Achimi
Achimi was the buffalo god of the Kabyle people of Algeria. With his father, the buffalo god Itherther, they were responsible for the development of hunting and meat-eating in Kabyle mythology.[1][2]
Mythology
[edit]Achimi was the son of the first buffalo Itherther and Thamuatz.[2] After a close encounter with the first humans, Achimi received advice from an ant who told him how the world worked. He said that if he wanted a comfortable but short life, he would have to live with and serve humans. If he wanted a long and free life, he could live wild but would always be hungry. Achimi chose freedom. The ant also told her that he could mate with his mother and sister.[1] Achimi returned home and did so. When Itherther found out, the father and son fought. Defeated, Itherther ran away.[1]
With his mother and sister, Achimi reproduced to create a herd of buffalo.[1] Many years later when Achimi was old, the herd were cold, hungry and suffering. Achimi remembered the advice of the ant and realised that it would be better to have a short but comfortable life living with humans. He took the herd to where the humans lived. The buffalo were welcomed and from then on, mankind kept cattle.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Frobenius, Leo; Douglas C. Fox (1999). African Genesis: Folk Tales and Myths of Africa. Courier Dover Publications. pp. 61–68. ISBN 0-486-40911-2.
- ^ a b Oxford Dictionary of World Mythology. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
 | This article relating to an African myth or legend is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |