New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-18
AFRICAN MYTHS.
THE UNDERWORLD IN ANGOLAN IRA
DITION

* CO.
Some of the most interesting tales in Mr.. Chat-
claims book relate to journeys in the other world
These will. in more than one instance, be rec
opnized as variations of motive similar to that
which is familiar in the story Of Orpheus
For example a certain king is said 10 have been
ca grieved by the death of his wife that he
nronounced a decree of silence binding on all
his subiects-a decree which would in the END be
fatal TO them since the women were forbidden
70 mound grain for the mush on which the ma
tives OF Angola live. His advisers protested
that they had never heard of such tyranny Dut
his only answer was: "If you would nave me
laugh and talk and allow my people 10 laugh
then restore me my queen" In similar case
among the Blackfeet Indians recorded by Mr.
Grnnen the husband himself went for MS
spouse But an African chief cannot be ex-
nected TO do so much as that for himself King
Kitamba. as he is called in the story, does not
follow the example Of Orpheus. On the con-
trary the head men Of the village call in
medicine man, who puts King and people through
a process Of publication. and then allows HIM
self to be buried beneath the fireplace in the hut
which he had occupied guest He takes win
him his child while his wife is instructed not TO
wear a girdle in his absence. and to put water
on the grave daily until his return. As soon as
the grave is covered. 1t opens beneath INTO
wide road This Is the Angolan device for har-
monizing the discrepancy which is not explained
even in Homer. between passages that put Hades
at a great distance and those which assocl-
ate it with the ground underfoot The grave
for these Africans is but the necessary starting
point Of a long journey. The medicine man. fol-
lowed by the child. comes at last to village
which proves to be that OF the King Of the
he wi he
at work Just as she would be If she were alive
But when he calls her. she replies in words ex-
actly like those of the poet who described the
descent Of the Assyrian goddess Istar. Never
comes one here to return again" She shows him
the King of dead and, strangest Of all. the shade
Of her husband. who is still alive. This rivals a
famous incident in Dante, which used TO be
thought original until it discovered that
earlier Missionaries Of the Middle Ages also con-
demned people occasionally to eternal torments
before their time. Now. with the story Of King
Kitamba before our eyes. we must expect soon
or late to find that the most savage stroke Of
the great Florentine's satire was inflicted with
the weapon Of popular tradition.
Like the human wife Of the demon in the Tai
mudic legend the dead African queen forbids
the medicine man 10 eat of the food Of the
underworld. IF thou eatest here" she says,
thou canst return no more" OF course. that is
exactly what the Elf Queen says TO True Thomas.
1t bespeaks the contingency against which
Psyche guarded by taking only a crust on her
visit to Proserpina. instead of the rich viands
which the Queen Of Death pressed upon her.
Prosperpina herself was caught by eating
pomegranate seed. That Psyche could ac-
cept even crust in Hades and yet es-
cape was a rare thing in folklore The
ami ,1ipH 70 no n
treaties Of her husband Izanagi. by saying. Il
have eaten of the kitchen of Yomi and cannot
return to thee" Only by the Intervention Of a
god were those rescued who had eaten the food
prepared by Gree in the Greek tale of Ulysses.
In the whole range of folklore there Is, perhaps.
no other element which so. justly deserves the
term universal as ths-that the food of Hades
is fatal The central thought remains the same
everywhere. But sometimes the prohibition is so
extended that must take away nothing nor
even touch anything; and. on. the other hand. 1t
is often limited in various ways. In the present
tale the queen gives the medicine man the arm
ring which was buried with her as proof that he
has seen her. The mention OF the arm-ring In
this way fixes beyond question the belief that
such articles when buried with a person are
carried by the shade to the other world APP
parently the Angolans have not risen TO the
need the shadow of arm-rng. In many
tales even such gift this would be
deemed fatal. Another tale translated by Mr..
Chatelain makes 1t the mark Of a vain boaster 10
nretend to have brought even corn-eaves from
Kalunga the underworld. Those who go to
Kalunga and return are never ordinary persons
in these tales. They are heroes like Hercules
and Ulysses, or magicians like the medicine man
already alluded TO, animals endowed with
supernatural cunning. One is reminded Of pas
sages in the Alcestis OF Euripides by the story OF
Ngunza Kilundu kia Ngunza. who may well
pass for the Angolan Hercules. 1t is strange
not TO be told that whole cycle Of adventures
is connected with his name. Warned while on a
tourney by dream Of the death Of his younger
brother. he hastens home and is told that the
King Of the Dead was his brothers slayer. The
name Of the Angolan Pluto is Kalungangombe
and he appears to be by no means so powerful
a character as his counterpart. Still it must be
remembered that his strength is measured In
these tales not against common men. The name
of Ngunza Kilundu means the spirit hero anC
the first word OF the name. says Mr. Chatelain
IS sometimes incorrectly used for God In the
light of these facts comparison with Hercule:
becomes all the more striking. But this spirit
hero proceeds to the task OF avengng himself
on Kalungangombe in thoroughly human fashion
The Angolans have already forgotten thell
aboriginal weapons. for the hero in this storS
arms himself with a gun. On the other hand
they have not forgotten the superstition of the
stone and bronze age that the new metal iron
was efficacious against demons. Kalungangombt
is easily caught in an iron trap. He pleads fol
his life. saying that he never wantonly kills
people. that they brought to him. and HI
promises that Ngunza shall seek his brother n
Kalunga On the appointed day Ngunza visit!
the court of the King of Terrors He does no
find him ready with book Of fate. like The
Tartar Airk Khan, ruler of the subterranear
realm of Berreed. to try those who come before
him, but investigating cases after the usua
fashion of an African potentate. One shade testi
Gos that ,va the victim of Nifchcraff hecauSI