Mwindo

Mwindo is the central culture-hero of Nyanga oral epic, born supernaturally to the chief Shemwindo, who had vowed to allow only daughters and tried to have the newborn son killed. Emerging from his mother's middle finger already speaking and walking, and carrying his conga-scepter, an adze, and a bag with a magic rope, Mwindo pursues his fleeing father across the river-world of Mukiti, down into the subterranean domains of Muisa and the aardvark Ntumba, and finally into the sky. Repeatedly killed, he restores himself each time. His slaying of the dragon Kirimu, favourite of the lightning Nkuba, provokes the celestial powers, who carry him aloft and subject him to trials of cold, heat, and hunger until he learns humility. Chastened, he returns to reconcile with his father and rule justly, and lays down the prohibition against killing the game and creatures that had aided him.

Parentage

• parent: ShemwindoShemwindo is Mwindo's father, who sought to destroy him at birth.Biebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)

Domains

• heroism
• kingship

Powers

• return from death
• wield the conga-scepter
• summon the lightning ally

Epithets

• Mwindo Kabutwakenda — Mwindo, the-little-one-just-born-who-walkedBiebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)

Relations

• parent: ShemwindoShemwindo is Mwindo's father, who sought to destroy him at birth.Biebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)
• ally: IyanguraHis paternal aunt, who shelters and counsels him.Biebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)
• ally: NkubaBiebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)
• ally: KahindoBiebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)
• enemy: MuisaBiebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)
• enemy: KirimuBiebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)
• enemy: NtumbaBiebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)
• rival: MusokaBiebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)
• rival: OngoBiebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary)

Sources

• Mwindo is the culture-hero of the Nyanga epic, born miraculously from his mother's middle finger already able to speak and walk, and bearing the conga-scepter, an adze, and a magic rope.: Biebuyck & Mateene, The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga, 1969. (primary); Scheub, Harold. A Dictionary of African Mythology. Oxford University Press, 2000, s.v. 'Mwindo'. (secondary)
• Mwindo journeys through the aquatic, subterranean, and celestial worlds, defeats his father, and is finally chastened by the sky-beings before returning to rule.: Biebuyck, Hero and Chief, 1978. (secondary)