
Podcast

Welcome to season 3 of AUS! In out first episode back, we narrate part of a retelling of the Epic of Sundiata, a historical account of the life of the founder of the Mali Empire, p…

'Aminatu, a woman as capable as a man'. Our final episode for the second season covers a woman whose character elevated her to heights that will forever entrench her in the history…

Swahili Samson or Swahili Achilles? You decide for yourself when you join us for a new episode about the (partially mythologized) story of Liyongo, a folk hero of the Swahili peopl…

Another episode about a large but overlooked ethnic group on the continent! Join us to learn about the Malagasy people of Madagascar and how the merger of two worlds birthed their…

Join us and a guest from Algeria (!) to talk about the Amazigh (Berber) queen Dihya (AKA Al-Kahina) who fought against the early Arab expansion into Northern Africa. We discuss wha…

The child with the face of a man. Today's episode is a narration of stories of Hlakanyana of the Xhosa people of Southern Africa, a more evil trickster than others we have spoken o…

In today's episode, we welcome a guest speaker to take charge of a discussion on the renowned queen mother of the precolonial Ashanti Empire - Nana Yaa Asantewaa. We learn about he…

For our first episode back, we examine one of Africa's finest medieval cities known to its locals are Edo and foreigners as Benin. We examine the city and kingdom's origin, its str…

This episode is a retelling of the story of two divine brothers from the Ambundu people of Angola. It is a sort of origin story for the thunder and its echo. Like the other epics w…

We carry on from where we left off in the previous episode of the Songhai Empire. A new dynasty (the Askiya dynasty) comes to power and ushers Songhai into a period of erratic high…

The final of the three mighty medieval West African empires – Songhai ! In today’s episode we discuss largely its origins, how it morphed from a simple city state to the largest We…

Ready for a story by the fireside? This episodes serves just that - Anansesɛm! Follow stories about the trickster god of the Akan people of Ghana and Ivory Coast, a mischievous cha…

Our second North African episode! We talk about Ibn Battuta, the most travelled man before the invention of the steam engine, and highlight a few significant trips on his journey a…

In this episode we have talk about the concept of death in some indigenous African cultures and its influence on the beliefs and lifestyle of Africans. We look at the ancient Egypt…

In the second episode of the new season, we talk about Kanem! And Borno! And Kanem-Borno because they are the same thing...or are they? Join us to learn about one of the longest la…

We're back for a new season! We start off with one of the most interesting belief systems in the world, that of the Dogon people of Mali. Join us to learn about their creation stor…

In the final episode of season 1, we discuss the San (and to some extent the Khoi) of southern Africa, the first settlers of the area. We talk about their emergence, long history a…

In this episode we discuss the ancient Kushite kingdom centered in Meroe and its dynasty of female rulers known as the Kandakes. We talk about their power, accomplishments and the…

Join us to discuss the medieval kingdom of Kongo of central-west Africa. We highlight its formation, key practices, early adoption of Christianity, its tense relations with the Por…

We're back! This week's episode is a discussion on probably Africa's second most well-known pantheon - the Orshias, traditional deities of the Yoruba people of West Africa. We talk…
