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The Hero with an African Face: Mythic Wisdom of Traditional Africa
In this remarkable book, Clyde Ford restores to us the lost treasure of African mythology, bringing to life the ancient tales and showing why they matter so much to us today.African myths convey the perennial wisdom of the creation of the world, the hero's journey, our relationship with nature, death, and resurrection. From the Ashanti comes the moving account of the grief-stricken Kwasi Benefo's journey to the underworld to seek his beloved wives. From Uganda we learn of the legendary Kintu, who won the love of a goddess and created a nation from a handful of isolated clans. The Congo's epic hero Mwindo is the sacred warrior who shows us the path each person must travel to discover his true destiny.. These and other important African myths show us the history of African Americans in a new light--as a hero's journey, a courageous passage to a hard-won victory. The Hero with an African Face enriches us all by restoring this vital tradition to the world.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1999
13 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Clyde W. Ford
20 books31 followersClyde W. Ford is a software engineer, a chiropractor, and a psychotherapist. He’s also the award-winning author of twelve works of fiction and non-fiction, whose most recent book, THINK BLACK: A Memoir will be published in September 2019 by Amistad/HarperCollins.
Clyde W. Ford earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Mathematics from Wesleyan University in 1971, then worked as a systems engineer for IBM. In 1977, he returned to school, enrolling at Western States University in Portland, Oregon, where he completed his Doctorate in Chiropractic. Later, he undertook post-doctoral training in psychotherapy at the Synthesis Education Foundation of Massachusetts, under the direction of Steven Schatz, and the Psychosynthesis Institute of New York. Ford was in private practice as a chiropractor and psychotherapist, first in Richmond, Virginia, and later in Bellingham, Washington.
At sixteen, Ford traveled to West Africa in the wake of Martin Luther King’s assassination, attempting to come to terms with the tragedy. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported, “The young man traveled alone that summer to the Elmina slave portal, on the continent’s west coast, and heard voices in a mystical experience that permanently marked him.” Looking back on the event more than 20 years later, Ford told the Plain Dealer, “The meaning of my own life is based in the meaning of those who have gone before. The ancestors are there, still informing, still influencing us.”
BODY-MIND HEALING
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Clyde wrote about body-mind healing; in the mid-1990s he concentrated on the healing of racial wounds; and in 2000, he wrote about mythology, and how myths could heal psychic wounds. Besides exploring healing issues in books and on the lecture circuit, he has conducted seminars and written numerous articles for Massage Magazine, Massage Therapy Journal, and Chiropractic Economics. In 1991 East West Magazine recognized Ford’s work in somatic therapy as one of the 20 trends reshaping society. Linda Elliot and Mark Mayell in East West Magazine described Ford as “an ‘engineer’ who’s building a bridge across the chasm that separates practitioners who focus only on body structures and those who concentrate specifically on the psyche.” From 1992 to 1996 Ford regularly taught somatic psychology at the Institut fur Angewandte Kinesiologie in Freiburg, Germany.
In 1989 Ford wrote his first book, Where Healing Waters Meet, about his many years of experience working with the healing of emotional wounds through touch and movement therapy, rather than talk therapy. That was followed in 1993 by Compassionate Touch, a book which amplified these themes and documented Ford’s work with adult survivors of sexual abuse, mainly women.
RACIAL HEALING
The riots and racial divisiveness in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict in 1992 left Ford feeling frustrated. After speaking to a number of friends who shared his frustration, he decided to write a book about social justice and racial healing. “When we’re dealing with an issue like racism,” Ford told Karen Abbott in the Rocky Mountain News, “So many people feel it’s a daunting issue and that they can’t do anything. A certain paralysis sets in. But anybody and everybody can make a difference.” While Ford remained optimistic, he also admitted that the roots of racial discord run deep. “It’s really not just African American’s place to deal with that,” he told Linda Richards in January Magazine. “We have in our history our own reckoning with that process. But the entire society needs to reckon with that.”
In 1994 Ford completed We Can All Get Along: 50 Steps You Can Take to Help End Racism. “Racism is a social issue,” Ford told Cynthia M. Hodnett in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “It is important to look beneath the surface to find out what the issues are that need to be addressed.” Ford realized that many people were
Clyde W. Ford earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Mathematics from Wesleyan University in 1971, then worked as a systems engineer for IBM. In 1977, he returned to school, enrolling at Western States University in Portland, Oregon, where he completed his Doctorate in Chiropractic. Later, he undertook post-doctoral training in psychotherapy at the Synthesis Education Foundation of Massachusetts, under the direction of Steven Schatz, and the Psychosynthesis Institute of New York. Ford was in private practice as a chiropractor and psychotherapist, first in Richmond, Virginia, and later in Bellingham, Washington.
