| Other Names / Variants: |
Gauna, Gaunab |
GAWAMA: Gawama is one of the few
lords of the underworld recorded in African tales. Most African myths
offer only rest, paradise, or reincarnation as options for the dead, but the
San of South Africa believe in the harsh deity Gawama. He is the
leader of the spirits of the dead, often referred to as the DEVIL.
Gawama collects the souls of the dead and
then uses them to harass the living, who greatly fear these ghosts.
The San try to prevent the GHOULS from returning to earth by placing huge
boulders over their graves. There are also a number of spells and
rituals that can save the living from these menacing phantasms.
Most often, the spirits of the dead appear
in the form of snakes. They can attack both people and crops and are
considered quite cunning and manipulative. Gawama and his armies are
blamed for famine, disease, and death. His ability to haunt and harm
the living makes him an especially terrifying god and his underworld home a
frightening realm of utter agony. (o)
Resource List - all entries are taken verbatim from the
original source:
(o) "The Encyclopedia of Hell."
Miriam Van Scott. St. Martin's Press. ©1998
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