GARAMAS
allyHero
Garamas is, in Greek and Libyan mythology, the eponymous ancestor of the Garamantes, a Berber people who flourished in the oases of the central Sahara, in the present-day Libyan Fezzan, between about 900 before our era and the beginning of the first millennium. The city of Garama took its name from him. The Greek authors make him the son of Apollo and the Cretan princess Acallis, united with the nymph Tritonis and father of heroes such as Nasamon and Caphauros, themselves eponyms of North African peoples. According to certain poetic fragments, Garamas was the first man among the Libyans, sprung from the parched plains to offer sacrifices to Zeus. This figure belongs to a Greek mythic genealogy laid over a very real Saharan people, the Garamantes, known through archaeology for their mastery of fossil water and their desert cities.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Voice of its pantheon. GARAMAS carries the memory of its tradition and weaves a thread into the Mabioni. Bound to the Garamante pantheon.
Sacred Mask
An ancient ritual mask of sacred wood, old metal and black stone, engraved with symbols of first man, embodiment of the power of Garamas
Era
Ancient cycle
Frequently asked questions
Is Garamas a Greek or an African figure?
The two meet. It is a genealogy of Greek mythology, which makes him the son of Apollo, applied to the eponymous ancestor of the Garamantes, a Berber people of the Sahara.
Why is he sometimes called "first man"?
Certain ancient poetic fragments describe him as the first man of the Libyans, sprung from the parched plains to sacrifice to Zeus. It is a literary motif, not a historical datum.
Did the Garamantes really exist?
Yes. Beyond the myth, the Garamantes are a Saharan people attested by archaeology, famed for their cities and their mastery of fossil water in the Libyan Fezzan.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Wikipedia (en), Garamas
- Wikipedia (en), Garamantes