The role of agriculture in mythology

This paper will be an overall review of the role of agriculture in mythology. You will be graded on how well you indicate the influence of agriculture on the mythology of the culture you pick. While you do not have to completely rewrite the two previous papers, you need to have an introductory paragraph to the combined paper, a transition as you go from the Ag to the Myth of a region, and have a concluding paragraph, tying all together. At least 6 references need to be included for the final paper (3 from agriculture paper, 3 from mythology paper).

agriculture paper

africa culture

Africa refers to harvesting the sun. About accounted for the world’s total land area of 20.2%, second to Asia, for the world’s second state. Africa is one of the birthplaces of ancient humans and civilizations in the world. The earliest written records can be found in 4000 BC. Egypt in northern Africa is one of the cradles of world civilization. For most people, Africa is a mysterious land that captures their imagination. It has dense tropical rain forests, the world’s widest desert Sahara and unique food culture. Africa is a beautiful place. It’s not as bleak as people think, it’s rich in diversity.

The oldest humans on Earth appeared about 2 million years ago in Africa. Local agriculture appeared at least 6,000 years ago. But for a long time, little was known about the origins of crops in Africa. In fact, Africa is as important a centre of crop origin as anywhere else. A large number of crops were first domesticated in Africa, among which the most important worldwide crops include coffee, sorghum, pearl millet, oil palm, watermelon, cowpea, and talon millet, as well as many other crops of major importance to African people, including African rice, yam, and gourd. But unlike the Near East, where the vast majority of crops that originated in Africa had a narrow range of distribution (due to tribal and cultural distribution rather than ecological adaptation), there was no obvious center for plant domestication, and domestication was widespread from south to north and east to west. “And over more time, people and plants shifted southward, with cultivated plants intermittently interbreeding with wild plants. The mingling slowed full domestication but added genetic variation to the millet”(PennisiMay). In fact, Africa was not the first to develop agriculture.

Here is the question, Africa was the first home of mankind. Why wasn’t agriculture the first? Africa gave birth not only to humans, but also to animals. Africa is a paradise for animals. “Humans evolved in Africa, alongside the many other animals there. That meant that for millions of years, these animals had evolved to cope with Homo habilis, Homo erectus, the Neanderthals, Homo sapiens, and many others in their environment”(Khan Academy). Before humans could develop agriculture, they had to domesticate animals. But domesticating animals is a challenge and a long process. Domestication is one of the key steps in agriculture. Another reason is Africa is a beautiful and diverse continent, but it also has a harsh environment. Africa’s land is not suitable for farming and is vulnerable to climate and natural disasters. The early results of farming usually not really expected, the crops are less nutrition, less productive and greater vulnerability.

Two main tools for farmers to farm are the hoe and the sickle. Hoe used to mold, turn, and make soil suitable for planting, and sickle is a tool made of stone or wood for planting. At that time there was no machinery, and the sickle was an important tool for them.It is used to cut grass, weeds, and harvest crops when they are fully mature. Sickles are popular tools because they make the harvesting process faster. Even today, people still like to use the sickle. What’s more, hand plows also an important tool but not commonly used. “Although there is evidence to suggest that some farmers used oxen, donkeys, or horses to aid with the plowing process, most farmers would have relied on their own strength” (CoolaBoo).

Nowadays, Africa’s agricultural trade experienced an increase and then a decline. According to the statistics of United Nations Comtrade, the trade volume of African agricultural products increased from US $76.81 billion in 2007 to US $14.53 billion in 2011, with an average annual growth rate of 16.3%. Since then, it has decreased year by year, and in 2016, it was only $94.0.0 billion, almost back to the level of 2008, with an average annual decrease of 7.7%. Its main export products are aquatic products, tropical fruits, coffee, tea and other drinks, vegetables, etc. Its main import products are grain products, animal products and other food that can meet the nutritional needs. In the global agricultural trade, exports are highly concentrated in primary processed agricultural products and horticultural products, accounting for more than 70 per cent of Africa’s total agricultural exports, and their share is rising. Imported agricultural products are mainly concentrated in grain and oilseed products, accounting for more than 40% of the total agricultural imports in recent years.

Reference

“Ancient African Agriculture – CoolaBoo – Education Site.” CoolaBoo, 11 June 2019, www.coolaboo.com/world-history/ancient-africa/ancient-african-agriculture/.

Elizabeth PennisiMay. 1, 2019, et al. “Plant Studies Show Where Africa’s Early Farmers Tamed Some of the Continent’s Key Crops.” Science, 3 May 2019, www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/05/plant-studies-show-where-africas-early-farmers-tamed-some-continents-key-crops.

