Mbungi, a selfish husband, deceived his wife to keep all the meat from their hunting trips while denying her food. In retaliation, she cleverly withheld fish she caught. Enraged, Mbungi killed her, but her vengeful spirit pursued him relentlessly. Eventually, her family discovered the truth and executed him, marking the origin of murder in this tale. The story explores greed, justice, and supernatural retribution.
Source
Among Congo Cannibals
by John H. Weeks
Seeley, Service & Co.,London, 1913
► Themes of the story
Good vs. Evil: Mbungi’s selfishness and deceit contrast sharply with his wife’s fairness, highlighting the moral struggle between malevolent and virtuous behaviors.
Revenge and Justice: After Mbungi murders his wife, her spirit seeks retribution, and ultimately, her family enacts justice by executing him, underscoring themes of vengeance and moral reckoning.
Divine Punishment: Mbungi’s relentless torment by his wife’s spirit can be interpreted as a form of divine retribution for his heinous acts.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Bantu peoples
Mbungi one day said to his wife: “Dig up some cassava, prepare it, and cut down some plantain, for we will go hunting and fishing.”
The wife did as she was told, and in a short time everything was ready for the journey. They put their goods into a canoe and paddled away to their hunting and fishing camp. After resting, the man went and dug a hole and set his traps; and the next morning he found an antelope and a bush-pig in the hole. These he took to the camp, cut up, and gave to his wife to cook.
► Continue reading…
By and by when all was cooked she brought the meat to her husband, and as she was taking her portion he said: “Wait, I will ask the forest-folk (or spirits) if you may eat it.”
He went and pretended to ask the forest-folk, and brought back a message that if she ate the meat the traps would lose their luck and catch no more animals. In this way the selfish husband had all the meat for himself and his wife went hungry, [a person considered he had not made a meal if he had no meat or fish to eat with his cassava] Mbungi found many animals in his traps, and the woman, because of the prohibition, did not have her share of them.
One day the woman made some fish-traps and set them, and on her return to the camp the husband wanted to know where she had been, but she refused to tell him. Next day she went to look at her traps and found many fish in them, which she brought to the camp and cooked. Mbungi, however, returned unsuccessful from his traps; but when he saw his wife’s fish he laughed and said: “Bring the fish here for me to eat.”
“Wait,” answered the woman, “I will ask the forest-folk if you may eat the fish.” And she brought back a reply that he was not to eat the fish, for if he did so the fish-traps would lose their luck.
It was now Mbungi’s turn to be hungry. Days and days passed and he caught no more animals; but his wife always had plenty of fish. He became very thin and angry. One day he drew his large knife, and cutting off the head of his wife he buried the head and the trunk together in the ground, and departed for his town.
Mbungi had not gone very far on his way when he heard a voice shouting: “Mbungi, wait for me, we will go together!” He wondered who was calling him, so he hid himself, and in a little time he saw the head of his wife coming along the road calling after him.
He went, and catching the head he cut it into small pieces and buried it again; but before he had gone far he heard it shouting: “Mbungi, wait for me, we will go together!” He cut and buried it again and again, but it was no use, it continued to follow and call after him.
Mbungi reached his town, and his wife’s family asked him: “Where is your wife?” “Oh, she is coming on behind,” he replied. They accused him of killing her, but this he strongly denied. While he was denying the charge of murder the head came right into the town; and when the family saw it they immediately tied up Mbungi and killed him. This was how murder was first introduced into the world.
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