CHIBINDA ILUNGA
A wooden figurine from Zaire representing the Luba king Chibinda Ilunga.
A myth told by the Mbangala people of Angola tells a story of the Luba dynasty founded by Kalala Ilunga. The protagonist, Chibinda Ilunga, is one of the most highly revered figures in the mythology of the region. There once came to the Lunda kingdom a young prince, a hunter called Chibinda Ilunga, the grandson of Mbidi Kiluwe, who was the forefather of the Luba kings. His face was shining and white like the moon. This prince had left the Luba country because the king, jealous of his hunting prowess, had insulted him by alleging that he had never made war. One day the Lunda queen, Lueji, who was descended from the primordial serpent Chinawezi, mother of all things, went to a river in the forest and met the hunter prince. She was immediately captured by his charming manners and invited him to stay with her. In due course they married and one day Lueji made a speech to the elders and told them that from that day on Chibinda Ilunga would rule in her place. The prince also spoke to them and said that he was a hunter and would never shed the blood of men, only of animals. After Lueji had handed him her royal bracelet of office, she began her menstruation and went into seclusion. This lasted a long time and became known as Nkula ("the tree with red sap"), the name of the ritual that, ever since, has been applied to women with menstrual disorders. Because of her prolonged flow of blood, Lueji was never able to bear children. In the end she gave Chibinda Ilunga another wife, Kamonga, who was fertile.
