Bia vs Nyame

The obosom of the Bia River, which flows from western Ghana into Côte d'Ivoire; in the story of Nyame's inheritance he is Tano's brother, who loses the fertile land to him.

Bia is known chiefly through the story he shares with Tano. Both are sons of the sky god Nyame, who divides the land between them. In the Asante telling Bia is the son Nyame meant to favour, but Tano, helped by the goat who served their father, reaches Nyame first and is given the fertile country; Bia receives the drier, poorer lands to the west. The Agni (Anyi) of Côte d'Ivoire tell it the other way round, with Bia gaining the better share. Both versions tie the two brothers to the rivers that bear their names, and both treat the division as the origin of a lasting rivalry.

The supreme sky god of the Akan people. Nyame is the creator of all things and source of all life, though he withdrew from direct involvement with humanity.

In the beginning, Nyame created the heavens and earth, filling them with life. He lived close to humanity until driven away by human actions.

Nyame is the supreme deity of the Akan people of Ghana. He created the universe and everything in it but, like many African high gods, withdrew from daily human affairs.