Tradition / Region: Ambundu mythology, Angolan Mythology
Alternate Names: Na Kimanaueze; Na Kimanaueze Kia-Tumb’a Ndala
Category: Mountain dweller
The Myth
Long ago, there lived a man named Kimanaueze, whose name belonged both to a father and a son. The elder Kimanaueze wished to see his son married, but the younger refused all women of the earth. His ambition was greater than that of ordinary men: he declared that he would take as his wife the daughter of the Sun and the Moon, who lived far above the world, in the heavens.
To make this possible, Kimanaueze sought a way to reach her. He first asked the Antelope to carry his message, but the Antelope could not fly. He then asked the Hawk, but the Hawk could not rise high enough to reach the dwelling of the Sun and the Moon. The Vulture tried next, but even he could only fly part of the way. At last, Kimanaueze encountered the Frog, named Mainu. Though small and unimpressive, Mainu claimed he knew a hidden path.
Mainu explained that the servants of the Sun and Moon often visited a well on earth. He swallowed Kimanaueze’s letter and hid himself inside a water jug carried by one of these heavenly attendants. In this way, Mainu was carried straight into the house of the Sun King, where he slipped the letter onto the king’s desk. When a second letter appeared in the same mysterious way, the Sun King realized its importance and sent word back, asking Kimanaueze to present himself with a dowry so his worth could be judged.
Since Kimanaueze could not travel to heaven, Mainu again carried the dowry in secret. Pleased, the Sun King finally agreed to the marriage and ordered that his daughter be brought to earth. But there was still one obstacle: how to remove her from the heavens. This time, Mainu stole the girl’s eyes and hid himself. Chaos broke out among the heavenly beings, and the diviner Ngombo was summoned. Ngombo declared that the girl must be married immediately, or she would perish.
Fearing this fate, the Sun King sent his daughter down to earth with the help of the Spider. Mainu followed and returned her eyes to her once she reached the ground. At last, Kimanaueze received the daughter of the Sun and the Moon and took her as his wife, fulfilling his impossible ambition.
In later times, tragedy struck the family. While the younger Kimanaueze was away, the elder Kimanaueze was killed by fearsome multi-headed monsters called Makishi. Generations later, Kimanaueze’s grandson, the hero Sudika-mbambi, would hunt down and slay the Makishi to avenge his grandfather, ensuring that the name of Kimanaueze endured among the people.
Gallery
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Tantugou. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (French), from https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantugou
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive
Other
- How to Invite The Kimanaueze