Loading...
← Back to Deities
Nyame
Also known as: Nyankopon, Onyankopon, Nyamie
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Interactive 3D representation
About Nyame
The Creator Above
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.
The Distant God
According to tradition, Nyame once lived close to earth but withdrew to the sky after being struck by a woman's pestle while she pounded fufu. Now he remains in the heavens, accessed through lesser spirits.
Adinkra Connection
Nyame is represented in Adinkra symbolism—the visual vocabulary of the Akan. The Gye Nyame symbol ('except for God') affirms Nyame's supreme power over all things.
Origin Story
In the beginning, Nyame created the heavens and earth, filling them with life. He lived close to humanity until driven away by human actions.
Cross-Pantheon Parallels
Similar deities across different mythologies
Domains
skycreationsupreme deityrainfertility
Symbols
skysunmoonadinkra symbolsram