Mawu is the Fon Goddess of the moon. She is the daughter of Nana Buluku and twin sister and wife of Lisa, the God of the sun. Mawu and Lisa are inseparable, a single body with two faces. Mawu is the female face and she rules the night. Lisa is the male face and he rules the day. Mawu and Lisa had fourteen children, seven sons and seven daughters, and they divided the responsibilities of the world among them. Mawu is also the Goddess of motherhood, since it was she that created the first humans out of clay, and she gives humans their souls.

Nana Buluku is the Fon Goddess of creation, grandmother to all the Gods. She is the mother of Mawu and Lisa, the twins who created the human race. Nana Buluku is represented as being both female and male, Goddess and God in one body. When she first created the earth, she also created Aido Hwedo, the rainbow serpent, as her companion. Aido Hwedo carried Nana Buluku in his mouth as she worked to shape the earth, and his movements created valleys and rivers. When the earth was finished, Nana Buluku asked Aido Hwedo to hold it up, and he settled into the oceans with his tail in his mouth to support it.

Nana Buluku is known by different names to the various West African tribes. She is Nana Bouclou to the Dahomey of Benin, Nana Buruku to the Yorubas, and is also known as Nana and Nanan.

Maman Brigitte is the Vodoun Goddess of death. She is the one of the Ghede loas, the deities associated with death and fertility. Her husband is Baron Samedi, the leader of the Ghede. Maman Brigitte protects cemeteries, especially graves that are marked with a cross. Since Vodou combines elements of Christianity with native African beliefs, the cross symbolizes both the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the crossroads, where the human world intersects with the divine. Maman Brigitte is usually depicted as white-skinned with red hair, and it is said that she is a form of the Celtic Goddess Brighid. Her name is also seen as Grann Brigitte and Maman Brijit.

Ravola is the Malagasy Goddess of domesticated animals. She is one of the Vazimba, who are considered the original inhabitants of Madagascar and the ancestors of the Malagasy. The Vazimba were deified by the Malagasy, and are invoked in many situations. Ravola’s sister, Rasoalao, also figures in Malagasy myth with her husband Rapeto.

Ngame is the Akan Goddess of the moon. She is a mother Goddess, who created all things. She is the mother of the sun, and gives birth to each it day so that it may light the sky. She gives life to humans and animals by shooting them with arrows from her moon-shaped bow.

Oshun is the Yoruban Goddess of love, beauty, marriage, and rivers. Where Yemaya rules over the ocean waters, Oshun has dominion over the sweet inland waters. She is the wife of Shango, the storm God. Oshun is depicted as tall and beautiful, and she wears a mirror at her belt so that she can look at her own beauty. Her name is also seen as Osun, Ochun, Oschun, or Oxum, and she has been syncretized with Our Lady of Charity (La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre). She also is known as Oshun Ana (Goddess of Luxury and Love), Oshun Telargo (the modest one), Oshun Yeye Moro (the coquette), and Oshun Yeye Kari (Mother of Sweetness).

Yemaya is the Yoruban Goddess of the ocean and motherhood. She is one of the Mami Wata, water spirits known throughout western and central Africa. Worshipped primarily by women, she protects women in childbirth and is called upon to grant fertility. She is the mother of the sun and the moon, two rivers, and eleven other Gods. As Goddess of the ocean, she is also the mother of fish and is sometimes portrayed as a mermaid. When depicted as a woman, she is dressed in skirts of blue and white, symbolizing the ocean. She is a loving mother to her worshippers, but can by turns be as violent and uncontrollable as the sea.

Yemaya’s name is a shortened version of Yey Omo Eja, which means “mother whose children are the fish.” She is known by many names, having been brought from Africa to Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti. Depending on location, she is called Iamanja, Iamanje, Iemanya, Imanje, Yemaja, Yemalla, Yemana, Yemanja, Yemayah, Yamoja, Yamoya, Yemoja, or Ymoja. She has also been identified with the Christian saint Our Lady of Regla in syncretized religions such as Santeria. Epithets for her include:
Yemaya Ataramagwa (the wealthy queen of the sea)
Yemaya Achabba (stern)
Yemaya Oqqutte (violent)
Yemaya Olokun (overpowering)
Star of the Sea
Ocean Goddess of the Crescent Moon

Qandisa is the Moroccan Goddess of lust. She lives in springs and rivers, and is fond of young men. She first seduces them and then drives them insane. She was later downgraded to a demon, and is still used in folk tales.

Inkosazana is the Zulu Goddess of agriculture. She can manifest as a rainbow, a snake, a mermaid, a beautiful white woman, or as the rain. She is called upon in the spring to bring fertility to the land, and also by virgins to help them find a suitable husband. Inkosazana is also called Queen of the Heavens, Princess of the Heavens, and Inkosazana-y-Zulu.

Well, it’s finally happened. I couldn’t find a picture of today’s Goddess. I’ll be filling in a generic one as soon as I figure it out.

Abuk is the Dinka Goddess of water and gardens. Abuk and her husband Garang were the first people in the mythology of the Dinka people of Sudan. The Creator allowed them to each plant one seed of grain each day, and this was enough to satisfy their needs. One day, however, Abuk grew greedy, and while she was planting more grain, she accidentally struck the Creator on the toe. He was so angry with her that he withdrew from the earth. Since that time, Abuk has had responsibility for all growing things and the water they need.