User talk:Africanstudiesdep01

Bovice
Bovice is a now little known mythological African character, who is believed to have originated in west Africa. His legend is believed to have originated in the [| Sahelian kingdoms] sometime between 700AD and 1000AD. Bovice was typically seen as a hero or demigod and was most strongly related with Wrath and Vengeance, but he was also known to be prayed to as a symbol of fertility. Legends were handed down via oral tradition, so written records of Bovice are scarce at best.

Bovice typically appeared in stories at the last moment to deal death or retribution to the protagonists foe, he maintained a timeless quality and would appear among mortals in similar fashion to Norse gods in their mythology. He would usually appear in tandem with lightning and thunder but never with rain. His entrances were told to be dramatic and awe inspiring. He was depicted using many different weapons, but his favorite way to do battle was with his hands and shear force. His dealing with his foes were always brutal and swift, he destroyed with merciless efficiency. As a symbol of fertility he was sometimes summoned by couples that could not conceive. The myths would usually entail a desperate patriarch who wanted a son, or a couple that needed children to help with their farm as they progressed in age. Similarly to his battle stories he would appear in a rain-less storm, typically as the couple was copulating and join in. He would usually depart without uttering a word, but he would often times come to exact a price or introduce himself to the offspring at a later time.

Many of the legends in which he saves the day have a direct correlation to his reappearances. One tale tells of him coming to the aid of a simple farm boy who was the youngest child of seven. The boy was the only son, and was conceived with the aid of Bovice in an act of desperation by his parents. When a band of thieves abducted his sisters and left the young boy he swore revenge for the unforgivable act. on his quest he ventured out with only a knife and a spear with a wooden tip. The boy was out matched from the start and still injured, but he was a son of Bovice and as such imensly strong himself. The boy fought the thieves with tremendous courage but was out matched. when all seem lost lightning struck the ground between the boy and his adversaries, sending them all to the ground. In it's wake stood Bovice his body naked and painted yellow and red. he then proceeded to rend the dozen thieves apart in horrific fashion with his bare hands. After he finished destroying his foes he turned to his son amidst the gore and pointed to a a wound on his chest. The would was in the shape of a perfect crescent. The boy was taken back by the wound because it was a mirror image of a birth mark on his own chest. In a thunderous voice Bovice told the boy he was made for this day. before the boy could speak lightning struck nearby and Bovice disappeared into thin air.

It is hard to decipher how many tales of Bovice are original because so much can be distorted by oral tradition. Most of the stories are fairly similar to the story of the boy and the sister thieves. Bovice has for the most part become a forgotten hero, but there have been contemporary references to him as recent as 2008. His contemporary references are far from the original and have been adapted for a more modern audience and setting. this may seem irreverent to some, but he is supposed to be a timeless character and his stories often changed with the times. One tale tells of him fighting off colonial slavers using his massive musket. Era appropriate adaptations are not uncommon or unforgivable.Africanstudiesdep01 (talk) 20:28, 17 July 2017 (UTC)