African Food and Art

Thank you to our latest donor, Tony. Thank you, Tony. We were able to purchase three new stainless steel pots to continue our cooking and teaching heritage.

In the land of Dagboro, there lived a skilled hunter named Lujamba

In the African hunter never returned folklore story; the hunter goes away promising to return but never does.

African hunter spirit 

In the land of Dagboro, there lived a skilled hunter named Lujamba. He was renowned for his unmatched prowess in tracking and capturing game. Lujamba roamed the untamed lands, venturing across the Kei River on the Wild Coast, located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. 

Accompanying him on his adventures was Kwaziti, the revered ancestor of the late Paedite. Together, they formed a formidable duo. When Kwaziti acquired the dense, forested mountains of Amatolas from chief Pohho, they discovered that the area was infested with a large population of Bamogu, a tribe of people with a unique way of life. 

These inhuman-looking Jilambe posed a challenge to their reign over the land. One fateful day, as Lujamba and his two young companions were hunting, they successfully captured an eland. Bursting with triumph, Lujamba proudly exclaimed, "Tsi! ha! ha! ha! ha! The weapons of Kwaziti!" Little did he know that a group of Bamogu had been silently observing their every move. 

The Jilambe approached Lujamba and declared, "Behold the setting sun, for it shall be your last. You shall hunt our game no more." Realizing the danger he was in, Lujamba attempted to negotiate his release. He offered the Jilambe a significant quantity of dacha, a wild hemp used for smoking, as a ransom for his life. While one of the Jilambe was reluctant to spare him, the rest agreed to the proposal. 

The Jilambe held Lujamba captive, while he pretended to send his two young companions to fetch the promised dacha. In secret, Lujamba instructed the young men not to return. The Bamogu believed Lujamba's plan and patiently awaited the arrival of the dacha. As the day turned to night, the Jilambe indulged in their feast of eland, consuming it without pause. 

Throughout the night, they kept a watchful eye on Lujamba, their captive. When morning arrived, they inquired about the return of the young men with the dacha. 

Lujamba cunningly replied that he did not expect their arrival until sunset. Satiated with their meat-filled bellies, the Jilambe grew drowsy and decided to rest, except for the one who had advised against sparing Lujamba's life. This particular Jilambe remained vigilant but eventually succumbed to fatigue. 

Seizing the opportunity, Lujamba swiftly took his spear and, one by one, eliminated the slumbering Jilambe. In his triumph, Lujamba momentarily forgot himself and exclaimed his cry of victory, "Tsi! ha! ha! ha! ha! Izikali zika Rarabe!" 

His cry awakened the lone Kwaziti who had initially advocated for Lujamba's demise. He sprang to his feet and fled, his voice echoing through the wind, "I warned you, this Lujamba of the Kwazitis should have been vanquished. Those of you who now lie lifeless perished for not heeding my advice.

African Proverb - Yimbini yezolo yakwa Gxuluwe means Lujamba's two of yesterday. This is a saying of anyone who goes away promising to return, and does not do so. It had its origin in an event that happened many generations back.

African folklore is educational.

More short folklore stories from Africa to make you fall in love with myths and legends again from the motherland.
  1. Why the bunny rabbit has wiggly slits for a nose
  2. Love Takes No Less Than Everything Marriage Folklore
  3. Hunters Attack Cowards Tell the Story
  4. One Do Wrong All Get Punished
  5. Mighty Little Hedgehog

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for the comment.

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

What is the difference between ugali and fufu

Image
How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali and
Learn More About Africa

Ethiopian Midwest American Hotdish

Image
Our Ethiopian hot dish combines Ethiopian cooking with classic Minnesota Midwest casserole meal. The hot dish’s origins are a product of settlers traditions in Midwest America dating back to the early 20th century. A hot-dish or casserole is a one-pan meal that traditionally includes a combination of starch like potatoes, pasta, or rice, ground meat, vegetables, and a creamy canned soup base, all topped with crunchy goodness like breadcrumbs or tater tots. The concept of hot dish became popular in the Upper Midwest, particularly in states like Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, in the 1930s and 1940s. This period was marked by economic challenges, including the Great Depression. The need for economical and filling meals led to the creation of dishes that could be stretched to feed many people using simple, affordable ingredients . Hot dishes became synonymous with potlucks, church suppers, and social gatherings. These events were central to rural and small-town communities, where
Learn More About Africa

Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa

Image
African Country by Size List. Africa Which are the top twenty largest, smallest, and territorial country in Africa by land area? 1. The continent of Africa is the world’s second largest based on land area and population just after Asia. 2. Top five largest countries of Africa are Algeria, Congo Democratic Republic of the, Sudan, Libya and Chad. 3. Top five smallest African countries and territories are Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Saint Helena and Mayotte. African Country from largest to smallest Area sq mile Area sq km Algeria 919,595 2,381,740 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 905,568 2,345,410 Sudan 718,723 1,861,484 Libya 679,362 1,759,540 Chad 495,755 1,284,000 Niger 489,191 1,267,000 Angola 481,354 1,246,700 Mali 478,767 1,240,000 South Africa 471,011 1,219,912 Ethiopia 435,186 1,127,127 Mauritania 397,95
Learn More About Africa

Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off

Image
Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off. Idzila are Ndebele wives traditionally wear rings around the neck as a status symbol and wear rings around the arms, legs, and neck. Wearing Neck Rings. For centuries, married South African Ndebele tribes’ women saw wearing heavy rings around their neck as an honored status symbol. Neck rings are any form of stiff necklaces worn around the neck of an individual. The neck rings are usually made of copper or brass. During initiation, girls wear an array of colorfully beaded hoops called izigolwan around their legs, arms, waist, and neck. After marriage, the Ndebele wife would wear copper and brass rings around her arms, legs, and neck, symbolizing her bond and faithfulness to her husband, once her home was built. Idzila rings were believed to have strong ritual powers. Husbands used to provide their wives with rings; the richer the husband, the more rings the wife would wear. These outward symbols can be removed only in ca
Learn More About Africa