Indaba My Children

1. The Bantu Creation Story: From Nothingness to the First People

Nothing existed but darkness itself – A darkness everywhere.

In the beginning. Before anything, there was only Nothingness floating on the invisible River Time. From their union, a tiny spark of living Fire was born. This spark grew by consuming Nothingness, leading to a cosmic battle between the universal Flame and the Spirit Cold, whose ongoing conflict sustains existence.

Birth of the Divine. From the ashes of this battle, the imperfect Great Mother, Ninavanhu-Ma, created herself by the Great Spirit's wish. She then used sparks from the Flame to create the stars, sun, and earth. Her loneliness led her to weep, forming rivers, and she demanded a companion.

The Tree of Life. The Great Spirit granted her wish, creating a male counterpart, the monstrous Tree of Life, a being of plant and animal. Their union, initiated by force, was sealed when the Tree hurled a piece of the earth at the fleeing Ma, creating the moon, the guardian of love. Their first offspring were the Kaa-U-La birds and the first human beings, the red-skinned Amarire.

2. The Downfall of the First People and the Rise of Evil

This was the man – no, rather the Thing That introduced all evil to this earth.

The first deformity. The first human child born, Za-Ha-Rrellel (Sareleli), was deformed in body and soul. The wise Kaa-U-La birds urged his mother, Kei-Lei-Si, to destroy him, foreseeing his wickedness, but she refused and fled underground.

Birth of the Tokoloshes. Underground, Za-Ha-Rrellel grew and used incantations to create metallic, insect-like creatures, the first Tokoloshes, from iron ore. He fed them on his mother's life force, killing her, and emerged to lead his metal army.

Empire of the Amarire. Za-Ha-Rrellel defeated the Kaa-U-La birds and promised the First People a life of ease with metal slaves (Tokoloshes) and flesh-and-blood slaves (Bjaa-uni). This led to the Amarire becoming lazy, sterile, and losing their physical abilities. Their pursuit of forbidden knowledge and immortality angered the Great Spirit and the Tree of Life.

3. The Second People: Born from Survivors and Marked by Diversity

The parent plant had withered and died But from its mould it cast forth a seed Soon to arise as a fresh new plant, For such is the law of Nature.

Divine retribution. The Great Spirit unleashed floods, earthquakes, and storms upon the Amarire empire. The Bjaa-uni slaves, led by Odu, rebelled against their masters. Za-Ha-Rrellel was killed by Odu, and the empire was destroyed.

The chosen parents. Only two survived the holocaust: Amarava, the last fertile Amarire woman, and Odu, the last Bjaa-uni slave. The Great Mother, Ninavanhu-Ma, appeared to them, commanding them to mate and repopulate the earth. Amarava initially recoiled from the ugly Odu.

A new beginning. Despite her revulsion and attempts to escape or kill Odu, Amarava was bound by the Goddess's curse to fulfill her duty. They journeyed to a new land and became the parents of the Second People, the Bantu. Unlike the uniform First People, the Bantu were diverse in appearance, mind, and soul, inheriting the imperfections of the Great Mother.

4. The Dawn of Culture: Music, Laws, and the Price of Knowledge

Marimba, the Mother of Music.

Marimba's gifts. Amarava and Odu's descendants multiplied, forming the early tribes. Among them was Marimba, the Goddess of Music and Happiness, who invented the first musical instruments like the makweyana bow-harp and the marimba xylophone, bringing joy and expression to the people.

The curse of Watamaraka. Marimba, an immortal, refused to become a handmaiden to Watamaraka, the Goddess of Evil. Watamaraka cursed Marimba, decreeing that any man she loved would die violently within three moons of their marriage. This curse brought Marimba great sorrow, as her husbands, including the hunter Zumangwe and the Masai Koma-Tembo, met tragic ends.

Tribal laws and justice. Marimba also established early tribal laws, emphasizing respect for life and parents. The execution of a boy, Malinge, for wanton killing led to the formalization of justice rituals and the creation of the Tribal Avengers, men dedicated to enforcing tribal law without mercy. The law requiring a son to lose his hand for striking his mother was also established.

