User:Lawrencekisuuki

KINTU AND NAMBI

This is a legend of the Baganda of Central Africa that they tell explaining how they came about and how the world got populated and is as is today.

It is believed that long ago there was one man in Buganda called Kintu because of this he is referred to as the first Muganda man. He lived on dung and milk which he got from his one and only cow.

There was a King of the Heavens who was known as Gulu and he lived far up beyond the sky. He was very rich with so many cows, poultry, crops such as millet, beans, bananas (the staple food of the Baganda). Gulu had three children; two sons, Kayikuzi who was the good son and Walumbe the bad mischievous son, and one very beautiful daughter, Nambi. These children often visited Buganda (earth) by sliding down a rainbow.

Nambi was moving around Buganda one day and saw Kintu with his cow, she found him very handsome and fell in love with him. He had similar feelings for her and he proposed to marry her, but Nambi’s brothers did not want this because Kintu was poor yet Nambi persisted.

One day, one of Nambi’s brothers slid down and stole Kintu’s only cow with the intention of starving him to death. Kintu became very hungry since the cow that could give him dung and milk had disappeared. He decided to eat plant leaves and roots instead. All this time Nambi was watching over him, she felt sad that he was suffering and had nothing to eat. So she came and took him to heaven.

Gulu on hearing that Nambi had brought back Kintu, he immediately ordered that a house to be built for Kintu and he summoned for him. He told Kintu that for him to marry His daughter, Nambi he would’ve to succeed in completing some challenges.

First, He told him to eat all the food in very many baskets before him. Kintu gently sat and after eating a little, he noticed a hole in the corner of the house. He ate to his fill and poured the rest in the hole and carefully covered it.

Kintu approached Gulu that he had completed the task, but Gulu was not convinced so he gave him another challenge. He told him to collect water in a basket. Kintu was puzzled and worried about how he would be able to do this. Later a spider came and helped him to weave around the basket; it spun its web several times such that the water could not pass through. He then collected the water and took it to Gulu.

Gulu took Kintu to a vast horizon where very many of his cows where grazing and he told Kintu to find his cow among them. Kintu stayed up and looked at the cows trying to see his own but all in vain. A bee then came and helped him; it went straight into the middle of the heard and sat on top of Kintu’s herd.

Finally, Gulu allowed Kintu to take Nambi. She gathered several things to take back with her among them hens and Gulu told them that they must go away without Walumbe knowing. On their way, Nambi remembered that she had forgotten the millet she was to feed to her hens and so they had to turn back.

On arrival, Walumbe saw Nambi and wanted to know where they were going. Nambi tried to avoid him, but Walumbe refused to let her go until she told him and she eventually gave in.

Nambi and Kintu gave birth and raised children, but Walumbe always killed one of them whenever he visited. Kintu became depressed and reported to Gulu who was very furious at the news. He immediately sent Kayikuzi to go and bring Walumbe back to heaven. Walumbe fought fiercely against the mighty Kayikuzi and just when he was reaching submission, Walumbe managed to escape from him and ran and hid in a big deep hole called Ttanda. Kayikuzi followed him and is still chasing him up to now. It is believed that the sound you hear during an earth quake is the fight and pursuit of the brothers. It is also believed that even today, Walumbe creeps out of Ttanda and kills Kintu’s great grand children. He is the god of death.