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Somali mythology covers the beliefs, myths, legends and folk tales circulating in Somali society that were passed down to new generations in a timeline spanning several millennia. Many of the things that constitute Somali mythology today are traditions whose accuracy have faded away with time or have transformed considerably with the coming of Islam to the Horn of Africa.
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The culture of venerating saints and the survival of several religious offices in modern Somalia show that old traditions of the region's ancient past had a significant impact on Islam and Somali literature in later centuries. Similarly, practitioners of traditional Somali medicine and astronomy also adhere to remnants of an old cultural belief system that once flourished in Somalia and the wider Horn region.
Pre-Islamic period
The Somali people in pre-Islamic times are believed to have adhered to a complex henotheistic belief system, with a set of deities superseded by a single all-powerful figure called Eebe (God, also known as Waaq). Religious temples dating from antiquity known as Taalo were the centers where important ceremonies were held led by a Wadaad priest.
Legendary kings, queens and saints
In Somali mythology, there is an abundance of tales about men and women who defied cultural traditions or acquired heroic and saintly status amongst the masses of the Somali Peninsula.
Mythological places
Many regions of Somalia have cities or specific areas whose names corroborate the stories told in Somali mythology. Places such as Abudwaq, Ceel Waaq ("Well of God"), waaq-ooyi("north") and other similar towns with the name Waq in it suggest a relation to the old Waaq worship practiced in the Horn. The Tomb of Arawelo is another popular mythological place in Somalia said to be the final resting place of Queen Arraweello. In modern times, it is considered an important place for Somali women.