Tag Archives: African epic myths

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Nyanga people.

PART THIRTEEN

Mwindo, the semidivine hero, stood at the entranceway to Munundu, the subterranean realm of the aardvark god Ntumba. (Munundu was also used as an epithet for Ntumba himself.) Mwindo had spotted his evil father Shemwindo hiding inside Munundu and talking with Ntumba himself.

The hero sang a song about all the evil Shemwindo had committed and demanded that Ntumba send him out or he would destroy his entire kingdom and defeat him as he had defeated Muisa the god of the dead. Inside Munundu the aardvark god told Shemwindo how annoyed he was at the trouble he had caused by seeking refuge in his kingdom. Still, he directed him to a rear cavern through which he could escape if Mwindo carried out his threats.  Continue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Nyanga people.

PART EIGHT

The semidivine Mwindo, clad in the iron garments his uncle the bat god had made his subjects forge for him, prepared to attack his evil father’s village of Tubondo single-handed. His aunt Iyangura pleaded with him not to go, fearing he would end up as dead as the army of bats which attacked Tubondo in the previous episode.

Mwindo told his aunt that he had to go, and to provide her partial comfort he left her his battle axe and his magical pouch containing the enchanted rope. Wielding only his conga-sceptre (a riding-crop sized staff made of antelope tail) Mwindo went up the hill to attack Tubondo.   Continue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Nyanga people.

PART SEVEN

The semidivine Mwindo, his aunt Iyangura and Iyangura’s handmaidens set out from the home she occupied as the Ritual Wife of the river god Mukiti. The object of their expedition was Mwindo’s attempt to overthrow his evil father Shemwindo and become the new ruler of the village of Tubondo.

The first night the travelers stayed with Mwindo’s maternal uncle, Yana the bat god. (As with so many other ruling families around the world the Nyanga aristocracy claimed to be related to the gods.) Yana had the creatures he was the lord of prepare a goat of hospitality (as opposed to the wildebeest of misgiving) as a meal for the guests. Continue reading →

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.  Continue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Nyanga people.

PART FIVE

Mwindo now stood before Mukiti, the serpentine river god himself. The semidivine hero still held his conga-sceptre (a riding-crop sized club made from an antelope tail) in one hand, his axe in another and had his pouch of magic implements slung around one shoulder.

Mwindo and Mukiti exchanged challenging words with Mwindo’s being the most overstated and foolhardy. (Remember, part of the point of this epic is that Mwindo eventually learns to be humble and to be a good ruler, similar to Gilgamesh in Sumerian myths.) Before the two powerful figures could engage in all-out combat they were interrupted by the arrival of the woman Iyangura, who was Mwindo’s aunt and Mukiti’s ritual wife.  Continue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Nyanga people.

PART FOUR

The evil Chief Shemwindo believed Mwindo was now dead and he rewarded the men who entrapped the child in the drum and tossed him in the river to drown. He gave each one of them a new bride to show his appreciation.

Mwindo’s mother Nyamwindo was inconsolable at the thought that her baby had been slain. Shemwindo warned her to stop being upset or he would kill her, too. Immediately Nyamwindo went from being the favored wife to being the despised wife of the chief’s seven wives. Continue reading →