WENDE
allySupreme creator
Wende, also rendered Wennam or Naba Zid-Wende, is the supreme god of the Mossi of Burkina Faso. Traditional Moaga religion is organised around three poles: an all-powerful creator, Wende; the spirits of rain and earth who govern fertility and the harvests, such as Tenga; and the ancestors, the Keemse, who weigh on the lives of their descendants. Wende is described as the origin of life and of the cosmos, guarantor of a higher order, but also as a distant deity, little involved in daily life, in the manner of the discreet supreme god frequent in West Africa. It is then the powers of the earth and the ancestors who receive most of the daily rites. The name is found in many personal names and formulas of blessing in the Moore language.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
A fragment of Onionkupón's Breath, bound to one of the five elements of the cosmic balance.
Sacred Mask
A mask carved of ancient energy — a symbol of the cosmic force proper to its pantheon.
Era
3,000–1,000 BCE — Cycle of Elemental Powers
Spiritual Lesson
To understand the nature of one's own balance and the wisdom hidden behind every trial.
Words of the Spirit
“Before the first word, there was already the breath.”
Frequently asked questions
Who is Wende among the Mossi?
He is the supreme god and creator, source of life and of the cosmos. He is often perceived as all-powerful yet distant from human affairs.
Does Wende receive daily rites?
Little, directly. In Moaga practice, the spirits of the earth and the rain, together with the ancestors, the Keemse, occupy most of the daily worship.
Does the name Wende have other forms?
Yes: it is found as Wennam or Naba Zid-Wende, and it appears in many personal names and formulas of blessing in the Moore language.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- https://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Mossi-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html
- https://sk.sagepub.com/ency/edvol/africanreligion/chpt/mossi