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80 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett
(4) MANIA-MATALI, generally the name of a district up a river where rocky land rises
from the low-lying swamps.
MANIA means the "cold" stones found in rivers and valleys. The word written in full is
MANDIA (the princely womb). Ideas of the moon are connected with this word;
everything looks cold by moonlight, and is actually cold.
MATALI (or Matadi) means the metallic rocks, heated by the sun, NTANGUA (mother
chaser), and is opposed to NGONDE (or NGONDIA) the Moon, regarded here as the
mother of the sun. The words mania-matali stand also for sun and moon.
The Sun and Moon are also spoken of as two brothers running one after the other, but as
the word NKOMBA in BAVILI may stand for either brother or sister, we may if we like
call them brother and sister.
The sun and moon are further spoken of as judges to whom certain palavers must be
referred. The other day I noticed a very neatly devised badge (Pl. IIb) upon a native's
shirt, and I asked him what it meant. The background of the badge was red, a favourite
colour with the materialistic Bavili. The sun and new moon were figured in white cloth,
while the mouth was formed of white and black cloth. The native told me that he had a
palaver with a certain cook, and that they had come to the conclusion that the decision
of so great a question could come only from the sun and moon. Upon a visit to the grave
of my old native friend Francisco I found the following device upon the gate of the fence
surrounding it: the sun with lines across its face and the moon in its last quarter. Here
no mouth was figured, showing, I suppose, that all breath was at an end. I can find no
trees sacred either to the sun or moon.
5. The Morning Star the Bavili liken to a child running before its parent calling him to
rule the day. This Star they call MA ULA. 46
The Evening Star is the offspring expressing its joy at going to rest with its mother the
Moon, and it is called NXIENJI.
The full moon rises from her couch accompanied by this same star, her offspring, now
her husband, and this star is then called NDONGO (the spirit of witchcraft).
6. NKONDA or NONGA-NZAU (to hunt the Elephant) has the meaning of amassing
everything for one's own family and giving nothing to others. It is the name of certain
towns The words symbolise weight, energy, and plenty.
7. BULU-NTU (a breaking of the head) a place generally situated about the falls of a river
where the waters burst a channel through or past the rocks. MBULU = beast. NTU =
man.
46 The exclamation U ULU is that with which the Bavili greet either the new moon or a "witch" (NDOXI)
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