Congo life and folklore

by John H. Weeks

Satu as the insulted party makes the first move--He sends an embassy to Dimbula--He asks for an apology or offers a bullet--The apology is refused, but the bullet is accepted--The witch-doctor makes a new charm--Mode of fighting--The ridge-pole of chief’s house is captured--Dimbula sues for peace with a white goat--Pays homage to Satu--Blood brotherhood is made.

The hunting season had ended, and Dimbula had neither come to pay homage to Satu, nor sent an apology for the insults he had heaped on him. Dimbula’s attitude, his insolence, his breaking the bush-burning custom, and “What would Satu do?” were the general topics of conversation on the markets and around the evening fires. The people belonging to both towns swaggered, boasted of their prowess, and insulted each other whenever they met. There was no hope either of Dimbula humbling himself, or of Satu relinquishing his claims to homage, or at least his rights to courteous treatment.

As Satu was the aggrieved party he was consequently the one to make the first move. Bakula and another lad were chosen to carry a message and a bullet to Dimbula’s town.

It was with much nervous trepidation that they went on their errand. On arriving at the town they found the chief and his head men engaged in a drinking bout. Bakula delivered his message: “Would Dimbula apologize for his insults and pay homage to Satu as a noble of high rank, or would he accept of the bullet Satu had sent him?” Bakula and his comrade then withdrew out of hearing while the men consulted about the answer that should be returned.

When the messengers were recalled, Dimbula said: “We will accept the bullet, as we never intend either to apologize or to pay homage to Satu. Tell him,” angrily boasted the excited chief, “that I can let him have fifty kegs of gunpowder if he is short of it,” and then followed a string of abusive epithets that I do not care to place on record. The two lads were glad eventually to find themselves outside the town in safety; and, on reaching home, delivered their message faithfully to the waiting people.

Upon the return of the messengers Satu sent to call in all the neighbouring chiefs, except Dimbula, and on their arrival he laid clearly before them the reasons of his quarrel with Dimbula, and his wish to fight him. After full consideration of the matter the chiefs gave their consent to the fight taking place; and thereupon Satu killed a pig and distributed it among the chiefs. The acceptance of this pig’s flesh assured their neutrality, and was a proof of their consent. It was now the business of the chiefs to see that no one went to the assistance of either of the towns at war; and thus Satu had gained an open field, and feared no interference while he was fighting his enemy.

The next thing to be done was to send for the nganga who made the war charms. On his arrival Satu and all the men who were to take part in the fighting assembled to greet and fête him, for their success, and perhaps their lives, depended on his good-humour and his care in making their charms. They told the nganga that they were willing to pay for the most powerful charms he could make.

The “medicine man” took a frog and killed it, then he procured some twigs from three different trees--the “lembanzau,” the “lolo,” and the “mfilu”; these four things were carefully burnt together, and the ashes made into a paste by the addition of some water. A little of this paste was put into a large number of snail shells, one of which was given as a charm to each fighting man. Then the men walked round one of the above trees, and on returning to the town some palm-wine was mixed with the paste remaining in the saucepan, and all drank of it. After each one had drunk a little of this mess, the nganga took the saucepan down to the road that led to Dimbula’s town, and placed it right in the middle of the path. Each man had then to jump over the pot, and if one had stumbled or touched the pot with his foot while jumping he would not have been allowed to go to the fight. The coming war was a popular one, so every man jumped carefully and lifted his feet well when he came to the saucepan.

The twigs used in making this charm were from “strong medicine trees,” and the frog was put in the mixture because they had noticed that the frog’s heart pulsates, or, as they say, “lives,” for some time after it is taken from the body. This tenacity of life was what the fighters needed.

Early next morning the warriors assembled in front of the chief’s home, and he served out the powder to them. Then the nganga came with a bowl of palm-wine, and dipping his fingers in the wine touched the lips of the fighters three times with the front and back of his fingers, and told them not to look back, nor enter a house, but go right away to the fight. This he did each morning during the war, for this charm put them under a spell that removed all possibility of harm or danger. And the warriors being now secured from bullets, knives, etc., went off in high spirits to the fight.