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Buluku is the progenitor of the Vodū, an extra-dimensional race worshiped as gods by the tribes of Africa.

History

Origins[]

Buluku is the supreme All-Father of the Vodū. Eons ago, he merged with the primordial Earth Mother Gaea (later known among the Vodū alternatively as "Nana," "Ale," and "Asase Ya"), and sired twin offspring: the sun god Lusa and the moon goddess Mahu. As a result of this merging, the "supreme creator" was sometimes worshipped by mortals as the androgynous "Nana Buluku." Lusa and Mahu joined forces to create the mortal world, mortal life, and mortal technology in four days' time. Buluku remained in Orun, content to leave this newborn mortal world's care to his children. Lusa and Mahu, in turn, sired several divine pairs of twins, including Avlekete and Ezili, Ogun and Shango, Dam-Ayido Wede and Sagbata, and Eschu and Legba.[1]


He participated in the Council of Godheads as Buluku, and as Ndriananahary[12][8] (his name by the Malagasy-speaking people of Madagascar),[1] of the Razanes.[13] As Ndriananahary, he was also lord of the underworld Iku.[8]

Buluku is also the arbitrator between the Orishas (gods of sky and heaven) and the Loa (gods of earth and the underworld).[8]

For the Baganda people of the African Great Lakes region, Buluku, as Mukasa, sired their War god Kibuka.[1]

For the Baoulé of West Africa, he was Alouroua and fathered Ghekre, the Gorilla God of Wakanda's Jabari tribe.[1]

Possible appearances in Mbangawi[]

The Maasai sky god Engai, occasionally manifesting in Mbangawi, may be another name for the creator god Mulungu, one of the alias of Buluku.[4]

16th century[]

In the 16th century, Dam-Ayido Wede benefited of the Atlantic slave trade usurping his grandfather's role as the Sky Father and creator of the world, as Damballah.[14] Buluku himself became known as Olōdūmarē[6] or Olodumare to the practitioners of Cuban Santeria.[1]

Orun from Thor Vol 1 301 0001

Buluku on his throne in Orun, the Great Beyond

After the Asgardians were slain in a battle against the Celestials, the thunder god Thor traveled to Orun to request a portion of Buluku;s life force in order to revive his slain brethren.[15]

Attributes

Powers

Buluku possesses greater powers than any of the other African gods, his omnipotence being represented in unique aspect in each of the Vodū twins.[1] The use of his powers have yet to be revealed.

Notes

  • This deity possibly exist as separate entities for his different names and/or aspects.
    • For example it is known that Buluku and Ndriananahary are the same entity,[1] but Buluku and Ndriananahary are listed as separate members of the Council of Godheads.[12][8]
    • Despite Buluku is known to be the grandfather to Damballah and Sagbata, respectively god of the dead and god of death, their relation to Ndriananahary, lord of the underworld, is "undefined".[10]
  • Some gods could be in fact just alternate spellings of his name, like Nyame could also be:
    • Nyambe, the Orisha Great Spirit.[8]
    • Nyami of the Orishas of Wakanda.[7]
    • "Nzambi", the Kikongo word[16] for a creator deity.[17]
    • In our reality, Ngi is the son of the supreme creator god Zamba, Ngi and his brothers N'Kokon (mantis) the wise, Otukut (lizard) the fool, and Wo (chimpanzee) the curious,[18] it is not clear whether or not Zamba may be another name for Buluku on Earth-616, where Ngi is one of the gorilla deities worshiped by the Jabari tribe.[19]

Trivia

There isn't a Buluku in African mythology, but there is a Nana Buluku (female) who is the Supreme Being in the West African traditional religion of the Fon people and the Ewe people. Nana Buluku is is equivalent to Gaea. Nana Buluku is equivalent to Gaea, on Earth-616, Gaea (as Nana) and Buluku are the parents of the orishas and loa.

See Also

Links and References

References

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