
• God of Evil: Njeddo-Dewal Inna Baasi is the seventeenth maiden, goddess of evil, and mother of calamity. She was created to punish mankind for our excessive pride.
• Gold and White Are Divine: Kaidara is the god of Gold and it’s association with wisdom.
• The Great Flood: Njeddo Dewal is so anguished by the loss of her calf she transforms into a massive flood, threatening to drown all of Heli and Yoyo.
• Happily Adopted: In versions where Tyanaba wanders until he meets Ilo’s mother.
• Healing Spring: In Koumen’s domain there is a pool hidden by thick vines. Whoever washes their face in the water gains the ability see the future.
• Honey Trap: Twice. Njeddo Dewal uses her daughters the first time and courtesans the second time.
• Horse of a Different Color:
  • Bawamnde rode a flying python.
  • Sire rode the one-eyed deaf-mute sheep Koubbu.
  • Njeddo Dewal flew on an eagle.
• Hostile Terraforming: Njeddo Dewal turns Weli Weli into a ruinous hellscape while trying to catch Bagoumawel and his brothers fleeing her.
• Hot Witch: Njeddo Dewal after asking Gueno to make her beautiful.
• I Have Your Wife: Njeddo Dewal demands the king of Heli and Yoyo give her 20 young men as well as Bagoumawel if he ever wanted to see his son again. The king said no but Bagoumawel and the young nobles were willing to go anyway.
• I Know Your True Name: Sile Sadio seeks out the true name of the cow and implores Foroforondu to teach it to him.
• I Owe You My Life: When Hammadi uncle of Bagoumawel asks Koumbasara for help the snake god gladly does so in remembrance of his own rescue from Njeddo Dewal’s prison.
• Justice Will Prevail: Foroforondu is the goddess of justice who punishes sorcerers and evildoers in general. She can see through all of their machinations.
• "Just So" Story:
  • Ilo’s wife was concerned about the mystery person he visited each day with milk that she peeked over the wall of Tyanaba’s compound to see him at the urging of her old hairdresser. As soon as eye contact was made Tyanaba grew to enormous size and left the ruined compound for the Niger River. Ilo tried to catch up for days until Tyanaba had pity and told him about his prohibition. Tyanaba could not reside with him anymore, but he did summon numerous cattle from the river and told Ilo he could have as many as he could touch with his walking stick. So Ilo frantically tapped cattle in the darkness as the herd followed Tyanaba into the depths of Lake Debo. This made Ilo the first shepherd, and is the reason the Fulani use their trademark “Nelbi” walking sticks.
  • Gueno removed one of his eyes and it became the One-eyed King (the Sun).
  • Mountains are hard because the One-eyed King hardened them under his gaze. In primordial times they were as soft as butter.
  • Spirits sent by Gueno carved out the waterways of the world. Some of them were placed under the power of stronger spirits and made to fill them with heavy loads of water. They revolted against their masters and were turned into clouds as punishment, damned to wander the skies for eternity. The water carriers break their jugs occasionally for relief from the weight and give lifegiving rains to the earth. Whenever they do this their jailers whip them mercilessly and that is the sound of thunder.
• Kid Hero: Bagoumawel was a newborn who looked seven. He was sent by Gueno to defeat Njeddo Dewal.
• Knows the Ropes: Koumbasara fights Njeddo Dewal with a magic lasso and binds her.
• Land of Faerie: The Shadow Country is home of the Suudiibe or “hidden ones”.
• Life Drinker: Njeddo Dewal steals the life force of men through her seven daughters.
• Locked in the Dungeon: Sire was chained up within a termite hill within a secret chamber in Weli Weli. Fortunately Bawamnde was able to release him by touching the belly of the termite queen.
• Lured into a Trap: After Bagoumawel spares her following the Sakkai episode Njeddo Dewal burrows underground and replaces the ancient jujube tree with a decoy. When mortal children gathered to play on it, she flew off with them.
• Magical Eye: Nounfayiri has one eye which offers internal and external knowlegde.
• Magic Kiss: A initiate would suck the tongue of the master in order to absorb his knowledge. Koumen would impress this on his chosen initiates.
• Magic Music: Tyanaba plays a seven holed flute in an attempt to extinguish the fire before the first clearing.
