All about history book of myths and legends. ( PDFDrive )

MWINDO

IN THE UNDERWORLD

After Mwindo escaped from the drum in which Shemwindo had trapped

him, he vowed to return home and fight his father. His maternal uncles

gave him iron armour, and together they destroyed Shemwindo’s home,

killing many people, but Shemwindo escaped to the Underworld.

Mwindo chased him and, upon reaching the Underworld, had to fight

its ruler, Muisa, before he could approach his father. Finally, Shemwindo

surrendered, and apologized for trying to kill Mwindo. The pair agreed

that the kingdom would be split in two, one half ruled by Shemwindo

and the other by Mwindo. They returned to Earth and Mwindo restored

to life all the people who had been killed in the fighting.

IN THE SKY

One day, Mwindo and some of his

followers were out hunting when a dragon

came and ate some of his companions. Mwindo killed the dragon and

rescued his men from its belly, but the spirit Lightning Master, a friend

of both Mwindo and the dragon, was upset at the death of the beast. So

Lightning Master took Mwindo into the sky to teach him a lesson. In the

sky Mwindo had to endure many ordeals, after which Lightning Master

reminded him that no human, not even a superhero, should treat any

animal with contempt, as they were all considered sacred to the gods.

Then Mwindo was allowed to return to Earth, where he explained to

his people that all creatures were sacred and should be respected. After

this he ruled his people wisely and peacefully for many years.

TELLING THE EPIC

The Mwindo epic has been recorded in

writing, but it is essentially a performance

piece, and takes the form of a long narrative

punctuated with songs, riddles, proverbs,

prayers, and other asides, accompanied with

the music of drum and flute. The storytellers

who perform the epic pass it down from

one generation to the next and prize the

narrative not merely as entertainment but

as an embodiment of the history, values, and

beliefs of their people. People believe that

the act of performing the epic protects the

storyteller from disease and death.

Congo Drum Congo Flute

The Lightning Master
The spirit called Nkuba or Lightning Master took the form
of a hedgehog. He helped Mwindo with bolts of lightning
when he was attacking Shemwindo’s village.

Congo dancer

Dancing is central to African culture and storytelling.

A complete performance of the Mwindo epic, typically

presented in traditional costume, could take several

days of dancing, singing, and reciting.

Cowrie shell belt

Muisa, the ruler of the Underworld, had a magic belt

that crushed everyone it hit. Muisa ordered it to strike

Mwindo, smashing him to the ground, but Mwindo waved

his flyswatter and the belt could do him no harm.

Ntumba the aardvark

While chasing his father, Mwindo came across

an aardvark spirit called Ntumba. He saw that

Shemwindo was hiding behind Ntumba, whom

he punched for concealing his father.

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