Somali mythology covers the beliefs,

myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...

s, legends and folk tales circulating in Somali society that were passed down to new generations in a timeline spanning several millennia. Many of the things that constitute Somali mythology today are traditions whose accuracy have faded away with time or have transformed considerably with the coming of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

to the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

. The culture of venerating

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

s and the survival of several religious offices in modern Somalia show that old traditions of the region's ancient past had a significant impact on

and Somali literature in later centuries. Similarly, practitioners of traditional Somali medicine and astronomy also adhere to remnants of an old cultural belief system that once flourished in Somalia and the wider Horn region.

Pre-Islamic period

The Somali people in pre-

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...

times are believed to have adhered to a complex belief System, with a set of

deities A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

superseded by a single all-powerful figure called ''Eebbe''/''Waaq'' ( God, also known in Oromo as '' Waaq''). Religious temples dating from

antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

known as ''Taallo'' were the centers where important ceremonies were held led by a ''Wadaad'' priest. Waaq was a pre-Islamic Sky God associated with water/rain, fertility, sacred trees, animals, nature, peace and harmony. It is construed in Somali with words like ''Bar waaqo'' ("bountiful"), ''Ceel Waaq'' (a town's name) and ''Cabu Waaq'' ( a town in central Somalia mostly populated by the Marehan clan).

Deities

Legendary kings, queens and saints

In Somali mythology, there is an abundance of tales about men and women who defied cultural traditions or acquired heroic and

ly status amongst the masses of the Somali Peninsula. Arraweelo (Queen) ''Queen Arraweelo'' was a legendary queen, who empowered women's rights. Many epics support the legend of Araweello as a defining Female leader in her era.

Giants and demons

Mythological places

Many regions of Somalia have cities or specific areas whose names corroborate the stories told in Somali mythology. Waaq in itself is a Somali word and are used to name places such as Abudwaaq ("Worshiper of God"),

Ceel Waaq El Wak (; var. Ceel Waaq) is a divided city on the Somalia-Kenya border. The Somali portion is located in the southwestern Gedo region of Jubaland state, where it is the seat of one of the region's seven districts. Etymology The place name "Cee ...

("Well of God") and other similar towns with the name ''Waaq'' in it suggest a relation to the old Waaq worship practiced in the Horn. The Tomb of

Arrawelo Arawelo or Arraweelo or Moroombe ( so, Caraweelo) was a proto-Somali Queen in traditional folklore. Biography Arawelo is said to have been based in lands inhabited by the Habr Je'lo clan, specifically a place called Murihi in the Sanaag region. Ra ...

is another popular mythological place in Somalia said to be the final resting place of Queen Arrawelo. In modern times, it is considered an important place for Somali women.

References

{{Religion topics Somali culture African mythology Ancient Somalia