Boshongo Creation Myth
The Boshongo are a Central Bantu tribe of the Lunda Cluster. They have a long history despite being fairly unknown among the bantu tribes. Their origin story is one of the strangest largely because it begins with a stomachache.
In the beginning, there was nothing but dark water and Bumba was on his own. Then one day he was in great pain in his stomach. His discomfort grew so great that he vomited up the sun. The sun then spread its light all over the world. The heat from the sun dried up the water and black sands banks and reefs were exposed. Bumba was still in pain and next he vomited up the moon and the stars which then lit up the night.
Bumba’s stomachache continued and he retched up nine animals; the leopard, the crested eagle, the crocodile, a fish, the tortoise, the white heron, one beetle, a goat named Budi and Tsetse, the lightning. The last creature to come forth out of Bumba was man, but only Loko Yima was white like Bumba. The rest of the world’s creatures were then created by the animals that had come forth out of Bumba, each of them responsible for creating their own group of animals.
Bumba then gave his three sons the tasks of finishing the creation of the world. Nyonye Nagana made the white ants but died at the effort it took. Chonganda brought forth a plant from which all other trees and plants and grasses of world came. Chedi Bumba tried for something different but could only make a bird called the kit. The world was peaceful with the exception of Tsetse who continually stirred up trouble so Bumba banished her to the sky. Without lighting man, had no way to make fire, and so Bumba showed man who to make the firedrill and liberate the fire that was within the trees. Thus the world was created.