5. The Scourge of Foreign Invasion: Empires Built on Slavery and Destruction

After Lumbedu’s death the strange ones came out into the open and took over the astonished land.

The Strange Ones arrive. Pink-skinned, long-haired foreigners, the Ma-Iti (Phoenicians), arrived by sea, bringing metal weapons and advanced technology. They traded with the ambitious witchdoctor Lumbedu, who used their weapons to conquer neighboring tribes and establish a brutal empire.

Slavery and exploitation. The Strange Ones, and later the Arabi, built cities like Zima-Mbje and exploited the land's resources, forcing Bantu into slavery in mines and plantations. They treated the indigenous people with cruelty, leading to widespread suffering and the near annihilation of some tribes.

The fall of Zima-Mbje. The empire of the Strange Ones eventually declined due to internal strife and decay. Lumukanda, a slave born in their capital, led a rebellion of slaves and other oppressed groups, destroying Zima-Mbje and scattering its inhabitants. This event marked the end of the first foreign empire and the rise of new Bantu nations like the Lunda.

6. Lumukanda: The Immortal's Journey, Love, and the Fight Against Evil

I, the Lost Immortal, whose heart is weary of life and whose knees are tired of wandering in the endless land and among tribes and nations, am greeting you this night.

Birth and early life. Lumukanda was born a slave in the Strange Ones' city. He unknowingly killed his mother in a gladiatorial fight and was later thrown into a lake by the Empress Makira-Kadesi, who feared a prophecy about a "Dark Destroyer."

Meeting the Divine. Rescued and enlightened by the Great Mother, Ninavanhu-Ma, Lumukanda learned about creation, the soul, and the ongoing conflict between good and evil. He gained immortality and powers, including mind-reading.

Battles against evil. Lumukanda fought against Nangai, an outcast god, and later faced the Empress Makira-Kadesi, whose body was possessed by Watamaraka, the Spirit of Evil. He was betrayed by his own daughters, who inherited evil traits, and later by a concubine, leading to personal tragedies and the loss of loved ones.

7. The Great Journey South: Tribes Forged in Conflict and Migration

The Journey to Asazi, the journey to ‘we know not where’, was about to begin.

Tribal conflicts. Following the fall of Zima-Mbje, new tribes like the Nguni and Mambo rose. Vamba Nyaloti, a Vamangwe leader, used treachery to seize the Nguni throne, manipulating King Malandela into attacking his brother Bekizwe, the beloved chief of the Western Mambo.

Peace and unity. Lumukanda intervened, stopping the war between the Nguni and Mambo and orchestrating a great Peace Ceremony. He became the chief of the Western Mambo and united the tribes, preparing them for future threats.

The great migration. Guided by Lumukanda, the united tribes undertook a massive journey south, crossing the Zambezi at the sacred Kariba Gorge and later the Limpopoma. This migration, fraught with challenges like famine and internal dissent, led to the formation of new tribes like the Zulu and Xhosa in their future homelands.

8. The Power of Belief: Ancestors, Souls, and the Mind's Influence

The mind, the brain, is matter in its purest form, and it is the hands and the feet and the wings of the soul.

Concept of God. The Bantu believe in a Most Ultimate God, who is Everything in Everything. Lesser Gods and spirits also exist, but God's form is beyond human comprehension. Various carvings symbolize aspects of the divine, but are meant for the common people.

The soul and Ena. Every living thing has a soul, a transparent sphere containing worms of good and evil. The soul is immortal and part of God. In addition, humans and animals have an Ena (self or character), a non-immortal spirit formed by life experiences.

Ancestral veneration. The Enas of departed ancestors reside in the land of Forever-Night and need nourishment (sacrifices) to survive. In return, they intercede with the Gods and protect their descendants. Keeping the Ancestors' Enas alive is a primary duty.

Mind power. The mind is the link between body, soul, and Ena. Witchdoctors train to use mind power for healing, foresight, and influencing others. The mind can attract desired outcomes through focused will and visualization, though it cannot control unnatural forces like money.

