Dear Friends,
August ended already! It is oddly comforting that despite the upheaval of the last year and a half, the spiral of time moves on, and each new day brings its own measure of bliss or anguish.
I think often about the passage of time. Specifically, I think about how it affects people at the individual or collective level, shaping personalities and cultures. Every time I read a book, academic paper or other material about African peoples or cultures, I am struck by how time has changed perceptions and practices. What was once set in stone, now flows like water. Worldviews which were once all encompassing now sit at the fringes. What might have been taboo is now normal and what was normal is now taboo. And time moves inexorably on, promising, if nothing else, change.
Image Credit: RemixYourStyle on Etsy
The effect of changing times on individuals and communities was heavy on my mind this past month mainly because of the topic of Mythological Africans Deep Dives Episode 3. Time has done interesting things to the status of women on the African continent, promoting in some cases and demoting in others. What, thankfully, has not changed is the resolve of African women to thrive and build communities which safeguard their interests. In this sense, what has been will always be. Each era will have their Mammy Yokos and Rebecca Lolosolis.
What will time hold for us here at Mythological Africans? Ça reste à voir! What you can look forward to is the best of African Art (also check out the #ArtistsOfAfrica tag), informative threads, blog posts, Deep Dive Episodes (Symbolism of Stars next!), thoughtful conversations, and more!
I am also very excited about the Anansi Archive Project which launched last month. Anansi Archive is a searchable database of pictures, art, illustrations and other depictions of creatures, notable figures and scenes from the mythology and folklore of the African continent and the Black Diaspora. Anansi Archive is also a community of artists, illustrators, photographers, models, and other creatives who draw inspiration from African and Black Diasporic oral traditions and culture. The project is still in its early stages but stay tuned for more!
As always thank you for your support <3
Helen