From the folklore of the Chaga
Marwe and her brother were ordered by their parents to watch the bean-field and drive away the monkeys. They kept at their post for the greater part of the day, but as their mother had not given them any food to take with them they grew very hungry. They dug up the burrows of the field-rats, caught some, made a fire, roasted their game, and ate it. Then, being thirsty, they went to a pool and drank. It was some distance off, and when they came back they found that the monkeys had descended on the bean-patch and stripped it bare. They were terribly frightened, and Marwe said, “Let’s go jump into the pool.” But her brother thought it would be better to go home without being seen and listen to what their parents were saying. So they stole up to the hut and listened through a gap in the banana-leaves of the thatch. Father and mother were both very angry. “What are we to do with such good-for-nothing creatures? Shall we beat them? Or shall we strangle them?” The children did not wait to hear any more, but rushed off to the pool. Marwe threw herself in, but her brother’s courage failed him, and he ran back home and told the parents: “Marwe has gone into the pool.” They went down at once, quite forgetting the hasty words provoked by the sudden discover of their loss, and called again and again, “Marwe, come home! Never mind about the beans; we can plant the patch again!” But there was no answer. Day after day the father went down to the pool and called her – always in vain. Marwe had gone into the country of the ghosts, the place one entered at the bottom of the pool.
Before Marwe had gone very far she came to a hut, where an old woman lived, with a number of children. This old woman called her in and told her she might stay with her. Next day she sent her out with the others to father firewood, but said, “You need not do anything. Let the others do the work.” Marwe however, did her part with the rest, and the same when they were sent out to cut grass or perform any other tasks. She was offered food from time to time, but always made some excuse for refusing it, for the living who taste the food of the dead can never leave that land.
So time went on, till one day she began to weary, and said to the other girls, “I should like to go home.” The girls advised her to go and tell the old woman, which she did, and the old woman had no objection, but asked her, “Shall I hit you with the cold or with the hot?” Marwe asked to be hit with the cold. The woman told her to dip her arms into a pot she had standing beside her. She did so, and drew them out covered with shining bangles. She was then told to dip her feet, and found her ankles adorned with fine brass and copper chains. Then the woman gave her a skin petticoat worked with beads, and said, “Your future husband is called Sawoye. It is he who will carry you home.”
She went with her to the pool, rose to the surface, and left Marwe sitting on the bank. It happened that there was a famine in the land then. Some one saw Marwe, and ran to the village saying that there was a girl seated by the pool richly dressed and wearing the most beautiful ornaments, which no one else in the countryside could afford, the people having parted with all their valuables to the coast-traders in the time of scarcity. So the whole population turned out, with the chief at their head. They were filled with admiration of her beauty. All greeted her respectfully, and the chief wanted to carry her home; but she refused. Others offered, but she would listen to none till a certain man came along, who was known as Sawoye. Now Sawoye was disfigured by a disease from which he had suffered called woye, whence his name. As soon as she saw him Marwe said, “that is my husband.” She he picked her up and carried her home and married her.”
Sources:
Myths of the Bantu, Alice Werner, 1933
Kotharian Lightning 