9. The Impact of Misunderstanding: Foreigners, Sacrilege, and Tragedy

The troubles seen in Africa today... had their origin in one thing only: the ignorance and selfish interests of your forebears, oh white man and arab!

Clash of cultures. Foreigners, particularly Europeans and Arabs, often failed to understand or respect Bantu beliefs and customs. They dismissed indigenous religions as superstition and imposed their own creeds and ways of life.

Sacrilege and conflict. Acts perceived as sacrilegious by the Bantu, such as disturbing sacred sites (Kariba Dam) or disrespecting sacred animals (wild cats, springboks), often triggered violent conflict and resistance, misinterpreted by foreigners as mere savagery or political unrest.

Misinterpretation of beliefs. Foreigners often misunderstood core Bantu beliefs, such as the nature of God, the role of Ancestors, and the concept of the soul. This led to false narratives about the African people, portraying them as godless heathens or sub-human beings.

Tragic consequences. This fundamental lack of understanding and mutual respect resulted in centuries of conflict, slavery, exploitation, and immense suffering for the African people, leaving deep scars on the continent's history and psyche.

10. Plagues and Famine: Nature's Wrath and Humanity's Resilience

The Hand of Death is heavy upon the land and people are dying like flies in the Milk-pail of Famine.

Natural disasters. The tribes faced devastating natural disasters, including the Great Death (epidemic) and the Great Famine (drought and locusts). These events caused widespread death and suffering, depopulating vast areas.

Survival strategies. During the famine, tribes relied on stored grain (Lumukanda's granaries) and hunted wild animals. People resorted to desperate measures, including cannibalism, highlighting the extreme hardship.

Resilience and adaptation. Despite the immense loss of life and the breakdown of social order in some areas, the tribes demonstrated remarkable resilience. They adapted to the harsh conditions, developed new strategies for survival (medicine brewing, large-scale farming), and eventually rebuilt their communities.

Divine intervention. The Great Famine was eventually ended by rain granted after prayers to the Highest of the Most High, illustrating the belief in divine response to human supplication, even in the face of immense suffering.

11. The Prophecy of Luzwi-Muundi: A Future of Unity and Divine Challenge

In the far-distant future... a chief is going to be born who will challenge the very gods and enslave them.

The ultimate goal. The Bantu belief system includes a prophecy about a future chief, Luzwi-Muundi, who will be born among them. He will possess immense power and wisdom, granting immortality to all mankind and creating a paradise on earth.

Challenge to the divine order. Luzwi-Muundi's reign will challenge the existing order of gods and immortals, who fear losing their power and influence. This prophecy is the underlying reason for the lesser gods' attempts to destroy the Bantu.

Lumukanda's mission. Lumukanda's divine mission, given by the Highest of the Most High, is to protect the Bantu and ensure the birth of Luzwi-Muundi. His actions throughout history are guided by this ultimate purpose, even when he faces personal trials and opposition from other immortals.

Hope for the future. The prophecy of Luzwi-Muundi represents a future of peace, unity, and ultimate human potential, a stark contrast to the suffering and conflict that have marked the Bantu's history. It provides a long-term vision and purpose for the tribes.

12. The Author's Purpose: Unveiling Truths and Bridging Divides

By writing many of these things, I am becoming, in terms of our tribal laws, a traitor to my own race.

Breaking secrecy. Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa, a Guardian of Tribal History, chose to break centuries of tribal secrecy to share the true history, beliefs, and culture of the Bantu people with the outside world. This act was considered treasonous by tribal law.

Motivation. His motivation stemmed from a desire to foster understanding between races, prevent future bloodshed caused by ignorance, and fulfill an oath sworn over the grave of his beloved, killed in the Sharpeville massacre.

Challenging misconceptions. The author directly challenges common misconceptions about Africans, including their religions, history (e.g., Shaka's portrayal), and social practices (e.g., polygamy, reasons for war dances). He argues that many European accounts are inaccurate and biased.

Advocating for understanding. Mutwa emphasizes that true understanding between races requires acknowledging and respecting each other's perspectives, beliefs, and histories, even when they differ. He calls for objective study and the recognition of the Bantu's rich and complex heritage.

Last updated: May 8, 2025