Qui est Wele chez les Luhya?

Wele, aussi appelé Were, est le dieu suprême et créateur des Abaluyia du Kenya occidental. Divinité du ciel, il est lié à la pluie, à la fertilité et à l'ordre moral, et porte aussi les noms de Khakaba et Isaywa.

Que raconte le mythe de création luhya?

Selon la tradition bukusu, Wele Khakaba crée le premier homme, Mwambu, à partir de la boue, au lieu-dit Mumbo, puis lui donne une épouse nommée Sela. D'autres versions disent qu'il crée d'abord le ciel, puis la terre.

Wele et Were sont-ils le même dieu?

Oui, ce sont deux formes du même nom pour le dieu suprême luhya. Selon les sous-groupes et les sources, on rencontre les formes Wele, Were, Khakaba ou Isaywa.

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WELE

ally

God

☥ SpiritAbaluyia →Abaluyia — AbaluyiaElder

Gender: MasculineSign: suprême

Wele, also called Were, is the supreme, creator god of the Abaluyia (Luhya) of western Kenya. A celestial deity, he is associated with the sky, rain, fertility and the moral order. According to the origin myths of the Bukusu, a Luhya subgroup, Wele Khakaba, understand God the creator, shapes the first man, Mwambu, from mud in a place named Mumbo, then gives him a wife, Sela. Other narratives tell that he creates first the sky then the earth. Wele is masculine in the Luhya tradition, while other spirits can be of both genders. He is also known under the names of Khakaba and Isaywa, and is sometimes likened to the god of Mount Elgon. The name Were reappears in religious movements such as the Dini ya Msambwa. This entity is well attested in the ethnographic literature on the Luhya, even if it has no dedicated encyclopaedic page.

Powers & Attributes

supreme

Role in the ROHO universe

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

Sacred Mask

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

Era

Ancient cycle

Frequently asked questions

Who is Wele among the Luhya?

Wele, also called Were, is the supreme, creator god of the Abaluyia of western Kenya. A sky deity, he is bound to rain, fertility and the moral order, and also bears the names of Khakaba and Isaywa.

What does the Luhya creation myth tell?

According to the Bukusu tradition, Wele Khakaba creates the first man, Mwambu, from mud, at the place called Mumbo, then gives him a wife named Sela. Other versions say he creates first the sky, then the earth.

Are Wele and Were the same god?

Yes, they are two forms of the same name for the Luhya supreme god. According to the subgroups and the sources, one meets the forms Wele, Were, Khakaba or Isaywa.

Related spirits

EDEKE HIRA IMANA INTARE

Sources and references

Wikipedia: Luhya people (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luhya_people)
Wikipedia: Nyasaye (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyasaye)