Reading Notes: Congo Unit, Part B

How The Spider Won and Lost Nzambi's Daughter

This story has the same element of the trickster that I saw in How Gazelle Got Married from Reading Notes: Congo Unit, Part A.  It is interesting to see this kind of repetition in stories that both contain the quest to obtain a certain bride.  It is a cool trend that seems to be important to most of the Congo stories, and I think it definitely has interesting possibilities.  I have two ideas on how I might change this story, adapt it into my own thoughts words.

This kind of story would probably not be very popular if it was written in today's cultural climate, but I think it would be interesting to put a modern spin on this type of story. I would rather have the bride herself making the demands, although perhaps her mother/father/parents consult in the object need/task completed in order to marry their daughter.

Another cool idea would be to switch the role of parent and groom-to-be. Instead of offering their daughter's hand in marriage, they are trying to win it back!  So, it would be called: How Nzambi Won and Lost Her Daughter (to the Spider)

Nzambi's daughter has been captured by the spider, and he is forcing her precious girl into an (supposedly) unwanted marriage. Nzambi goes through all these tasks, wtih the help of a few friends, to obtain the heavenly fire from Nzambi Mpungu.  Only when she returns, she finds that her daughter has actually become aquainted with the spider and has even fallen in love!

This is art by Eddy Kamunanga Ilunga, an artist from Congo.  It reminded me of Nzambi and her daughter.

Tambour by Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga

Story source: Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort by Richard Edward Dennett (1898).

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