At sixteen, Ford traveled to West Africa in the wake of Martin Luther King’s assassination, attempting to come to terms with the tragedy. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported, “The young man traveled alone that summer to the Elmina slave portal, on the continent’s west coast, and heard voices in a mystical experience that permanently marked him.” Looking back on the event more than 20 years later, Ford told the Plain Dealer, “The meaning of my own life is based in the meaning of those who have gone before. The ancestors are there, still informing, still influencing us.”
BODY-MIND HEALING
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Clyde wrote about body-mind healing; in the mid-1990s he concentrated on the healing of racial wounds; and in 2000, he wrote about mythology, and how myths could heal psychic wounds. Besides exploring healing issues in books and on the lecture circuit, he has conducted seminars and written numerous articles for Massage Magazine, Massage Therapy Journal, and Chiropractic Economics. In 1991 East West Magazine recognized Ford’s work in somatic therapy as one of the 20 trends reshaping society. Linda Elliot and Mark Mayell in East West Magazine described Ford as “an ‘engineer’ who’s building a bridge across the chasm that separates practitioners who focus only on body structures and those who concentrate specifically on the psyche.” From 1992 to 1996 Ford regularly taught somatic psychology at the Institut fur Angewandte Kinesiologie in Freiburg, Germany.
In 1989 Ford wrote his first book, Where Healing Waters Meet, about his many years of experience working with the healing of emotional wounds through touch and movement therapy, rather than talk therapy. That was followed in 1993 by Compassionate Touch, a book which amplified these themes and documented Ford’s work with adult survivors of sexual abuse, mainly women.
RACIAL HEALING
The riots and racial divisiveness in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict in 1992 left Ford feeling frustrated. After speaking to a number of friends who shared his frustration, he decided to write a book about social justice and racial healing. “When we’re dealing with an issue like racism,” Ford told Karen Abbott in the Rocky Mountain News, “So many people feel it’s a daunting issue and that they can’t do anything. A certain paralysis sets in. But anybody and everybody can make a difference.” While Ford remained optimistic, he also admitted that the roots of racial discord run deep. “It’s really not just African American’s place to deal with that,” he told Linda Richards in January Magazine. “We have in our history our own reckoning with that process. But the entire society needs to reckon with that.”
In 1994 Ford completed We Can All Get Along: 50 Steps You Can Take to Help End Racism. “Racism is a social issue,” Ford told Cynthia M. Hodnett in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “It is important to look beneath the surface to find out what the issues are that need to be addressed.” Ford realized that many people were
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 22, 2022
This is an amazing book, awakening my interest in spirituality and how important beliefs are for the future of humanity, but also for everyday life. Ford does not only bring together beautiful myths from around the continent, he also puts together a thought-provoking analysis of the implications of African world views, often similar to Indian-Asian views and very much different from the three religions of the book, even though there are surprising similarities.
I learned that virgin births and resurrections are actually spiritual awakenings and that positive and negative power (Satan and God) are not separated or dual in African thought.
Ford also highlights that in the West we regard deities as facts of life from which attributes proceed, whereas in Africa they are the personifications of attributes found in nature and within ourselves:
There is much more of this in the book. So inspiring!
I learned that virgin births and resurrections are actually spiritual awakenings and that positive and negative power (Satan and God) are not separated or dual in African thought.
Ford also highlights that in the West we regard deities as facts of life from which attributes proceed, whereas in Africa they are the personifications of attributes found in nature and within ourselves:
These two different ways of regarding divinity give rise to two different ways of interpreting mythology, for where deities are considered to be facts, tales of those deities are understood historically, and where deities are viewed as personifications of source energies in nature and within ourselves, tales of those deities are understood symbolically. As facts, deities are worshiped and believed in primarily as entities outside one's self - "up there" or "down here," in a heaven or hell beyond human existence. But as symbols representing source energies of life, deities are experienced as part of one's self: from birth to death, from hunger to anger, from love to pain, the forces that motivate us are themselves the gods and goddesses within us.
There is much more of this in the book. So inspiring!
March 5, 2022
A corrective to white supremacy in the study of mythology, written from a welcoming and curious perspective. Didn't pull me in, but I didn't bring the same curiosity to the subject matter so I'll blame this one on the reader not the writer.