• Magic Staff: Buytoorin wielded an especially magical staff. It was carved from a "Nelbi of Nowhere". The Nelbi of Nowhere does not grow on land or in water. It has no need for water or soil. It bears fruit regardless of weather. He who wields a staff carved from this variety of Nelbi can predict the future without error. Sap of fire flows from the green branches of the Nelbi from Nowhere. Gueno himself took wood from this tree to make Kikala's staff, which was passed down father-to-son until it came to Buytoorin. With this staff he drew a six-pointed star in the dirt for a magical spell.
• Meaningful Name: Njeddo roughly translates to "Septenary". Dewal means "Great Hag". Inna Baasi is "Mother of Calamity".
• Mordor: Played with. The wells of Weli-Weli are full of blood. The very ground is scorching hot to the bare feet. However, it is otherwise a hedonistic wonderland of a city with every worldly pleasure & material comfort available for the weary traveler.
• Multi-Armed and Dangerous: Kaidara has twelve arms and thirty feet. The twelve arms represent the twelve months and by extension the first twelve Lareeji while the thirty feet represent a month.
• Multiple Head Case: Kaidara has seven heads. They represent the seven days of the week, the seven stars of the big and little dippers, as well as the seven openings of the head.
• Old Beggar Test: Kaidara is fond of this trope. He wanders the world dressed as a ragged old man to avoid greedy gold-hungry people and meet those who truly stand for wisdom.
• Older Than He Looks: Interesting case with Koumen. He is an immortal deity probably older than the world and yet looks like a little boy. A little boy with the gray beard of an old man. So much so that Sile Sadio mistakes him for a lost child.
• Old-School Chivalry: Sile Sadio would not fight save to protect cattle, women, and orphans. Per the code of Pulaaku.
• Old-School Dogfight: Njeddo Dewal's eagle destroys Bawamnde's python this way.Forcing him to ride on Koubbu the sheep for much of the escape from Weli Weli.
• Oracular Head:
  • Buytoorin owned a skull that has been passed down for generations. He enchanted it using the six-Pointed star drawn with his magic staff so that it would speak. Once per week for several weeks he and his son Hellere listened intently to the wisdom of the skull, placing it in a different section of the star each time.
  • Bawamnde carries around the skull of his grandfather which gives him advice on his adventures.
  • The skull is used by Bagoumawel to locate his kidnapped uncles and learn how to destroy the stone coffins.
  • Bagoumawel later consults the skull to learn the whereabouts of prince Sakkai who had gone missing.
  • Hammadi eldest uncle of Bagoumawel asks the skull what to do about the hostage situation involving Sakkai.
  • The Kore society of Mande Mythology was practiced among the Fulani as well, called the Jalan society in Fula. The human skull was studied intently for oracular purposes. The skull was considered a powerful conduit for cosmic forces. The skulls of great chiefs and men of renown were considered superior to the skulls of ordinary people. Such skulls were prized trophies and relics for the society. Skulls of great men were thought to transmit their virtues from beyond the grave. Among the Fulani the nine main bones of the Skull represent the 9 paths of initiation. The Ninth bone is considered an invisible and transcendent unity, both part of the nine yet also the sum of them all. The secret wisdom of the ninth bone is the principle of unity.
• Our Dwarves Are All the Same: Averted in the case of the Yaamana-Juuju. Also known as Bagoumawel, they are servants of the god Kaidara. Resembling little old men with long beards, they stand about two elbow-lengths high. They wield enormous magical powers and are fond of shapeshifting.
• Panthera Awesome: Koumbasara has a black lion named Goumbaw.
• Person of Mass Destruction: Njeddo Dewal causes natural disasters and demolishes the island of the Scorpion Queen in frustration with Bawamnde’s escape.
• Playing with Fire: Njeddo Dewal tried to kill Bawamnde, Sire, and Koubbou who were trying to escape through a secret mountain cavern by sending flames against them.
• Power-Up Food: Sile Sadio drinks the milk of Ndurbeele and achieves ultimate understanding of the universe. It is then that he has communion with Gueno.
• Privacy by Distraction: In the lair of Njeddo Dewal Bagoumawel prevents her from feeding on his brothers in the night by asking her to do absurd things like make him a cup of water but using a net to collect the water. This goes on for six days before she becomes frustrated.
• Protective Charm: Bawamnde used his seven charms to overcome a thunderstorm, quicksand desert, raging river, and passage through a mountain.
