I am Mawu, descendant of the Dahomey, the "black Amazons." Our world had one too many wars, and all of civilization crumbled. But the Dahomey, we reclaimed our roots.  We were the women warriors.  We were strong. We were forceful.  We were thriving.  For awhile.  We then began to fight among ourselves.  I grew tired of fighting, but I continued.    Slavery was coming back.  We had to fight, or perish.  I began to feel my heart turn to stone.  We heard in Igboland, the people were mixing with the lions.  If they were to come after us, they could wipe us out!  I was sent to spy, to observe.  I was to report what I saw.  This never happened.

I was intercepted, by a lion.  Or was he?  What was he doing?  How could he turn into a man?  How can this be? 

"Little One."

"Who dares say this?"

"Your mother did."

"How do you know my mother?"

"I know everyone."

"How?"

"Let me show you."

He brought me to the Sky Dome, where I learned so many wonders.  I made a friend, by the name of Magec. In Magec's company I found and was serenaded by the most beautiful of voices, from the highest of sopranos to the deepest  of baritones.  They were beautiful, each one of them.  They taught me to be feminine, to be soft, for I had forgotten how.  They helped to change me, especially Magec.  I learned to trust.  I found love.  I met a man, a gentle one, on the earthly plain, and they called us Mawu and Lisa.  Thanks to them, Lisa and I had a beautiful wedding. 

I reunited with my mother, Nana.  She hung around Magec, and the lion master Chuckwu, quite a bit, happy to meditate with them.  Eventually, I went back and fetched my sisters. I missed them, and they began to meditate and learn powers of their own choosing with me, many of them choosing to mirror the goddesses our mother named us after.

Many of my sisters, and even our mother, chose to play around with the humans below, and would give the husbands of their choice, sons and daughters capable of great things.  My mother most often of all.  But Yamaya, she made her own story, and instead of the tragic tale the original goddess had, she found a lover and friend in whom she called Olorun, who stayed among us, as did their children.  Our sisters, Oshun,  Oba, Olokun, and Oya, would often visit these little ones.  Yemaya and Olorun named their sons after our gods of old.

I am grateful that I am no longer lost.  I am thankful for my family, for all of us.  I began to fall away from our original tribe, letting them find their own way.  There was no point in giving wisdom to those that would not listen.  Sometimes we would come down and give them guidance, when it was sincerely asked for.  Mother Nana, we crowned as our Empress, and my sisters and I were her Queens of Queens.  She eventually handed the scepter to me, focusing her own work as a mother on Earth, while I was the mediator and messenger for us all.

Olokun, my dark water sister, took a liking to Magec, and would visit her often, both in the form as a man or a woman, depending on her mood.  They were very careful on deciding how they raised their young they had together, and whom would live with whom. 

Most of my other sisters would pick an Earthling lover and live as a human before returning to the Sky Dome, following our mother's footsteps.  Every once in awhile, a child would come along that would want something more than a regular life on Earth.  Each was given their own role to play, which shall later be revealed in other chapters.

As for Lisa and I, we gave birth to our son, Xevioso, our High King, and Lord of Thunder and Lightning Storms.  He would strike whenever an act of injustice was made.

There was also our twins, AidoHwedo, and Awe. 

Awe, our little monkey child, was a mischievous little thing, and always getting into trouble and playing pranks. Aido helped us keep a watch over him. The rest of our children took after her,  Brother Damballah-Weddo, sister Erzulie Freda, brothers Agwe, and Ogon, and baby sister, La Sierne.  For all of Awe's antics  as a child, he grew up to be celibate, and a very important leader.  The rest of our children would mate among the humans, and a new race was created, I believe that humanity called them nagas. Then again, even before the world took a turn, there were ancient relics of people such as these.  Perhaps we were only bringing them back.

Author's note:  I do not hold any claim to the relations, or creation, of these deities and spirits.  Though noted that some relations would vary depending on what country to be found, from what I have gathered, Nana Buluku is the mother Supreme Creator who gave birth to the moon spirit, Mawu.   Mawu (alternately: Mahu) is a , associated with the and in . In some myths, she is the wife of the male god Lisa.  Mahu and Lisa are the children of Nana Buluku, and are the parents of Xevioso.  But in my tale, Lisa is simply the son in law, and relations are done to my own likeing, as it shall be in these stories from all around the world.