November 26, 2017
One of two books recommended by a Geek Girl Con mythology panel. Does a nice job of presenting myths about transformation and reconciliation I had not heard before. Its gender essentialism made it a slog. (Example from page 60: "Mythology allots different roles to the sexes. Simply stated, the mythological assignment of the female is to surrender to the energies of nature that inform all life and that she herself manifests through her body and being, best exemplified in the form of her monthly menses. The mythological problem of the male, however, is to acquire knowledge and experience of those source energies of life, which he does not naturally command through his body. So, when confronted with a sacred union in mythology, heroines are found struggling with the gods they acquire (surrender) while heroes are found struggling with the goddesses they desire (acquisition).") I like me a hieros gamos as much as the next person who used to throw tarot in bars, but come on. Sometimes you stand in for fundamental life forces. Sometimes you're Buffy. It's all a rich tapestry.
February 19, 2014
This book is very interesting and thoughtfully written. I am honored to have this hard cover book copy in my library. Dr. Ford signed my copy at the special book reading lunch reception at the Whatcom Museum.
April 1, 2016
This is a powerful book that shows how the Hero's Journey shows up on The Continent. It helped me get beyond the Anansi type stories (which are fun) to a greater appreciation for and understanding of the story elements that show up frequently in African mythology.
December 14, 2015
Excellent read. Inspiring and enriching. Very recommended
December 4, 2023
Author and historian Clyde W. Ford wrote this moving book in order to situate the African American experience in “mythological terms.” In order to do so, he first had to foreground the traditional African myths upon which African American heroism might be founded. The purpose of this endeavor is to provide an empowering narrative of Black heroism in the face of unimaginable tragedy and trauma, all while deliberately shining a light on an intentionally obscured African tradition.
This book is nothing short of profound in the way it captures the utility and connections drawn by African myth-making to everyday life. Ford compares African mythology to similar fables from cultures around the world (including the Judeo-Christian tradition), revealing notable similarities of independent invention, as well as important differences that reveal differing worldviews.
I loved how Ford began the book with a reorientation of the color “Black” away from its negative Eurasian mythology, toward its empowering African (including Egyptian) mythology. This reorientation set the stage for the rest of the book, which weaved together various “mythological truths” as a means to explain and depict African life and experience. To Ford, myths aren’t made up stories that lack factual precision, they are tales and fables rooted in the human experience that express objective truths. Thus, in highlighting African myths that depict heroism and triumph, Ford uproots notions of Black victimhood, oppression, and inferiority with story.
Ford brilliantly and movingly retells myths and stories from all over the continent of Africa (mostly focusing on West-Central and Southern Africa), weaving in important contextual analysis in order to fully highlight the power of African mythology. Ford highlights creation myths of the Bambara in Mali that astonishingly resemble the consensus that modern astrophysicists hold. He also discusses in detail the great Yoruba pantheon of the Orishas, comparing and contrasting them to western traditions and explaining how they came to symbolize the every day lives of Yoruba people.
Ultimately, this book does a great job using African mythology to tie together African history, spirituality, and worldview. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a comparative understanding of African belief systems untainted by foreign incursions.
This book is nothing short of profound in the way it captures the utility and connections drawn by African myth-making to everyday life. Ford compares African mythology to similar fables from cultures around the world (including the Judeo-Christian tradition), revealing notable similarities of independent invention, as well as important differences that reveal differing worldviews.
I loved how Ford began the book with a reorientation of the color “Black” away from its negative Eurasian mythology, toward its empowering African (including Egyptian) mythology. This reorientation set the stage for the rest of the book, which weaved together various “mythological truths” as a means to explain and depict African life and experience. To Ford, myths aren’t made up stories that lack factual precision, they are tales and fables rooted in the human experience that express objective truths. Thus, in highlighting African myths that depict heroism and triumph, Ford uproots notions of Black victimhood, oppression, and inferiority with story.
Ford brilliantly and movingly retells myths and stories from all over the continent of Africa (mostly focusing on West-Central and Southern Africa), weaving in important contextual analysis in order to fully highlight the power of African mythology. Ford highlights creation myths of the Bambara in Mali that astonishingly resemble the consensus that modern astrophysicists hold. He also discusses in detail the great Yoruba pantheon of the Orishas, comparing and contrasting them to western traditions and explaining how they came to symbolize the every day lives of Yoruba people.
Ultimately, this book does a great job using African mythology to tie together African history, spirituality, and worldview. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a comparative understanding of African belief systems untainted by foreign incursions.
April 23, 2021
If you love analysis of stories and myths, this book is for you. Clyde W. Ford explores hero stories of sub-saharan Africa, grouping them by theme and connecting them to the cultures from which they arose as well as to his own experience as an African American man. I learned that there are myths that survived the Atlantic slave crossing to influence African cultures in the Americas.
