From the Folklore of the Ambundu
Sudika Mbambi was the son of Nzua dia Kimanaweze, who married the daughter of the Sun and Moon. The young couple were living with Nzua’s parents, when one day Kimanaweze sent his son away to Loanda to trade. The son demurred, but the father insisted, so he went. While he was gone certain cannibal monsters, called makishi, descended on the village and sacked it – all the people who were not killed fled. Nzua, when he returned, found no houses and no people; searching over the cultivated ground, he at last came across his wife, but she was so changed that he did not recognize her at first. “The makishi had destroyed us,” was her explanation of what had happened.
They made camp, cultivated land, and tried to exist as best they could. In time, Sudika-Mbambi (The Thunderbolt) was born to them. He was a wonder-child who spoke before his entrance into the world, and came forth with a knife, stick, and his kilembe (life trees). He asked his mother to plant the kilembe at the back of the house. Scarcely had he made his appearance when another voice was heard, and his twin brother Kabundungulu was born. The first thing they did was to cut down poles and build a house for their parents. Soon after, Sudika-Mbambi announced that he was going to fight the makishi. He told Kabundungulu to stay at home and to keep an eye on the kilembe, for if it withered he would know that his brother was dead. And so he set out.
On his way he was joined by four beings who called themselves kipalendes and boasted various accomplishments – building a house on the bare rock, carving ten clubs a day, and other more difficult tasks, none of which, however, as the event proved, they could accomplish successfully. When they had gone a certain distance through the bush Sudika-Mbambi directed them to halt and build a house, “in order to fight the makishi.” As soon as he had cut one pole all the others needed cut themselves. He ordered the kipalende who had said he could erect a house on a rock to begin building, but as fast as a pole was set up it fell down again. The leader then took the work in hand and it was speedily finished.
Next day he set out to fight the makishi, with three kipalendes, leaving the fourth in the house. To this kipalende soon after appeared an old woman, who told him that he might marry her granddaughter if he would fight her and overcome her. The kipalende and the old woman wrestled, but the old woman soon threw the kipalende, placed a large stone on top of him as he lay on the ground, and left him there, unable to move.
Sudika-Mbambi, who had the gift of second-sight, at once knew what had happened, returned with the other three, and released the kipalende. He told his story, and the others derided him for being beaten by a woman. Next day he accompanied the rest, the second kipalende remained in the house. The second kipalende met with the same fate as his brother, and again Sudika-Mbambi was immediately aware of it. The incident was repeated on the third and fourth day. On the fifth, Sudika-Mbambi sent the kipalendes to the war, and stayed behind himself. The old woman challenged him; he fought her and killed her.
Sudika-Mbambi married the old witch’s granddaughter, and they settled down in the stone house. The kipalendes returned with the news that the makishi were completely defeated, and all went well for a time.
The kipalendes, however, became envious of their leader’s good fortune, and plotted to kill him. They dug a hole in the place where he usually rested and covered it with mats; when he came in tired they pressed him to sit down, which he did, and immediately fell into the hole. They covered it up, and thought they had made an end of him. His younger brother, at home, went to look at the life tree and found that it had withered. Thinking that, perhaps, there was still some hope, he poured water on it, and it grew green again.
Sudika-Mbambi was not killed by the fall; when he reached the bottom of the pit he looked round and saw an opening. Entering this, he found himself in a road – the road, in fact, which leads to the country of the dead. When he had gone some distance he came upon an old woman, or rather, the upper half of one, hoeing her garden by the wayside. He greeted her, and she returned his greeting. He then asked her to show him the way, and she said she would do so if he would hoe a little for her, which he did. She set him on the road, and told him to take the narrow path, not the broad one, and before arriving at Kalunga-ngombe’s house he must “carry a jug or red pepper and a jug of wisdom.”
On arriving at the house a fierce dog barked at him; he scolded it, and it let him pass. He entered, and was courteously welcomed by people who showed him into the guest-house and spread a mat for him. He then announced that he had come to marry the daughter of Kalunga-ngombe. Kalunga answered that he consented if Sudika-Mbambi had fulfilled the conditions. Sudika-Mbambi then retired for the night, and a meal was sent in to him – a live cock and a bowl of the local porridge. He ate the porridge, with some meat which he had brought with him; instead of killing the cock he kept it under his bed, for he understood it was a trick intended to prevent his return to the upper world. In the middle of the night he heard people inquiring who had killed Kalunga’s sock; but the cock crowed from under the bed, and Sudika-Mbambi was not trapped.
Next morning, when Sudika-Mbambi reminded Kalunga of his promise, he was told that the daughter had been carried off by the huge serpent called Kinyoka kya Tumba, and that if he wanted to marry her he must rescue her.
Sudika-Mbambi started for Kinyoka’s abode, and asked for him. Kinyoka’s wife said, “He has gone shooting.” Sudika-Mbambi waited awhile, and presently saw driver-ants approaching – the dreaded ants which would consume any living thing left helpless in their path. He stood his ground and beat them off; they were followed by red ants, these by a swarm of bees, and these by wasps, but none of them harmed him. Then Kinyoka’s five heads appeared, one after the other. Sudika-Mbambi cut off each as it came, and when the fifth fell the snake was dead. He went into the house, found Kalunga’s daughter there, and took her home to her father.
But Kalunga was not yet satisfied. There was a giant fish, Kimbiji, which kept catching his goats and pigs. SudikapMbambi baited a large hook with a suckling-pig and caught Kimbiji, but even he was not strong enough to pull the monster to land. He fell into the water, and Kimbiji swallowed him.
Kabundungulu, far away at their home, saw that his brother’s life tree had withered once more, and set out to find him. He reached the house where the kipalendes were keeping Sudika-Mbambi’s wife captive, and asked where he was. They denied all knowledge of him, but he felt certain there had been foul play. “You have killed him. Uncover the grave.” They opened up the pit, and Kabundungulu descended into it. He met with the old woman, and was directed to Kalunga-ngombe’s dwelling. On inquiring for his brother he was told, “Kimbiji has swallowed him.” Kabundungulu asked for a pig, baited his hook, and called the people to his help. Between them they landed the fish, and Kabundungulu cut it out. Then he said, “My elder, arise!” and the bones came to life. Sudika-Mbambi married Kalunga-ngombe’s daughter, and set out for home with her and his brother. They reached the pit, which, it would seem, had been filled in, for we are told that “the ground cracked,” and they got out. They drove away the four kipalendes and, having got rid of them, settled down to a happy life.
Sources:
Myths of the Bantu, Alice Werner, 1933
Kotharian Lightning 