Teliko

Teliko: the spirit/genie of the AIR and wind, master of the breath, one of the three creative beings begotten by Yo (with Faro and Pemba). He gives life to creatures and conceives the aquatic twins who are the ancestors of the fishermen — the first men. He works with Faro to order the world but is also cast as Faro's antagonist (air against water). In Mande lore wind-spirits in general are called teliko, paralleling faro for water-spirits.

Parentage

• parent: Yo

Domains

• air fire
• cosmic order

Powers

• Master the air and the breath
• Give life and breath to creatures
• Conceive the aquatic twins, ancestors of the fishermen and the first men

Epithets

• spirit/genie of the air bambaraspirit/genie of the airScheub, A Dictionary of African Mythology (Oxford University Press, 2000), s.v. Yo, the Creative Spirit (Bambara/Mali) (secondary)

Relations

• enemy: FaroTeliko (air) and Faro (water) together order the world, but Teliko is also cast as Faro's antagonist; the air-spirit's striving against the water-master is a recurrent motif.Scheub, A Dictionary of African Mythology (Oxford University Press, 2000); Dieterlen, Essai sur la religion bambara (Paris, 1951) (secondary)

Sources

• existence: Scheub, A Dictionary of African Mythology (Oxford University Press, 2000), s.v. Yo, the Creative Spirit (Bambara/Mali) (secondary); Dieterlen, Essai sur la religion bambara (Paris, 1951) (secondary)