A student of Joseph Campbell, Ford expands on Campbell's work in an area of the world he clearly ignored. A chiropractor and psychotherapist by training, Ford, also explores the way in which the myths, when viewed metaphorically rather than literally, promote mental and emotional understanding at various stages of life.
The book also explores similarities and differences to hero stories in Asian and European cultures. While it is a scholarly work, this is not a deep dive, but simply an overview of all there is to explore. I am not African American, but all humanity came from Africa. This quick read whet my appetite to learn more about what the many cultures of this continent can teach us about ourselves.
A student of Joseph Campbell, Ford expands on Campbell's work in an area of the world he clearly ignored. A chiropractor and psychotherapist by training, Ford, also explores the way in which the myths, when viewed metaphorically rather than literally, promote mental and emotional understanding at various stages of life.
The book also explores similarities and differences to hero stories in Asian and European cultures. While it is a scholarly work, this is not a deep dive, but simply an overview of all there is to explore. I am not African American, but all humanity came from Africa. This quick read whet my appetite to learn more about what the many cultures of this continent can teach us about ourselves.
January 13, 2022
Very interesting look at how very early African myths found their way into the stories of people all over the world. Skimmed the last half though, because—oddly enough—there was so much detail I couldn’t take it in thoroughly. The information was both too much AND too little. Too much because after all Africa is a big place with many, many stories but too little because they all seemed alike after a while, with not enough context to differentiate. A wonderful book for the right scholar, though. Also props to the writer! Looking at the rest of his books and his life, he seems like quite the renaissance man, whose work is an inspiration to new generations.
July 13, 2023
Superb! Research, writing, interpretation all equally brilliant. Thought-provoking, original, and deeply felt. Even the book design is creative and meaningful. You may not agree with the Freudian influence on the interpretation, but you cannot fault the presentation.
August 5, 2020
This had me questioning how to change and grow. As well as challenging myself. A challenge can be seen as an opportunity.
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October 18, 2021Beautiful African traditional stories from many African countries.
I love learning about mythics.
I love learning about mythics.
December 20, 2021
An excellent read, especially if you like African mythology. This book is well researched and insightful.
February 14, 2022
I'd read a lot of Campbell's books on mythology. This was a deeper dive into African folk stories and mythology. Very enjoyable read.
December 13, 2020
I hopefully will do a more in depth review later. A summary would be this book introduces African mythology for those unfamiliar with it and which was often overlooked as primitive by various Western writers into current Western analysis and exploration of myth and the depth of human understanding that can be uncovered there in.
February 2, 2014
Turns out I'm more anti-Jungian than I thought: I found I liked learning about the different mythologies but was annoyed by the need to fit them into "universal" categories ("this was clearly an example of the hero descending into the underworld to receive knowledge via the sacred World Tree" etc etc). Still, if you are into archetypes, this book is clearly an important corrective. The opening chapter - about the need for myths to help African American healing from historical trauma - was really insightful and moving. Also, the author writes beautifully about his own experiences - I really liked these little interludes whenever they appeared.
I knew I was going to feel resentful about the author's treatment of women when I noticed there was ONE chapter called "The Goddess in Africa." That let the other chapters off the hook so they don't have to spend any time on women. The chapter on the Orishas, for example, gives detailed stories about several male Orishas, but none about female Orishas, and provides a diagram of correspondences where the four cardinal points are represented by four different Orishas - all of whom are male. This seemed bizarrely skewed given that this is one mythology which clearly does include some strong female characters. I have a lot of quarrels with the Goddess chapter as well, but I won't get into it, as these are really disagreements with Jungians and archetypists in general.
I knew I was going to feel resentful about the author's treatment of women when I noticed there was ONE chapter called "The Goddess in Africa." That let the other chapters off the hook so they don't have to spend any time on women. The chapter on the Orishas, for example, gives detailed stories about several male Orishas, but none about female Orishas, and provides a diagram of correspondences where the four cardinal points are represented by four different Orishas - all of whom are male. This seemed bizarrely skewed given that this is one mythology which clearly does include some strong female characters. I have a lot of quarrels with the Goddess chapter as well, but I won't get into it, as these are really disagreements with Jungians and archetypists in general.
Read
April 14, 2012Back when I was a member of Talking Book World (sadly I can't remember when it was...sigh) -- I borrowed this book. I enjoyed listening to the stories quite a lot, and appreciated the side that Africa had heroes too.
July 30, 2008
this is a great antidote to Joseph Campbells myopic cultural scope. (read the into to Power of myth) It's always a blessing to have access to non-western stories that show the universality of myth.
Want to read
January 2, 2009Interested in reading for more understanding of African cultures in Traditional Africa. Jean, Ivorian.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews