NIAMYE
allyGod
Niamye, more often transcribed Nyamien, is the creator god in the Baule cosmology, an Akan people of Côte d'Ivoire. The ethnographic sources describe him as an intangible and inaccessible supreme being, associated with the sky, who keeps his distance from human affairs. Beneath him, the god of the earth, Asie, governs men and animals, while spirits called amuen act in the world. The Baule universe is articulated between the sky, the domain of Nyamien, the earthly world and the blôlô, the beyond where the souls of the ancestors reside. This name prolongs the great Akan name of the celestial deity, Nyame, of which Nyamien is the Baule form. Outside this frame, the entity remains little documented in the easily accessible encyclopaedic sources.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Founding presence. NIAMYE stands at the root of the world and sustains the weave since before the beginning. Bound to the Côte d'Ivoire pantheon.
Sacred Mask
An ancient ritual mask of sacred wood, old metal and black stone, engraved with symbols of creation, embodiment of the power of Niamye
Era
Ancient cycle
Frequently asked questions
Who is Niamye in the Baule tradition?
He is the creator god and the supreme being, described as intangible and inaccessible, associated with the sky and distant from the daily affairs of men.
What is his place in relation to the other powers?
Beneath him, the earth god Asie governs men and animals, and spirits named amuen intervene in the world, the souls of the ancestors residing in the beyond, the blôlô.
Is the name Niamye linked to other traditions?
Yes, it prolongs the great Akan name of the celestial deity, Nyame, of which it constitutes the Baule form, but the entity remains little documented under this precise spelling.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Baule people, 101 Last Tribes (101lasttribes.com/tribes/baule.html)
- Jean-Pierre Dozon, La cause des prophètes : politique et religion en Afrique contemporaine (1995)