Le dieu suprême et créateur des Bura et des Pabir du nord est du Nigeria, parfois associé à la lune.

Comment les Bura honorent-ils Hyel ?

Non pas directement, mais par des divinités personnelles appelées Haptu, qui disposent de sanctuaires, de représentations matérielles et de prêtres.

Quel rôle Hyel joue-t-il dans l'origine de la mort ?

Un mythe raconte qu'il voulut rendre les humains capables de revenir à la vie, mais qu'un lézard trompeur détourna son message, imposant la mort définitive.

Back to the Codex

HYEL

ally

God

☥ SpiritNigeria →Nigeria — NigeriaElder

Gender: MasculineSign: suprême

Hyel is the supreme god of the Bura and Pabir peoples, also called Babur, of north-eastern Nigeria, in the region of the Biu plateau and its surroundings. Creator and progenitor, he is associated with the moon in certain versions, in which he appears as a lunar as much as a celestial deity. Although he is held to be the source of all things, the Bura do not address him directly: they pass through the Haptu, personal and tutelary deities endowed with sanctuaries, represented by water, stones, mountains or woods, and served by priests who convey the requests. A myth explains through him the origin of death: Hyel is said to have ordered that a corpse be hung in a tree and porridge thrown at it to bring it back to life, but a cunning lizard, having overheard the message, cried out to the humans to bury the body instead, making death final. Among the Bura, the chief belongs to the order of divine kings: it is said that God has fallen when he dies, so closely is his person bound to the prosperity of the people and the harvests.

Powers & Attributes

supreme

Role in the ROHO universe

Founding presence. HYEL stands at the root of the world and sustains the weave since before the beginning. Bound to the Nigeria pantheon.

Sacred Mask

An ancient ritual mask of sacred wood, old metal and black stone, engraved with symbols of supremacy, embodiment of the power of Hyel

Era

Ancient cycle

Frequently asked questions

Who is Hyel?

The supreme and creator god of the Bura and the Pabir of north-eastern Nigeria, sometimes associated with the moon.

How do the Bura honour Hyel?

Not directly, but through personal deities called Haptu, which have sanctuaries, material representations and priests.

What role does Hyel play in the origin of death?

A myth tells that he wanted to make humans able to return to life, but that a deceitful lizard twisted his message, imposing final death.

Related spirits

HINEGBA ABIKU INLE ONIONKUPÓN

Sources and references

C. K. Meek, Tribal Studies in Northern Nigeria, vol. I (chapitres sur les Bura et Pabir) (1931)
James H. Vaughan, The Religion and World View of the Marghi, Ethnology, vol. 3, n° 4, p. 389-397 (1964)