Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Nyanga people.
PART SIX
Kasiyembe, acting at the behest of the serpentine river god Mukiti, had tried to kill the semidivine Mwindo but failed. Mwindo had survived all of Kasiyembe’s death traps and so, in anger and frustration Mukiti’s henchman had called on the Nyanga lightning god Nkuba to strike Mwindo dead.
Nkuba, a very ill-tempered deity who was always delighted to oblige when asked to unleash his bolts, began raining down lightning on Mwindo. Our hero began singing another magic spell, composing it in his head as he went along.
Mwindo’s magic song protected both himself and his aunt Iyangura from Nkuba’s lightning bolts, always causing the bolts to hit spots other than the ones where they stood. Growing cocky as usual the young hero went so far as to cause a lightning bolt to strike Kasiyembe’s hair, setting it on fire.
Some of the handmaidens endeavored to put out the flames before they could spread to the rest of Kasiyembe’s body. Mwindo prevented this, altering his song to cause all the water in the jars to dry up instantly. Even when the handmaidens tried to spit on the fire they could summon no spittle because of Mwindo’s spell.
Some of the handmaidens rushed to fetch water from the river that Mukiti ruled over. Mwindo’s spell had even dried up that water, outraging Mukiti, who now sat on a dry riverbottom that used to be his kingdom. By now Kasiyembe’s entire body had burned to death.
Iyangura interceded with her nephew and begged him to show mercy. Mwindo complied, causing all the water his magic had evaporated to be restored. The river and the water jars filled back up, people’s spittle was restored and Mwindo raised his conga-sceptre (a riding-crop sized rod made of hardened antelope tail) to bring Kasiyembe back to life.
Calm was now restored and neither Mukiti nor his underling Kasiyembe bothered Mwindo any longer. The semidivine hero spent the night with his aunt’s handmaidens and come morning planned to start an assault on his evil father Shemwindo’s village. Iyangura tried to dissuade her nephew from that plan, fearing Shemwindo’s army would prove too much for Mwindo but our hero told her his mind was made up. +++
I WILL EXAMINE ADDITIONAL PARTS SOON. CHECK BACK ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK FOR UPDATES.
FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE: PART ONE OF MWINDO
FOR ANOTHER EPIC MYTH CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/2013/03/17/iroquois-epic-myth-hodadeion/
FOR SIMILAR ARTICLES AND MORE OF THE TOP LISTS FROM BALLADEER’S BLOG CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/top-lists/
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