Falling Back Into Story
Earth..
Gaia, Aiye, Pachamama, Asase Yaa, Dunya, Aduna, Dunida, Pasi, Mother Nature1 – throughout history, the Earth has come to be known by many names.
Since it came to be over four billion years ago, the Earth has been home to an array of life forms as you could think of. Trees came to be, dinosaurs roamed the world, and trees witnessed the evolution of archaic Homo sapiens, the predecessors of anatomically modern humans, in the Middle Palaeolithic, also known as the Old Stone Age.
It's no wonder that people from a multitude of cultures have weaved stories around the Earth.
In myths and Legends, Mother Nature is sacred and is represented as a nurturing figure–a female deity, the mother of all humanity, a goddess. One of my favourite stories to read about is that of Asase Yaa, a goddess of the Akan people of Ghana in Africa.
Asase Yaa is the goddess of fertility. She is also known as Mother Earth and represents the Earth's womb. It is believed that from her womb, she gives birth to us, and into her arms, she takes us at the time of our transition. She is known as Mother Earth and teaches the importance of sustaining life on Earth.
The Akan accept that the Earth is the principal source of life.
One must walk softly on the Earth so as not to cause harm to its surface.2
A Question For You…
What if someone asked you to describe Earth? How would you describe it? Can you think of three things?
I have thought about this question for many nights. For me, Earth is magic; an elixir of life that exists everywhere. Life in all forms—those in the sky, in the soil, streams, and the deep seas. Earth is where everything that dies remains in other forms—an ever-evolving purpose, an everlasting story.
I am reminded of the Akan people in Ghana, who believe The Earth is the abode of their ancestors. When a person dies, they also return to the Earth, to Asase Yaa, goddess of fertility, the one who causes the land to prosper.
Before I read about the Akan people's concept of the Earth, I struggled to find words to describe Earth. When I stumbled upon the Akan people, I was filled with wonder. Asase Yaa.. Asase Yaa..
Asase Yaa..
Asase meaning Earth and Yaa meaning a female born on a Thursday. The Akan people believe that the creator god Nyame created the Earth on a Thursday. Traditionally, Thursday is considered a day of rest, on which there is no farming, no burying of the dead, and refraining from all earth-related activities.
Nyame, much like Zeus in Greek mythology, is considered the supreme god who created the Earth.
A message for you :
Thank you for your time and your presence! I'd love to learn more about your language and culture. What word describes 'earth' in your native language?
Dunida- Somalia ( Thanks Munira) Dunia- Mandinka Aduna-Wolof-( Thanks Molamin) Asase Yaa- Akan people of Ghana Dunya- Arabic Pachamama -Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and northern Argentina Gaia-Greek mythology Aiye- Yoruba, Nigeria Pasi - Shona ( Thanks Tafara)
Encyclopaedia of African religion/ editors, Molefi Kete Asante, Ama Mazama.