Supernatural in African Mythology

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the supernatural in African mythology. One of the most essential features of mythological consciousness and knowledge is the dual perception of the world: in the form of a concrete sensible perceived subject and its supersensible image. The main elements of the supernatural are: gods, spirits, totem, magic, witchcraft, etc. They have a different ontological and epistemological status and perform different functions. The article describes the symbolic character of African mythology and analyzes the structure of the symbol. It is shown that myths are “Philosophemes”, in which through a symbolic form the understanding of the nature of reality is given. The supernatural in African mythology relates to the time, which ontological foundation is the life span of the individual.