D&D General African D&D

[Tonguez]

I once did an Africa fantasy campaign setting inspired on the Epic of Sundiata Keita (first King of the Mali Empire) and also legends of Ryangombe (Rwanda). But Im not African, its in a folder in a box somewhere…

 

[Zardnaar]

I once did an Africa fantasy campaign setting inspired on the Epic of Sundiata Keita (first King of the Mali Empire) and also legends of Ryangombe (Rwanda). But Im not African, its in a folder in a box somewhere…

Melissa a big obvious inspiration. Pretty much writes itself.

 

[Aldarc]

Interesting concepts. I like it. Africa is rich with culture, history and traditions, although, Northern Africa and Sub Saharan Africa are very different, primarily because of Ottoman influence in the north and spread of Islam. But Sub Saharan part, now that's, imho, more interesting.

Subsaharan Africa also has a lot of Arabic influences, particularly East Africa which was part of the Indian Ocean Trade network. This is why the Swahili language has a strong influence in its vocabulary from (Omani) Arabic, and Islam is prevalent along the eastern coast.

But yeah, I would be hesistant to hear "African mythology." My first question would be "which one?" because of how many cultures there are in Africa.

 

[GrimCo]

Subsaharan Africa also has a lot of Arabic influences, particularly East Africa which was part of the Indian Ocean Trade network. This is why the Swahili language has a strong influence in its vocabulary from (Omani) Arabic, and Islam is prevalent along the eastern coast.

Yes, seen it Somalia and Djibouti which are majority Muslim countries (after all, Ottomans were in Somalia). I've seen far less influence in Zimbabwe and Kenya. But more broadly, Northern Africa is distinctly Arabic ( although, Somalia and Djibouti are part of Arabic league) and more homogeneous in culture, while Sub Saharan part is more culturally diverse.

But yeah, I would be hesistant to hear "African mythology." My first question would be "which one?" because of how many cultures there are in Africa.

Totally agree. People forget how many different nations ( i can't find better english word) live in Africa and they all have their own cultural heritage, language , folklore beliefs and traditions.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yes, seen it Somalia and Djibouti which are majority Muslim countries (after all, Ottomans were in Somalia). I've seen far less influence in Zimbabwe and Kenya. But more broadly, Northern Africa is distinctly Arabic ( although, Somalia and Djibouti are part of Arabic league) and more homogeneous in culture, while Sub Saharan part is more culturally diverse.

Totally agree. People forget how many different nations ( i can't find better english word) live in Africa and they all have their own cultural heritage, language , folklore beliefs and traditions.

Arabic traders got down to Zanzibar. Chinese porcelain turned up in Great Zimbabwe iirc.

Mansa Muta from Mali went to Mecca on pilgrimage.

But zafricas a lot more diverse than what people realize. 4 major language groups iirc (Europe has 3), most genetic diversity, more sub groups and cultures.

So what one?

It's also a lot bigger than Mercador Map indicates.

 

[Bluenose]

Yes, Africa had contact across the Indian Ocean for a very long time (notably, part of the population of Madagascar is clearly from Malaya/Indonesia by genetics). nd even if you don't believe the tale of Hanno the Navigator circumnavigating Africa, it's close to certain that the Romans traded with the Zanzibar region.

 

[MGibster]

But yeah, I would be hesistant to hear "African mythology." My first question would be "which one?" because of how many cultures there are in Africa.

But Africa is just one country. How many mythologies could they have? (I kid. I kid.)

 

[Baron Opal II]

I'd buy it.

 

[Tonguez]

Yes, Africa had contact across the Indian Ocean for a very long time (notably, part of the population of Madagascar is clearly from Malaya/Indonesia by genetics). nd even if you don't believe the tale of Hanno the Navigator circumnavigating Africa, it's close to certain that the Romans traded with the Zanzibar region.

People also tend to forget that the Land of Punt (Eritrea-Djibouti-Eritrea region) was a major civilization in the ancient world that traded with the Greeks, Egyptians and Mesopotamia (probably via Egypt)

 

[Yaarel]

In contexts, the term "Arabic" means the language, Arabic-speakers, Arabophones. Many distinctive ethnicities speak Arabic today.

Meanwhile, "Arabian" or "Arab" is someone from the Arabian Peninsula.

Egyptian, Nubian, and so on are distinctive ethnicities. Sudan includes ethnic Arabs, who claim descent from ancestral Arabian immigrants. The ancestors intermarried various indigenous of the Sudan area, but the ethnicity self-identifies having Arabian ancestry as an ethnic marker.