The Daughter of Sun and Moon (African folktale)
"The Daughter of Sun and Moon" is an African folktale rooted in the traditions of the Bantu-speaking Mbundu people of Angola. The story centers around Kimanuele, the handsome son of Chief Kimanaweze, who is determined to marry the celestial daughter of Sun and Moon. His quest for love leads him to write letters to these celestial beings, seeking their blessing. Despite the initial skepticism about his boldness, Kimanuele's request is eventually acknowledged, and negotiations for the dowry commence.
The narrative incorporates elements of nature, with animals, particularly a wise frog named Minuti, playing pivotal roles in bridging the gap between the earthly and celestial realms. Minuti's cleverness not only facilitates the marriage but also elevates frogs in status among creatures in the story. The tale further emphasizes the deep respect that humans have for natural elements and celestial bodies, as it explores the connections between them and highlights themes of ingenuity and interdependence. The story also serves as a reflection of Bantu cosmology, shedding light on how these communities perceive the sun and moon within their cultural narratives.
The Daughter of Sun and Moon (African folktale)
Author: Traditional Mbundu
Time Period: 1001 CE–1500 CE
Country or Culture: Africa
Genre: Folktale
PLOT SUMMARY
The great Bantu chief Kimanaweze’s son, Kimanuele, has finally reached the age of marriage. Finding a bride for the young man would normally be an easy task, as Kimanuele is extremely handsome and could have his pick of any of the women in the village. However, Kimanuele is set on a particular bride, the daughter of Sun and Moon, and refuses to consider any other women.
Although he is shocked by his son’s choice, Kimanaweze does not try to dissuade Kimanuele from his decision. He suggests that the young man write a letter to both Sun and Moon, asking for their blessing. Kimanaweze next tries to find someone who is willing to deliver the letter. He approaches a rock rabbit, an antelope, a hawk, and a vulture, but all four animals refuse to deliver the letter to Sun and Moon. The situation seems hopeless until Minuti, a wise old frog, volunteers to deliver the message. Kimanuele doubts the frog’s ability to do so, but with no other volunteers, he agrees to let Minuti take the letter.
Sun and Moon frequently allow their handmaidens to travel along a spider web to earth to draw water. Minuti places the letter in his mouth and hides in one of the handmaidens’ buckets. The girls returns to heaven, and once there, Minuti secretly places the letter on a table. When Sun finds the letter, he is shocked by Kimanuele’s boldness and his ability to deliver the letter to heaven, and he throws away the note. After returning to earth, Minuti reports that he delivered the letter as promised, but Kimanuele doubts the frog, as there has been no response. Kimanuele writes another letter to Sun and Moon and has Minuti carry it to heaven. This time, Sun responds, agreeing to Kimanuele’s request. Minuti travels back and forth between heaven and earth as Sun and Moon and the young man negotiate the dowry.
When Sun and Moon finally agree to the terms of the marriage, another difficult task presents itself: delivering their daughter to Kimanuele. Although the chief’s son is distraught at this obstacle, Minuti has yet another clever idea. He returns to heaven and places a strange slime over the young woman’s eyes while she is sleeping. When she wakes and cannot see, Sun and Moon determine that Kimanuele must be responsible and decide to send their daughter to earth so that he can restore her sight. They have their spiders weave a tremendous web that can comfortably lower their daughter and the handmaidens to earth. Once they descend, the handmaidens leave the young woman near a secret pond, and Minuti removes the slime from her eyes. The young woman is overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the earth, and she happily marries Kimanuele. Because of Minuti’s role in the betrothal, frogs become considered the wisest of all of Africa’s creatures.
SIGNIFICANCE
The story of Kimanuele and the daughter of Sun and Moon is traditional to Bantu-speaking Mbundu (Kimbundu) people of Angola. The Bantu linguistic-cultural group also encompasses parts of Zambia, Namibia, and South Africa. Bantu folklore typically focuses on the relationship between humans and nature. In the story of the daughter of Sun and Moon, Kimanuele and his father are able to speak to and make requests of a wide range of animals. Meanwhile, the animals themselves take on human characteristics, as demonstrated by Minuti’s wisdom and cleverness. In fact, the wise frog, because he develops a plan that surprises even the great Sun and Moon, is elevated in status among all other nonhuman creatures. This show of respect by humans toward all frogs, according to the story, is to continue for all time. Furthermore, the story’s inclusion of spiders, on whose webs the handmaidens travel to and from earth, suggests that animals took part in the creation of the universe. When Sun and Moon’s daughter is delivered to earth, the spider webs that carry her are snared on a number of celestial objects, forming the white streak in the sky known as the Milky Way.
The tale also brings to light humanity’s relationship with the sun and moon. Scholars have long studied the view of the sun and moon in Bantu cosmology and attempted to determine whether the two bodies are viewed as deities or simply as part of the universe. Indeed, different versions of the story treat the celestial bodies in different ways; some refer to Sun and Moon as male and female, respectively, and others assign opposite genders. Regardless of these variations, the story of the daughter of Sun and Moon clearly calls attention to the significant respect that humankind has paid to the two celestial bodies over the centuries.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ferguson, Gary. The World’s Great Nature Myths. Guilford: Globe Pequot, 2000. Print.
Knappert, Jan. Bantu Myths and Other Tales. Leiden: Brill, 1977. Print.
Schapera, I., ed. The Bantu-Speaking Tribes of South Africa: An Ethnographical Survey. London: Routledge, 1962. Print.
Werner, Alice. Myths and Legends of the Bantu. Philadelphia: Psychology, 1968. Print.
Willoughby, William Charles. Nature Worship and Taboo: Further Studies in the Soul of the Bantu 1932. Whitefish: Kessinger, 2004. Print.