Nigerian gods Of Thunder (Amadioha And Sango)
All of you may know about Thor, the god of thunder, but many of you don’t know about Sango and Amadioha. We want to tell you about these Eastern and Western Nigerian gods.
Before we even heard about the Thor the god of Thunder, Nigeria already had to gods of thunder, not one. It is very common to hear the slang “thunder fire you”, but many people don’t even know where this statement originated from.
In African folklore, Amadioha and Sango are gods of thunder to the Igbos and the Yorubas respectively. There are many differences between the both of them, but also many similarities as well. Both of them are very hot tempered, and both of them served as an agent of justice.
Back then, they used to take people that have been accused for various sorts of crimes to their shrines to declare their innocence, or else they will be struck by lightning. Their common colour was red and white, and a white ram. The ram is sacred to African thunder and lightening gods, they serve as sacrifice a symbol.
SANGO
Sango is one of the ancestral fathers and orisha of the Yoruba people, the Caribbean and certain Latin American people. He is the highly reverenced god of thunder and lightning. He is the powerful ruler that brought prosperity to his land. He gained his powers from spiritualists when he went to seek more powers to destroy his enemies. He gained the powers to control lighting and became possessed by the spirit of lightening, after which he ascended to the Orisha level. According to the Yorubas, he used to breath fire and he never died.
Due to slave trade that was practiced so many years ago, and Africans that were taken to other parts of the world, Sango is known in Haiti as the God of Thunder and weather; in Brazil, he’s known as xango, and in Umbanda, he’s known as the powerful Loa Nago Shamgo, in Trinidad, he’s known as Shango the god of thunder, drumming and dance, and he’s known in Cuba, vemei and Puerto Rico as Changọ́.
His symbol is a double headed axe that represents fast and balanced justice. He is the owner of Bata (double headed drums), as well as the Arts of music, dance and entertainment in the Yoruba culture.
AMADIOHA
Amadioha is the god/arusi (deities)of thunder and lightning of the Igbo people of south eastern Nigeria. He was first known as the god of justice. He speaks through thunder, and he strikes with lightning. In some parts of Igboland, he is referred to as Amadiora, Kamalu (that is the short form for Kalu Akanu),Kamanu, or Ofufe. He is also considered as the creator of love, peace and unity. His name is used as oaths in Igboland and these oaths carry death penalties when people break them.
Astrologically, his home is the sun and he is often associated with Anyanwu, that is the Igbo god of the Sun.