The Beginning of Death

When Kintu first came to the earth he found there was no food at all. He brought with him one cow and had only its milk for his food. In the course of time a woman named Nambi came with her brother to the earth and saw Kintu. The woman fell in love with him. She wished to be married to him, and told him so. But she had to return with her brother to her people and her father, Gulu, who was king of the sky.

Nambi’s relatives objected to the marriage because they said that the man did not know of any food except that which the cow gave, and they did not like him. Gulu their father, however, said they had better test Kintu before he agreed to the marriage. He then sent his son to take Kintu’s cow. For a time Kintu was at a loss what to eat, but he learned to eat herbs.

Nambi happened to see the cow and knew it. She complained that her brothers wished to kill the man she loved. She then went to the earth and told Kintu where his cow was, and invited him to return with her to take it away. Kintu consented and went.

When Nambi’s brothers saw Kintu with their sister, they told their father. He ordered them to build a house for Kintu and said they were to put him to another test.

An enormous meal was cooked, enough food for a hundred people, and brought to Kintu. He was told that unless he ate it all he would be killed as a thief. If he failed to eat it, they said, this would be proof that he was not the great Kintu. He was then shut up in a house and left.

After he had eaten and drunk as much as he wished, he did not know what to do with the rest of the food. Fortunately he discovered a deep hole in the floor of the house. He turned all the food and beer into it and covered it over so that no one could detect the place. He then called the people outside.

The sons of Gulu came in, but would not believe he had eaten all the food. They, therefore, searched the house, but failed to find anything.

They then went to their father and told him that Kintu had eaten all the food. He would not believe the story, and said Kintu must be further tested. A copper ax was sent by Gulu, who said to Kintu, “Go and cut me firewood from the rock, because I do not use ordinary firewood.”

When Kintu went with the ax he said to himself, “What am I to do? If I strike the rock, the ax will only turn its edge or rebound.” However, after he had looked at the rock he found there were cracks in it. He broke off pieces, then, and returned with them to Gulu, who was surprised to get them.

Still he said Kintu must be further tried before they gave their consent to the marriage. Kintu was next sent to get water and was told he must bring dew only, because Gulu did not drink water from wells. Kintu took the water-pot and went off to a field where he put the pot down and began to ponder what he was to do to collect the dew. He was sorely puzzled; but, upon returning to the pot, he found it full of water, and he carried it back to Gulu.

Gulu was most surprised and said, “This man is a wonderful being; he shall have his cow back and marry my daughter.”

Kintu was told he was to pick his cow from the herd and take it. This was a more difficult task than the others. Since there were so many cows like his own he feared he would take the wrong one.

While he was thus puzzled a large bee came and said, “Take the one upon whose horns I shall alight; it is yours.”

The next morning he went to the appointed place and stood and watched the bee which was resting on a tree near him. A large herd of cows was brought before him, and he pretended to look for his cow; but in reality he watched the bee, which did not move.

After a time Kintu said, “My cow is not there.”

A second herd was brought, and again he said, “My cow is not there.”

A third much larger herd was brought, and the bee flew at once and rested upon a cow which was a very large one, and Kintu said, “That is my cow.”

The bee then flew to another cow, and Kintu said, “That is one of the calves from my cow,” and so on to a second and third which he claimed as the calves that had been born during the cow’s stay with Gulu.

Gulu was delighted with Kintu and said, “You are truly Kintu; take your cows: no one can deceive or rob you; you are too smart for that.”

African Cattle

He called Nambi and said to Kintu, “Take my daughter who loves you, marry her and go back to your home.”

Gulu further said, “You must hurry away and go back before Death (Walumbe) comes, because he will want to go with you and you must not take him; he will only cause you trouble and unhappiness.”

Nambi agreed to what her father said and went to pack up her things. Kintu and Nambi then took leave of Gulu, who said, “Be sure if you have forgotten anything not to come back, because Death will want to go with you and you must go without him.”

They started off home, taking with them, besides Nambi’s things and the cows, a goat, a sheep, a fowl, and a plantain tree. On the way Nambi looked into her basket and found out that she had forgotten the grain for the fowl, and said to Kintu, “I must go back for the grain for the fowl, or it will die.”

Kintu told her not to go back, but in vain. She said, “I will hurry back and get in without any one seeing me.”

He said, “Your brother Death will be on the watch and see you.”

She would not listen to her husband, but went back and said to her father, “I have forgotten the grain for the fowl, and I am come to take it from the doorway where I put it.”

He replied, “Did I not tell you that you were not to return if you forgot anything, because your brother Death would see you and want to go with you? Now he will accompany you.”

She tried to steal away without Death, but he followed her.

When she returned to Kintu, he was angry at seeing Death, and said, “Why have you brought your brother with you? Who can live with him?”

Nambi was sorry; so Kintu said, “Let us go on and see what will happen.”

When they reached the earth Nambi planted her garden, and the plantains grew rapidly, and she soon had a large plantain grove. They lived happily for some time and had a number of children, until one day Death asked Kintu to send one of his children to be his cook.

Death

Kintu replied, “If Gulu comes and asks me for one of my children, what am I to say to him? Shall I tell him that I have given her to be your cook?”

Death was silent and went away, but he again asked for a child to be his cook, and again Kintu refused to send one of his daughters to serve Death in this or any other way.

Death then said, “I will kill them.”

Kintu, who did not know what he meant, asked, “What is it you will do?”

In a short time, however, one of the children fell ill and died, and from that time they began to die at intervals. Kintu returned to Gulu and told him about the passing of the children, and accused Death of being the cause.

Gulu replied, “Did I not tell you when you were going away to go at once with your wife and not to return if you had forgotten anything, but you allowed Nambi to return for the grain? Now you have Death living with you. Had you obeyed me you would have been free from him and not lost any of your children.”

After some further entreaty, Gulu sent Kaikuzi, the brother of Death, to assist Nambi, and to prevent Death from killing the children.

Kaikuzi went to the earth with Kintu and was met by Nambi, who told him her pitiful story. He said he would call Death and ask him not to kill the children.

When Death came to greet his brother they had quite a pleasant meeting, and Kaikuzi told him he had come to take him back, because their father wanted him.

Death said, “Let us take our sister, too”; but Kaikuzi said he was not sent to take her, because she was married and had to stay with her husband.

Death refused to go without his sister, and Kaikuzi was angry with him and ordered him to do as he was told. Death, however, escaped from Kaikuzi’s grip and fled away into the earth.

For a long time there was strife between the two brothers. Kaikuzi tried in every possible way to catch his brother Death, who always escaped. At last Kaikuzi told the people to remain in their houses for several days and not let any of the animals out, and he would have a final hunt for Death. He further told them that if they saw Death they must not call out nor raise the usual cry.

The instructions were followed for two or three days, and Kaikuzi got his brother to come out of the earth and was about to capture him, when some children took their goats to the pasture and saw Death and called out. Kaikuzi rushed to the spot and asked why they called, and was told they had seen Death. He was angry, because Death had gone into the earth again.

He went to Kintu, then, and told him he was tired of hunting Death and wanted to return home. He also complained that the children had frightened Death into the earth again. Kintu thanked Kaikuzi for his help and said he feared nothing more could be done, and hoped Death would not kill all the people.

From that time Death has lived upon the earth and killed people whenever he could, and then escaped into the earth.

Regret causes an aching which is worse than pain.

After a foolish action comes remorse.

Remorse weeps tears of blood and gives the echo of what is lost forever.