“The Origin of Agriculture in Africa (Article).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/big-history-project/agriculture-civilization/first-cities-appear/a/the-origin-of-agriculture-in-africa.

mythology paper

Africa MythologyAfrica Mythologyi. Africa, a large continent, is home to a diverse range of cultures and languages.ii. While no single collection of myths and stories unites this diverse community, certainmythological elements are shared by various cultural groups and regions.iii. As myths from many other parts of the world, Africa’s myths represent the values andbeliefs of its inhabitants (Harris, 2020).iv. However, while many other cultures’ mythologies are no longer present in religiouspractices, African myths and legends continue to play an important role in daily life andactivities.v. Some African myths feature common themes like the origin of the earth and what happens topeople after they die. Many more are derived from the continent’s natural and historicalecosystems.Examples of Africa MythsHow the World Came To Existencei. Many theories and myths exist to justify how the universe came to be.ii. According to the Dogon, Nummo, or twin sets of creator spirits or gods, are said to havehatched from a cosmic egg.iii. Some people believe the world began with an egg as well.iv. Individuals in the north and south Africa claim that the earth was created from the body of amassive serpent that once stretched across the sky like a rainbow (Harris, 2020).v. Gu is the firstborn son of the maker twins Mawu (moon) and Lisa, according to the Fonpeople of Benin (sun). Gu arrived on earth as an iron sword and later became a blacksmith.vi. His mission was to get the planet ready for humanity.vii. He taught people how to create tools, allowing them to produce food and construct houses.viii. According to the San Bushmen of the south, creation was the activity of a spirit calledDxui, who was conversely a man, a flower, a bird, or a lizard.Africa, a large continent, is home to a diverse range of cultures and languages. While nosingle collection of myths and stories unites this diverse community, certain mythologicalelements are shared by various cultural groups and regions. As myths from many other parts ofthe world, Africa’s myths represent the values and beliefs of its inhabitants (Harris, 2020).However, while many other cultures’ mythologies are no longer present in religious practices,African myths and legends continue to play an important role in daily life and activities. SomeAfrican myths feature common themes like the origin of the earth and what happens to peopleafter they die. Many more are derived from the continent’s natural and historical ecosystems.Examples of Africa MythsHow the World Came To ExistenceMany theories and myths exist to justify how the universe came to be. According to theDogon, Nummo, or twin sets of creator spirits or gods, are said to have hatched from a cosmic egg. Some people believe the world began with an egg as well. Individuals in the north and southAfrica claim that the earth was created from the body of a massive serpent that once stretchedacross the sky like a rainbow (Harris, 2020). Gu is the firstborn son of the maker twins Mawu(moon) and Lisa, according to the Fon people of Benin (sun). Gu arrived on earth as an ironsword and later became a blacksmith. His mission was to get the planet ready for humanity. Hetaught people how to create tools, allowing them to produce food and construct houses.According to the San Bushmen of the south, creation was the activity of a spirit called Dxui, whowas conversely a man, a flower, a bird, or a lizard.TwinsTwins are regarded as rare, almost holy entities by many African cultures. Twins embodythe fundamental duality of life—the conflict or equilibrium among coupled or conflicting forces.Non-Bantu communities in the Congo and Niger regions, for example, assume that twins ofdifferent sexes are examples of this duality (Mouton, 2017). Many African myths and legendsfeature twins. In some novels, the couple is a sister and brother who marry. In certain cases, theyappear to be two sides of the same person. Mawu-Lisa, the Fon people’s supreme deity, isgenerally represented as sister and brother twins who became the guardians of all the other gods,who were also born as twins.

How Death Came into the WorldAccording to African myths, death was brought into the world. Some believe that theultimate god intended for humans to be immortal, ensuring that they would stay forever;however, they got death instead of everlasting life due to an unlucky error. According to onelegend, a god instructed a careful chameleon to bring the message of everlasting life to the world.In that novel, a quicker lizard appears first with a dying message. According to inhabitants ofSierra Leone, a toad with the information “Death has come” outruns a dog with the information“Life has come” since this dog feeds along the way, thus delaying (Mouton, 2017).Some myths claim that death entered the universe as a result of humans or animalsangering their gods. The Nuer of Sudan criticize hyena for cutting the rope that bound heavenand earth. Their Dinka neighbors claim that a greedy mother, unsatisfied with the grain given toher by the high god, planted additional grain. She struck the god’s eye with her hoe, causing himto sever the connecting cord. According to a legend told by the Luhya people of modern-dayKenya, a chameleon plagued humanity with death since a man violated the rules of kindness bynot sharing his meal (Ogundokun, 2015).Trickster & Animal FablesA trickster appears in many African myths. A god, an individual, or an animal could bethe trickster. His tricks and mischief cause havoc among gods and mortals. West Africans narratemany myths about a roaming trickster spirit called Eshu among the Yoruba and Legba among theFon. Shift and quarrels are synonymous with this trickster (Ogundokun, 2015). He is theintermediary between the world of humans and the supreme creator, according to some accounts.Animal tricksters are typically tiny, helpless creatures that outsmart larger, more powerfulanimals. Anansi, the Ashanti people’s spider trickster, is well-known in West and Central Africa.They are also appearing as tricksters are tortoises, and hares. A hippopotamus and an elephantare tricked into clearing a field for the hare in one of these myths.

They are also appearing as tricksters are tortoises, and hares. A hippopotamus and an elephantare tricked into clearing a field for the hare in one of these myths.

Reference

Harris, J. C. (2020). Nights with Uncle Remus: Myths and Legends of the Old Plantation (Vol.1). Library of Alexandria.

Mouton, J. (2017). Post-graduate studies in South Africa: Myths, misconceptions andchallenges. South African Journal of Higher Education, 21(1), 1078-1090.

Ogundokun, S. A. (2015). The role of orature in African socio-cultural space. InternationalJournal of English and literature, 6(10), 179-185.