• Rage Breaking Point: Gueno couldn't take the hubris of the Fulani anymore when they started bathing in milk instead of water.
• Rite of Passage: After leaving the twelfth and final clearing Sile Sadio returns to where he first met Koumen to battle a lion with his staff. A student was not a Silatigi until he had killed a lion and drank its blood to absorb its characteristics.
• Ritual Magic: Gueno assembled a black cat so dark it could blacken coal and the night, a smelly black goat, and a black bird. He then vaporized them with a green laser and mixed their ashes with water. He poured the concoction into a tortoise shell and made it into an egg which he hatched under an ancient crocodile. Njeddo Dewal was hatched from this spell.
• Rule of Drama: Ilo son of Yaladi of course falls in love with exactly the type of woman his brother Tyanaba is forbidden to be approached by.
• Rule of Symbolism:
  • Tyanaba figures in the initiation as a symbol of the metamorphosis a man must go through. Like Tyanaba he must shed his skin to begin anew.
  • The drop of milk Gueno made was composed of the four elements, four directions, and Ndurbeele: the hermaphrodite cow who represents creation and is the parent of the 22 original cows owned by Tyanaba.
  • The 28 Lareeji correspond to the 28 days of the Lunar month.
  • The first 12 Lareeji correspond to the 12 months of the Solar year.
  • Because the drop of milk engendered the four elements and Ndurbeele and the rest of the universe, mankind is a sort of microcosm of all these things. We are element, star, clan, and cow. White, black, red, and yellow men correspond to the four directions and their associated color. As the initiate crosses between the 12 “clearings” he encounters the overlapping forces that brought him here.
  • Prior to entering the first clearing Sile Sadio sees an urn (symbolizing earth) full of water with a fire above it as Tyanaba plays his magic flute (producing wind). But in spite of this the fire will not die. This is a reconciliation of the four elements and confirmation of Sile Sadio’s worthiness to proceed.
  • Black is the color of the occult which is why Koumen is black in his domain and leads a herd of black cattle.
  • In Koumen’s land there is a pond and a water hole. People usually look into water holes to see themselves and bathe in ponds (which are bigger). But the truly wise bathe in the water hole and see themselves in the pond. This is a metaphor for seeing the forest for the trees, or understanding the role man has in the wider cosmos.
  • The jujube represents not only the symbol of a good host and Foroforondu accepting Sile Sadio as a guest, but also the summit of human knowledge. Making him worthy to ride Ndurbeele and move on to divine knowledge.
• Scaled Up: Inverted, Koumbasara is a benevolent deity that is restored to his glorious snake form after resting in liquid for the night once freed.
• Scarab Power: The Dung Beetles help roll Njeddo Dewal’s metal gourd underground from its chamber to the island of the Scorpion Queen.
• Sealed Good in a Can: Koumbasara was trapped inside a black cat-skin bag inside of a metal gourd by Njeddo Dewal.
• Sea Serpents: Tyanaba was associated with rivers and came from the Atlantic Ocean where he swam up the Senegal river. He traveled the Niger not long after.
• Secret Test of Character:
  • Koumen offers Sile Sadio many wonders through his magic, but Sile Sadio only wants wisdom. For this reason Koumen deems him worthy.
  • Sile Sadio refuses to obey the instruction of Foroforondu and passes her test. A Fulani man does not do as women tell him. For this reason Foroforondu and Koumen commend him and offer jujubes.
• Seers: Wulore and Bawamnde consult the diviner Aga Nouttiouru to understand Wulore's dream.
• Self-Applied Nickname: Bagoumawel nicknames himself “Gael Walo” or the Young Bull of Walo.
• The Smurfette Principle: In ancient times Njeddo Dewal and her daughters killed a great many women, creating incentive for the surplus men to seek them out.
• Speaks Fluent Animal:
  • This happens after an initiate sucks the tongue of the master.
  • It's also one of Koumen’s talents.
• Swallowed Whole: Bawamnde and his companions were saved from Njeddo Dewal’s fire powers by hiding inside a giant gecko, who brings them through the tunnels in the mountain. They later get swallowed up and excreted by a Palm Tree, finding themselves underground.
• Tagalong Kid: Subverted. Bagoumawel despite looking seven years old is the hero who protects his hapless seven uncles. Despite them mistaking him for a petty Suudibe at first and this trope later. He feeds them and defends them from dangers like killer bees until they agree to let him join their quest.
