Nyante

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Nyante

Nyame is the supreme being and creator deity worshiped by the Ashanti and Akan people in the West African country of Ghana. In mythology, Nyame appears in both male and female forms.

deity god or goddess

Often identified with the sun and the moon, Nyame is also associated with storms. In his role as the sun, he appears as a king known as Nyankopon. As the moon, Nyame represents the queen mother. Lightning that flashes during a storm is considered to be Nyame's thunderbolts, also called God's Axes. To honor the god, people often place stone axes in forked posts beside doorways. Near the posts, they keep pots that hold special offerings for Nyame.

See also African Mythology.

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