Masala Kulangwa and the Monster Shing’weng’we
Masala Kulangwa and the Monster Shing’weng’we
Once upon a time in East Africa the monster or ogre Shing’weng’we swallowed all the people in the world together with all the domestic animals except one pregnant woman who hid in a pile of chaff. Later this woman gave birth to a boy named Masala Kulangwa (whose name means “the smart or clever person who understands quickly”). When he grew up he asked: “Mother, why are there only the two of us? Where are the other people?” She answered: “My dear one, everyone else was swallowed by Shing’weng’we. We two are the only ones left.”
From that day on the young man started looking for the monster. One day he killed a grasshopper and arrived home singing: “Mother, Mother, I have killed Shing’weng’we. Rejoice and shout for joy.” But his Mother answered: “My dear one, this is only a grasshopper, not the monster. Let’s roast him and eat him.”
Another day he killed a bird and arrived home singing: “Mother, Mother, I have killed Shing’weng’we up in the hills. Rejoice and shout for joy.” But his Mother answered: “My dear one, this is only a bird, not the monster. Let’s roast it and eat it.”
Another day he killed a small gazelle and arrived home singing: “Mother, Mother, I have killed Shing’weng’we up in the hills. Rejoice and shout for joy.” But his Mother answered: “My dear one, this is only a small gazelle, not the monster. Let’s roast it and eat it.”
Another day he killed an antelope and arrived home singing: “Mother, Mother, I have killed Shing’weng’we up in the hills. Rejoice and shout for joy.” But his Mother answered: “My dear one, this is only an antelope, not the monster. Let’s roast it and eat it.”
Finally the clever young man Masala Kulangwa found Shing’weng’we, overcame him and cut open the monster’s back. Out came his father along with his relatives and all the other people. By bad luck when he split open the monster’s back Masala Kulangwa cut off the ear of an old woman. This woman became very angry and insulted the young man. She tried to bewitch him. But Masala Kulangwa found medicine and healed the old woman. Then all the people declared the young man chief and raised him up in the Chief’s Chair. Masala Kulangwa became the chief of the whole world and his mother became the Queen Mother. (Summary of the Sukuma, Tanzania Song Version of a Traditional Myth in many African Languages)