• Talking Animal: The dog of clearing six explains his purpose among the magic trees.
• Talking to Plants: Koumen is capable of this.
• Technical Virgn: Njeddo Dewal's daughters would be deflowered each night by the men they lured as prey, but their mother would restore their virginity again the next morning.
• Threshold Guardians:
  • Koumen must test Sile Sadio’s sincere desire for wisdom before he can proceed.
  • Tyanaba is the first sentry of knowledge Sile Sadio meets. He guards the wisdom from the unworthy. When Sile Sadio’s overcomes fear of the unknown, the journey is in motion.
  • The Frog tries to distract Sile Sadio from his mission by telling him to take mud from the sacred pond instead of using the water.
• Tunnel King: The Aardvark tunnels for Bawamnde and his friends to find Njeddo Dewal’s hiding chamber for her metal gourd.
• Tyke Bomb: Njeddo Dewal spent her childhood learning the seven magical sounds, spells to control the dark elemental spirits, and the six points of space. She was raised entirely among the forces of darkness.
• Ultimate Blacksmith:
  • Baylo-kammu is the king of all blacksmiths. Flat bottomed clouds are his forge. He produces lightning from here and blacksmiths beseech him to show mercy.
  • Nounfayiri or Ndomayiri as the Mande call him is the divine smith.
• The Underworld: The land of the dead is Always Night and all souls come there eventually: man, plant, and animal. The souls of the unborn also reside here, so it is forbidden to damage any beings lest it cause a miscarriage in the land of the living or “the World of Light”.
• Unholy Matrimony: Njeddo Dewal was the goddess of evil and married Dandi whose very name means pepper. Dandi was the son of Sitti (Saltpeter). Their daughters were very evil as well.
• The Vamp: The beautiful daughters of Njeddo Dewal and her mate Dandi use their feminine wiles to lure men into Weli Weli and their doom.
• Vampiric Draining: Njeddo Dewal and her seven daughters feed on the blood and vitality of men to make their mother stronger so she may spread greater destruction.
• Vampires Are Sex Gods: Njeddo Dewal's daughters were so alluring they would drive their nightly victims almost mad with lust, openly asking for some blood to "heal" their ailing mother. The men would invariably agree to the odd request and allow the daughters to apply suction cups to them. The daughters would allow their mother to suck blood through the sheep-gut tubes from the other room until the men were in a weak and delirious state. Finally, the daughters would join the men in sexual intercourse until their partner died from exhaustion that night or early the next morning.
• Vehicular Kidnapping: Prince Sakkai was immediately kidnapped by the shapeshifted Njeddo Dewal as soon as he sat on her horse form.
• Virtuous Bees: Bagoumawel finds a bee among his ancestor’s magic items and it leads him to his trapped uncles. The swarm of bees gather food for them on the journey back.
• Void Between the Worlds: Koumen instructs Sile Sadio to keep his eyes closed when crossing between the fifth and sixth clearings else his soul wanders off.
• Voluntary Shapeshifting:
  • Koumen is able to transform into whatever shape pleases him. He is black when dealing with minerals, he is white when caring for wild game, and he is red when acting on Tyanaba’s orders to care for livestock.
  • Njeddi Dewal could take any shape she pleased.
  • Kaidara enjoys playing Angel Unaware.
  • Koumbasara transforms into an eagle to bring Bawamnde and his friends back to their home village of Hayyo.
  • Bagoumawel turns into the wind and enters the womb of Njeddo Dewal’s favorite white cow. He was born as a magnificent calf.
• War God: As god of smithing and thus weapons, Nounfayiri is also the war deity of the pantheon.
• Weaksauce Weakness: Njeddo Dewal is vanquished when Bagoumawel throws saltpeter on her water elemental form. It burns, poisons, and kills her.
• Wicked Witch: Njeddo Dewal was created by Gueno to punish humanity. She was a hideous three-eyed and seven-eared witch of terrible power. When she scratches herself bees come out of her skin, she coughs sparks, her putrid breath dries trees, and her shrieks shatter mountains. After Gueno created her dark hours and disasters fell upon the world. She made heaps of feces in the markets, turned milk into blood, and brought about evils such as divorce, drought, murder, and hate.

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