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Requested move
Kongo Empire → Kingdom of Kongo : Appears to be a more commonly used name.
Voting and discussion
Please add * Support or * Oppose followed by a brief explanation, then sign your vote using "~~~~"
- Support as proposer. David Kernow 21:59, 19 March 2006 (UTC)
- Moved. Please check and fix redirs per Special:Whatlinkshere/Kongo_Empire - I will hit them if I have time, but don't wait on me to do it - thanks. KillerChihuahua 14:32, 23 March 2006 (UTC)
- Done. Thanks, David Kernow 18:06, 23 March 2006 (UTC)
Before colonization
We had this discussion on one of the pages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is very eurocentric to center African history articles around the time of contact with Europe. So, like on the DRC pages, I will change "Before colonization" to "Early History", which is a bit better. Themalau 10:51, 20 April 2006 (UTC)
Compliments
Much love and praise to the folks behind this article. It has developed leaps and bounds from what it was. Keep up the good work. Scott Free 20:22, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I agree with scott. This is a fantastic article. The most written on an african history subject well done!!! Caribbean1 09:16, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
Naming conventions
Revisions of 15 December give the impression that the kings of Kongo bore only Kikongo names and took Portuguese names upon taking office, likewise it gives the impression that ordinary Kongo people had Kikongo names and took Portuguese names later (for example with Beatriz Kimpa Vita). The evidence on naming is sometimes slender for common people, although many travelers of the seventeenth century attest that everyone was baptized and had a Christian name (take from Portuguese names), but also that they continued using Kikongo names. It is likely that parents gave these names simultaneously.
The elite clearly took Christian names soon after their birth and not at coronation. This is confirmed by correspondence and other documents generated by Kongo authorities in which Christian names are routinely used for people before they come to power and for those who never ruled. An early example is the judicial inquest of Diogo I in 1550 in which a number of people are mentioned incidentally usually but not always by Christian names. Clearly at this point people routinely used all their names, both Portuguese and Kikongo.
For naming practices, see John Thornton, "Central African Names and Naming Practices" William and Mary Quarterly
My Bad
Good looking out. I was under the impression that the european names were simply throne names. The KiKongo and Portuguese names do appear to be separate, however. I will go back and put "alias" instead of "born" before the end of the week. Thanks. Scott Free 00:25, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
Much Love
Much props to whoever added the "political and social structure of the 16th and 17th century" portion and the "kongo army" portion. this was much needed for the article and very informative. i moved these portions of the article up since i thought they set a good tone for understanding the kingdom. i removed the "16th and 17th century" from the title since the overall structure seems to have stayed consistent throughout the kingdom's existence. But it is your portion so if yuo want to move it somewhere else that's your choice. anywho, good job adding to this very interesting article. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 4shizzal (talk • contribs) 15:38, 27 December 2006 (UTC). Scott Free 22:29, 29 December 2006 (UTC)
Kongo names
Thanks to the others who have edited the king list and names of the Kongo kings. There is a problem with the present solution, however. Using "alias" for the Kikongo names misses the actual usage of Kikongo names in the period. Most Kongo documents use just Christian names, but there are still plenty of instances where full names are used. They have a definite way of giving these names: Afonso I Mvemba a Mvemba, the name, the number and the Kikongo name. It is common, and the names in the king list ought to be given this way, they clearly thought of their names in this way. Anywhere that full names are given, including biographies, should employ this form. I want to stress that the Kongo of those days were very proud of both their Christian religion and their African background, including their language (as they are today). They used their Christian names formally when writing in Portuguese, even in internal correspondence (not directed to Europeans) but they also used and always had Kikongo names.
The War Against Ndongo, 1566
Recently a comment was added to the reign of Diogo indicating that he attempted unsuccessfuly to subdue Ndongo in 1566. This contention, found in textbooks, has no support in any of the original documentation. It was first advanced, without any stated support by E. G. Ravenstein in 1901 in his commentary on Andrew Battell's account of Angola. Although it is possible that Kongo attacked Ndongo in 1566, it seems unlikely.
—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Beepsie (talk • contribs) 23:08, 31 December 2006 (UTC).
Disagree
First things first, the war (if it occurred) happened in 1556 not 66. Diogo I would have been dead by then. Also, uou say yourself that this fact IS in textbooks (i myself own at least one book supporting this) so I believe the fact should be taken on good faith. Just because contemporary writings of the time don't mention the war does not mean it didn't occur. I looked at the Ndongo page and read your remarks on the discussion page. Very insightful! But it also shoots your arguement in the foot a bit. If the writings that Ravenstein based his history off of were from 1625, then it should be taken as pretty reliable. Those writings could have been composed from oral history (just as valid in this region as anything else) from people who lived and or fought during the war. Like Samuel L. Jackson says "the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence".
More of the War of 1556
I have checked back with Ravenstein to see if I can get a better handle on the war. Ravenstein's book, The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell of Leigh in Angola and Adjoining Regions, is an edition of the collected writings of Andrew Battell and some other English visitors to Angola in the late 16th early 17th century that was published by the Hakluyt Society in London in 1901 and included a long historical appendix in which he attempts the reconstruction of the history of both Kongo and Angola. This book is now available on line at GoogleBooks, and on p. 117 he deals with the question of this war. He describes the events of the reign of Diogo I in his appendix on the history of Kongo in this section, and in it he describes a battle fought between a Kongo army and one of Ndongo in which the Kongo army was defeated on the Dande River. The only reference he gives is to Duarte Lopes's account of Kongo which was published as edited in Filippo Pigafetta, Relatione del Regno del Congo (Rome, 1591)--also (available in an English translation of 1596 on GoogleBooks, and in the original Italian on Gallica). Lopes/Pigafetta does in fact have a fairly long account of a Kongolese army attacking Ndongo not in the section on Diogo I, which makes no mention of this war, but in the section devoted to Paulo Dias de Novais' arrival and early trade with Ndongo. Lopes does not date these events, though it seems also certain to me at least, that it is this account to which Ravenstein refers as it contains a lot of the same details. Ravenstein decided that the battle took place in 1556 or thereabouts because he saw it as Ndongo's independence from Kongo and the date came from the embassy that was sent to Portugal to get this accepted.
However, this interpretation is impossible. First, when Ndongo sent its embassy in 1556, the response was the dispatch of D Paulo Dias de Novais' first mission, which arrived in 1560. Lopes/Pigafetta's account makes it clear that the Kongo attack was in support of Dias de Novias, and that is quite clearly what happened in 1579, following the massacre of Portuguese merchants and soldiers in Ndongo that year. Ravenstein is well aware of the war and its chronology, as he talks about it in detail in his section on Ndongo, pp. 144-47. However, Ravenstein uses only the letters of the Jesuit priests who came with Dias de Novais' second expedition for his reconstruction of these events and not Lopes/Pigafetta's account, in spite of the fact that Lopes/Pigafetta has a good deal of information about Dias de Novais' second mission. I think this is because Ravenstein had misdated the information in his Angola account and the Kongo account. Ravenstein wrote in 1901 and at that time did not have a lot of material available that was published more recently and which allows us even more detail.
Now Ravenstein's reconstruction of 1901 might never have made today's history books, had it not been repeated by Jan Vansina in his classic account of central African history, Kingdoms of the Savanna (U of Wisconsin Press, 1966), p. 61. Vansina is very sparing in his footnotes in this section, but it seems to be clearly based on Ravenstein. Vansina was a widely read source, among the most widely read in the 1960s and 70s on these issues, and I think it was probably from Vansina that the various textbook references came.
Let me propose a solution. Since the 1556 battle is well known in literature, we should leave a reference to it in the text, but couple it with an assetion that it is challenged, with a reference to the discussion on the discussion page. If you agree, with this, perhaps you would agree to rewrite that section to reflect it.
—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Beepsie (talk • contribs) 01:36, 14 May 2007 (UTC).
Scott Free 13:32, 18 April 2007 (UTC)
You got my vote, buddy. I wish I had your sources. I think you should go ahead and make the changes. Could you also go to the Ndongo page and include that info. My dad's people come from this region (Mbundu ethnic group). I'd really like to know more about the history of Ndongo and Matamba.
Scott Free 02:19, 14 May 2007 (UTC)
Contradiction over northern extent of Kongo
The intro says the kingdom was in "northern Angola, Cabinda, Republic of the Congo, and the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At its greatest extent, it reached from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Kwango River in the east, and from the Congo River in the north to the Kwanza River in the south". If the Congo River was its northern extent, then it didn't cover Cabinda and Rep of Congo. So what was its real northern extent -- wasn't it Pointe-Noire, 160 km north? Rexparry sydney 11:41, 15 May 2007 (UTC)
Thesis removal
I'm not that up on wiki copyright laws and what not, but i'm pretty sure posting someone's entire thesis (or even just its abstract) is against regulation. furthermore, if you're going to post such detailed (AND LENGTHY) info, you might want to TRANSLATE IT. This is english wiki. I'm not sure what language that content was in (Portuguese, maybe?) but you gotta translate it then work it into the article in a reasonable format (examine the article for an idea of how to do so). i'm glad whoever found that info took the time to post it, but we have to make this article readable and accurate. i'm posting the content below for anyone who want's to take a hand at translating it. I translated an entire 20 page article from french to english for the Mali Empire page so I know its not impossible. Holla. Scott Free 15:40, 21 June 2007 (UTC)
- The According to Patrício Batsîkama's thesis
As origens
I.1. Segundo a Tradição Oral
O ponto das origens do Kôngo, se devemos escutar os depositários de tradições orais ancestrais, é mais do que uma confusão. Todavia todos reconhecem que “Nsûndi tufila ntu, Mbâmba tulâmbudila malu” ou “Ntu kuna ntându, malu mu mayânda ma nzâdi”, ou ainda, “Mpânzu ku ntu, Kyângala kunnima”.
