Indaba, My Children: African Tribal History, Legends, Customs And Religious Beliefs. Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa
was no way of reaching her
And Marimba sang out in utter despair;
‘Oh beautiful star of the human race!
Oh mother of countless men—
Is there nothing we can do to help?
Lo! here we stand as helpless as
A dove in the mouth of a civet cat!
Our only wish is to be by your side—
What is there you can advise us to do?’
‘You can do nothing, my loyal children,’
Her voice carried faintly across the flood;
‘My only wish is to be left alone,
As I wish to die in peace.’
‘Mother of Nations,’ cried Marimba,
‘Is it thus that you sacrifice your life?
Is it thus that the beloved Amarava
Turns her back on her destitute children?’
Instead of hearing Amarava’s reply,
They all heard a frightening splash—
Some distance upstream a mighty Monster
Had entered the water in a cloud of spray.
Marimba immediately plunged in as well
And tried to reach the mudbank first,
But the current was much stronger than her courage
And swept her helplessly downstream.
Twice she tried and twice she failed,
And in an alternative desperate attempt
At frightening the monster away
Zumangwe ordered his men to launch
A hail of sling-stones across the water.
All their efforts, with spears and arrows included
And another brave and nearly successful attempt
On the part of Marimba to reach her through the flood—
Were futile and they could only helplessly witness
The most horrible scene they had ever experienced.
* * *
Amarava had noticed the Monster
And in blind terror she summoned all her strength;
With a shriek she plunged into the water,
But was equally promptly snatched up by the Monster.
‘Release her, you vilest reincarnation of Evil,’
Marimba now shouted in utter despair—
And then to everyone’s breathless surprise
The scaly Monster calmly turned and spoke:
‘Poor ignorant, foolish human creatures—
How terribly sentimental you are!
It is for your own good and safety that I remove
This Thing which you knew as Amarava!’
The Monster spoke with infinite tenderness;
‘You are blindly loyal to the outward form—
To superficial appearance alone;
When will your clouded brains appreciate
That things are not what they appear to be!
That there is more to anything than meets the eye!’
‘Aieeee!’ cried Marimba, the only one
Who still had power of speech,
‘Do you mean to tell us that Amarava
Is not what she appears to be!’
‘Yebo,’ replied the Monster that Walks,
To which Marimba lost control of herself;
‘Haiee! not only are you a monster
As foul as the cesspools of hell
But the father of all lies as well!’
‘Human female – I speak only the truth—
This creature you know as Amarava
Is a reincarnation at the same time
Of the Fire Bride, or Rebel Goddess,
Who has been evading the Great Spirit
For many millions of years!’
Even as Marimba listened and looked,
The limp and naked from of Amarava
Was slowly changing in the Monster’s clutches;
Her red skin turned to the colour of gold
With the polished brightness of that metal.
Now she had an udder of five breasts—
Ruby tipped and standing out—
Like anthills on a desolate plain;
And her eyes, once so soft and clear,
Had the greeny hardness of emeralds.
Her hands had acquired a sixth finger,
And all her fingers flourished
Razor-sharp diamond claws.
A lion’s tail sprang from her backside
Which curled and uncurled
Like a whip of living gold!
A flaming forked tongue protruded
And licked her pig-iron lips.
‘Behold her! Look well upon her,’
Cried the Monster, holding her up,
‘Behold the foul creature who not only deceived you,
But Ma, the First Goddess as well.
Look upon the thing you knew as Amarava
And for which you were prepared to sacrifice your lives!
See the one you adored as Amarava,
In whom is now reincarnated
Watamaraka, the Spirit of Evil!’
Before the Monster and its captive
Vanished in a flash of unearthly flame,
Marimba saw the sneer of contempt
On the once beloved Amarava’s face;
‘I shall return one day and avenge myself
On all living things – I shall . . .’
Night had fallen by the time Zumangwe
And his followers reached the gate of their new village—
The first village in the country which in future years
Acquired the name of Tanga-Nyika.
He had ordered all those who had witnessed events
Never to repeat what they had seen—
They all agreed to abide by the make-belief
That the search for Amarava had failed.
The secret of Amarava’s identity
Went with these men to their grave.
Zumangwe