Mwindo epic
An oral epic of a hero with supernatural powers.
The Nyanga people of the Congo pass down the Mwindo epic by word of mouth, so its beginnings remain unclear. In 1969, Kahombo Mateene and Daniel Biebuyck published a recorded version of this oral tale.
Quick Facts
- Culture
- Nyanga people
- Region
- Congo
- Recorded by
- Kahombo Mateene and Daniel Biebuyck
- Publication year
- 1969
Facts from the source article.
Performance
The epic is spoken and performed among gatherings of locals, focusing on the hero Mwindo. A single bard typically performs, using a calabash rattle and wearing bells and other noisemakers. The bard acts out all parts with animated dances and may include personal narratives. Four younger men accompany on a percussion stick. Audience participation is important, with singing, repeating lines, and showing appreciation through applause, yells, and gifts.
Plot
The epic begins in the village of Tubondo under the evil chief Shemwindo. He decrees that his seven wives must bear only daughters; a son would be executed, along with his mother in some versions, as a ploy to gain wealth through bride-prices. Meanwhile, Mukiti asks for Iyangura's hand in marriage; after ceremonies, she lives in the village guarded by Kasiyembe while Mukiti resides in a river pool. Shemwindo's first six wives give birth to daughters, but Nyamwindo, the seventh wife, has a prolonged pregnancy. Her chores are mysteriously done by her unborn son. The child emerges from Nyamwindo's belly button, named Mwindo, born with a conga-scepter, an adze-axe, and a bag from the goddess Kahindo containing a long rope. Shemwindo tries to kill the boy: throwing six spears repelled by the conga-scepter, burying him alive (he climbs out), and sealing him in a drum thrown into a river. The drum floats, and Mwindo sails away to seek refuge with his aunt Iyangura. Inside the drum, he boasts to aquatic animals. His path is blocked by Musoka, sister-in-law of Iyangura, under orders of Mukiti, but Mwindo digs under the riverbed and passes. He then encounters Mukiti, the serpent spirit and Iyangura's husband, who denies him access. Iyangura's maidens witness this and report to her. She retrieves the drum, slashes it open with a knife, releases Mwindo, and instructs him to go to her house.
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