Great Bow of the Sky
Chewa · deity · primordial · Recorded classification
Anchor of the 'creator withdraws to the sky' cycle for the Chewa/Nyanja of Malawi. A high-god / sky-creator (deity). The same supreme being is named Mulungu, Mphambe (lightning), Leza and Namalenga in different contexts. Werner records the footprints of the first man and the animals as impressed on the rock at Kapirimtiya west of Lake Nyasa.
Domains
- sky creation
- rain
- rainbow
Powers
- descend to earth on a spider's thread
- send and withhold the rains
- Span the sky as the great bow (rainbow)
Epithets
- Chiuta The self-existent supreme creator and rain-giver, seen in the great bow of the rainbowChewa (Maravi) religion; J. M. Schoffeleers (secondary)
Sources
- Chiuta/Chauta is the self-existent supreme creator and rain-god of the Chewa, whose name means 'great bow' and is symbolised by the rainbow.: Wendland, E. (1992). 'Yahweh — The Case for Chauta "Great-[God]-of-the-Bow".' The Bible Translator 43(4). (secondary); Werner, A. (1933). Myths and Legends of the Bantu. London: George G. Harrap, ch. III. (secondary)
- Chiuta descended with the first people and animals onto Kapirintiwa hill during a thunderstorm and later withdrew to the sky.: Schoffeleers, J. M. & Roscoe, A. (1985). Land of Fire: Oral Literature from Malawi. Limbe: Popular Publications. (secondary)