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89 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett do so but to complain of the children to their father who would, she was sure, chastise his offspring himself. Contrary to her mother's advice, XIKAMACI caught these children and taking the law into her own hands punished them. Then the king, their father, became very wrath and caused rains to flood her plantations, water coming up also out of the earth through the ant hills. In this flood XIKAMACI was washed (poor dear! say the Bavili) into the sea, where she is generally said to remain, save when she comes ashore to get red wood and other articles for her toilet. She is said also to demand one of all twins born in the country. And when boat, boys or fishermen are about to take a drink, they first pour a little out of the bottle into the sea. XIKAMACI is said to be the mother of the double grove X1KANGA NXILUKA, situated between the KWILu river and Luango at a place called XISSANGA. And NxILUKA is said to have brought forth an animal and a wooden figure (NKAWCI) and a stone. Thus XIKAMACI (the North wind) coming from near XILUNGA in the province of XIBANGA may be said to be the grandmother of NDONGOISM or, as some would call it fetishism. 3. The group of Bukulu is associated with fire. BUKULU means a ray of light, which the natives connect with the idea of chasing as bubbles seem to chase one another in boiling water. KANGA is another word for FUNZI both meaning the guinea fowl. The word KANGA means to tie, to fry-KANJI = he who ties. A man who is tied up or made a prisoner becomes according to native law one of the family of the man who ties. So that KANGA as a power may mean conjunction or assimilation. BUNZI is the South wind and has its home in the province of MUANDA between Cabinda and Banana. Its full designation is BUNZI BU BAMBA, and I notice on Mr. Ravenstein's map MBAMBA is marked as being close to Banana. MBAMBA is also the most southwesterly province of the composite kingdom47 of SONIO. It is to this "power" that Maluango after consultation with NGANGA MPUKU NYAMBI sends offerings of chalk, cloth and skins. As it is from BUNZI that rains and life and apparently all good things come as a power, it may stand for propagation or semination. MBAMBA is the tiny kernel where all the virtues of the future palm tree exist (it is also the coronella snake). MBAZU =fire. As a power then it may mean fusion (or the offspring of marriage). All these come under the category of fire in one sense or the other. 4. The Hbawmbo group is associated with the category of motion. Mbawmbo they say has its grove to the East of Maluango's composite kingdom in a town called NKANDA NGO (the leopard's relation) in the SUNDI country. The word 47 By composite I mean formed of six provinces as that part of Kongo's kingdom which lies south of the river Kongo, and those of KAKONGO or LUANGO www.globalgrey.co.uk
90 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett BAWMBOKA means to move slowly, MBAWMBO therefore may mean "motion." It must be remembered that thunder and lightning are connected with omens which the Bavili associate with the nervous system and ideas of procreation. LUABI=the persistent (evil) light and so perhaps may as a "power" (connected with motion) signify lightning as the female of SOLOKOTO, which means the power of growling in the father or (as a motion perhaps) Thunder. MABILI, i.e.," the prince who greets " is the East wind. This wind brings with it great tornadoes, and this is thus connected with movement. BILA means reason, cause, purpose, as well as to greet, and we have already noted that it is connected with the word XIBILA, the sacred grove or meeting place. In this way we catch a glimpse of the foundation of the saying of the Bavili that all religion comes from the East. Here, however, MABILI is the offspring of motion. 5. The group of Kungu is associated with fruitfulness. KUNGU is a grove within the sacred province of Luango called BUALI where the dead who die with their eyes open are said to be placed under its LOMBA tree. The word KUNGU is derived from KUNGA, to amass, so that it means an amassing or heaping together. MBUMBA = mystery. The idea may also be associated with ripe fruit falling from the trees. BUA =to fall. NTAWMBO = seedling, sprout, shoot. It is the name of a river that keeps on rising out of the ground. This may be translated into European language as another kind of energy. XIVOLA means attraction. 6. The group of Nyambi is associated with ideas of life. NYAMBI = Ruler (literally the spirit or personality of the four). NYAMBI is said to be the nephew of BUNZI. Some people call God NYAMBI instead of NZAMBI, but the word rather means Life in the sense of VIS VITÆ. IA= to be. LUAYI = the umbilical cord. As XAMA LUAYI it is the protecting beneficent rainbow, so that as a power it may mean Protection, Maternal Love, Sustenance. NYIMINA, YIMA is to bear fruit, while YIMINA is to know how to bear fruit with; NYIMINA then is the one who knows how to bear fruit with, or as a "power" paternal love. MPUKUNYAMBI is the bursting or birth giving power in Nyambi or perhaps what we may term "Birth." To this grove a man takes his pregnant wife and asks with her for a safe delivery. As there is no life without food we can understand how it is that the www.globalgrey.co.uk
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