African ideas of how the world began are very different from the story of Genesis. Though the creator god is repeatedly seen as having withdrawn from the world, people often have a very direct and intense relationship with demigods, ancestors, and bush spirits. The entire landscape is permeated by spiritual meanings and inhabited by gods and spirits. While many Africans today formally follow the Christian or Muslim faiths, they often blend these beliefs with traditional lore and rites. This book examines the central themes of African mythology-the creation, gods and goddesses, trickster tales, animals, monsters, heroes, and mythical rulers-and shows how some motifs recur throughout the corpus of myths. It also looks at how African myths are becoming better known because of writers and filmmakers, particularly from the Black diaspora, who draw on this rich heritage for inspiration.