A MYTH ABOUT NYUMBANITU

A MYTH ABOUT NYUMBANITU

I’m Kiwale Brasto, Festo. @ 2016

Ruaha Catholic University- Iringa, Tanzania

Published from Kiwale Company Publishers

This handout is here to help all people, therefore all right reserved no one would be allowed to copy, print, or any kind of plagiarism is involved, but read then leave it as it is.

A MYTH ABOUT NYUMBANITU

Myth is an ancient story that deals with gods and heroes, especially one used to explain some natural phenomenon (21^th century dictionary). Generally, myth is an ancient story or set of stories, especially explaining in a literary way the early history of a group of people or about natural events and facts. Nyumbanitu is a coined words made after two Vabena words i.e. Nyumba (House) Nitu (Dark/ Black) literally means Black house. The word has its root from Nyumbanitu caves, since the caves are very dark for one to see and they are associated with the myth of black cows which dwelt in the caves, black chickens which are present in that natural forest as well as goats and birds which brought by people who were punished after disobeyed the taboos associated with forest. This forest is concern with supernatural power from the ancestors of long time ago.

In the forest there is a way when you walk must bend without touching tree branches which is bending down and these trees are so long. When you reach at middle before starting entering in the caves first you meet with Vigoda and trays (nyungo). And things which are used in traditional religious service are trays, finger millet flour and water, then they mix those two things and they raise it up, when drops come down those who have problems starts mentioning their problems in order to be solved.

Also it is believed that when you need to enter in the caves there are some principles which are supposed to be followed include if a girls/ women are pregnant and those who are in menstruation cycle are not allowed to enter in that caves because can get problems which was not mentioned by the narrator at that forest.

The ancients who were living near with that forest and caves believed that, forest and caves has a relation with various magic events/ miracles including Cow’s bells which rung during morning when cows are going out from caves to the forest and during evening when cows comeback from forest to the caves and it believed that no one grazed them and were not seen since area associated with fogs.

In the year 1940 a whole area surrounding Nyumbanitu forest was under the supervision of Chief Mbeyela who sold it to the whites’ people to introduce wattle and tea estate while Nyumbanitu found inside of it. There was a negotiation of not touching that part of forest for the sake of planting trees. It believed that the Tanganyika Wattle Company (TANWAT) was under that commonwealth, where whites’ people disobeyed that negotiation and decided to cut such trees in that forest. But after all the next day during morning met with that trees stands as if they didn’t cut it.

After that occasion they decided to burn the forest, something led to stop rain for long time and people around were in trouble because was no rain almost a whole year. This situation caused ancient elders of Bena tribe to ask/ tell white people to pay black clothes, black chickens/hens and black cows in order to bring the situation as normal, soon after that payment rain started to rain soon.

In 1993 a religious group went there to pray in that forest because they believed that the forest is the source of demons and Satan’s power. This group when was there destroyed the place of conducting tradition religious services (Matambiko). After that, magic power punished them something caused them to run away from the forest, also was punished by ancient elders to pay what they have destroyed in that forest including black clothes and to return back the coins which were taken by that group.

Julius Vangameli Msigwa is among of the leaders who supervise that forest he said “The big enemy of tradition and customs of this forest is religious group even if they tried to destroy it many times but failed” also continues to say “all people who reaches in this forest for the sake of tradition activities they meet with two black hens and always are found in the way when you start entering in this forest”.

The Nyumbanitu natural forest is located at Mlevela village, Wanging’ombe district and in Njombe region some 15 kilometers from Njombe Township just after Wattle Estate and 5 kilometers from Mdandu Ward. This natural forest comprises 2.5 hectares approximately 7.5 acres.

The famous tribe embedded/ own this myth is Bena Tribe. And the resources which are associated with the identified myth includes natural resources and manmade resources, where natural resources are natural caves, natural forest and it is believed that inside of that caves there is a waterfall found in the 4^th cave even if is too dark and it’s not easily to see it. And human resources are pots which were there many years ago.

The myth enhances resources protection since through such myth people around that forest fear to destruct the resources within the forest. It believed that when they destroy such resources example cutting down trees (deforestation) and burning that forest it will results to the shortage of rainfall where local people around do depend on rainfall for agricultural activities. Also people around Nyumbanitu forest they do not destroy for the fear of being punished by ancestors for paying black clothes, black hens and black cows. So through these people around are in position of conserving the environment.

The myth to some extent has a reality through that the reality comes when European people did cut the trees in that forest but something to wonder in the next day the trees stands up as if they didn’t cut it. Also after the technique of cutting that trees to be failed decided to burn it something made people around to suffer from rainfall because didn’t rain for one year. Basing on these evidences there is a reality. But on other side it might not have reality since they didn’t tell us directly the problems which people can face especially pregnant women and girls who are in menstruation cycle rather they say are not allowed to enter in the caves.

Generally; this natural forest as among of the crucial forest which are supposed to be conserved and many researches are supposed to be done about customs and traditions of Africans. This because the area have various things which was provided as a sacrifices including Early coins and Beads something which implies that in 14^thc and 15^thc has already a business between coastal people and Bena people. The history of Nyumbanitu is an attractive area for tourism and the place which kept traditions, customs and history of Bena’s People.