Gods and legends across a continent
Africa is home to hundreds of rich mythologies, and this word search gathers figures from many of them. You'll be finding the famous spider trickster ANANSI, the thunder god SHANGO, the storm goddess OYA, the river goddesses YEMOJA and OSHUN, and the iron god OGUN.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the figures change every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a longer-word challenge once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
Creators, tricksters and spirits
From sky gods to clever tricksters, the words are here. There are the great creators OLORUN, OBATALA, ODUDUWA, NYAME, MAWU, MBOMBO, BUMBA, WELE and NZAMBI, the earth goddess ASASE, and the trickster messengers ESHU and LEGBA. You'll also meet the San creator CAGN, the Khoikhoi hero HEITSI, the god ADROA and the rainbow serpent AIDO — figures honoured by peoples right across the continent.
Not one mythology, but hundreds
Africa is a vast continent of many nations, languages and faiths, so there's no single 'African mythology' — these figures come from dozens of different traditions, some still part of living religions today. The Yoruba people of West Africa, for example, honour powerful spirits called Orishas, including the thunder god SHANGO and the river goddess OSHUN; their beliefs travelled with enslaved Africans across the Atlantic and still shape faiths in the Caribbean and the Americas.
The continent's most famous character is ANANSI the spider, a clever trickster from West African and Caribbean stories who outwits bigger, stronger creatures using his wits — and who, the tales say, is the keeper of all stories. Trickster gods like ANANSI, ESHU and LEGBA show a love of cleverness and storytelling, while creator gods like OLORUN and NYAME explain how the world began. Treated with respect as living and historical traditions, African mythology makes a rich world-cultures topic.
Great for a world-cultures topic
It's a great fit for a mythology or world-cultures lesson — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own list of figures.
Frequently asked questions
What's in the African mythology word search?
Gods and legends from across Africa — the trickster spider Anansi, the thunder god Shango, river goddesses Yemoja and Oshun, the iron god Ogun, creators like Olorun, Obatala and Nyame, and the messenger Eshu. Each puzzle uses a fresh mix.
Which African figures can you find?
The trickster spider ANANSI, the thunder god SHANGO, storm goddess OYA, river goddesses YEMOJA and OSHUN, the iron god OGUN, creators like OLORUN, OBATALA, ODUDUWA and NYAME, and the messengers ESHU and LEGBA.
Is it good for a world-cultures topic?
Great fit for a mythology or world-cultures lesson. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words.