Estas citações constantemente repetidas pelos depositários dos repertórios orais talvez em confusão marcam o movimento-mestre segundo o qual os antigos (dos quais aqueles são simplesmente descendentes) teriam tomado nas ocupações do país. Mesmo os Missionários que recolhem as tradições orais no século XVII ou XVIII (Bernardo da Gallo, António Cavazzi, etc.) ouvirão estas frases nos repertórios dos Kôngo.
Então, tomando o mapa geográfico do antigo Reino Kôngo, conforme debuxado pelos autores, logo observemos que Nsûndi é ao Norte e Mbâmba ao Sul (Mpêmba no Centro). Por esta via, digamos que Nsûndi tem outras equivalências as quais Mpânzu e Mpûmbu intervirão também, e Mbâmba muda-se com Kyângala (pode-se verificar nos livros da linealogia de Jean Cuvelier e Joseph De Munck. Cf. a bibliografia).
Comecemos por explicar estes repertórios dispersos e contrastes. No seu ilustre Dicionário kikôngo-francês, Laman dá os significados a estas palavras que estimamos como raízes de Nsûndi:
1) sûnda: estabelecer-se, instalar-se, residir; 2) sûnda: acabar, cessar, terminar; 3) sûnda: superar, ultrapassar; ser preferível, superior a, melhor do que; ser o primeiro, estar em frente de uma corrida, um concurso; atravessar a agua, nadar, flutuar.
Tomamos NTÂNDU, Norte o qual as raízes:
1) tânda: flutuar, nadar, passar a nadar ou ir aqui e acolá, andar; 2) tânda: quem é grande; 3) tândaba: ir aqui e acolá, num lugar certo, num pais; 4) tândula: largar, tornar grande, esticar, aumentar, cercar pais, etc.
Quanto a Mbâmba e yânda (kyângala e Mayânda)
MBÂMBA: 1) bâmba: colar, fixado pelo barro, agarrar, fechar, apertar; 2) bâmbakana: associar-se, juntar-se (num trabalho); apaziguar, amizade; 3) bâmbakasa: enriquecido por bambakana: separar-se, deixar-se, ir cada um a sua costa.
YÂNDA: 1) (ma)yânda: começo, origem, principio, razão, causa, fundamento; 2) yânduka: (yândula), sentir calor, muito calor; aquecer-se, derreter-se como a banha (ao sol) aquecer; 3) yândula: retomar, propagar, divulgar; etc.
KYÂNGALA: 1) ky-ângala: suor, transpiração; calor, atmosfera sufocante; 2) yângala: o que é grande; 3) yânga(la)kana: (não existe no dicionário Laman): estender-se, retomar-se como uma planta trepadeira. Sinónimo de yânzakana (cf. Laman): estender-se como uma planta trepadeira, variante de yânzama; 4) Yângama: verbo de estado de yângika: flutuar sobre (uma superfície liquida); visível, estar elevado, gigantesco; 5) yângama: largar-se.
Estas proximidades linguísticas autorizam-nos dizer que o mundo nos Kôngo não parece começar a Mbâmba mas sim no Sul. Isto é, na verdade, a concepção da cosmogonia dos Kôngo. (Ma)yânda significa o Sul, para além de origem. Portanto, ainda lembre-se que neste país do sul, assim nos informam estas proximidades linguísticas, neste país do sul, «faz-se muito calor» (tal apoiam as palavras yânduka e Kyângala). Aliás, a tradição recolhida pelo Bernardo Da Gallo e Jerome de Montesarchio (nos séculos XVII e XVIII) copiada ou também registradas pelo Monsenhor Jean Cuvelier, diz directamente que o país onde o primeiro rei Kôngo estabeleceu a sua capital era Nzânz’a Nkâtu . Esta palavra traduz-se literalmente “NÃO TEM GENTE”, gente sendo aqui a flora. Os tradutores da Bíblia apoiam a nós verosimilhante quando equivalem “DESERTO” a “Nsi’a Nkâtu” , o qual NZANZ’A NKATU é uma variante. Então, quê deserto? Nosso continente tem somente dois. O Sahara sendo do Norte, a opção menos contraditória seria o KALAHARI que está no Sul, doutra forma no (MA)YÂNDA.
Na toponímia desta região, os autores assinalaram e continuam ainda a assinalar o topónimo de MBÂNGALA , exactamente na parte meridional de Angola. Portanto nos Kôngo, a palavra mbângala designa a época marcada por falta de chuvas, tempo seco, época de grande calores (Agosto - Setembro) . Ainda mais, em Kikôngo (conferir nos Dicionários Laman e Bentley), a expressão kuna mbângala traduz-se por há muito tempo. Pois, a palavra MBÂNGALA ainda guarda as sequelas do seu velho sentido! E quando Jean Cuvelier fala de KÔNGO-DYA-MBÂNGALA NZÛNDU TADI e Jean Van Wing do KÔNGO-DYA-MBÂNGALA como país das origens segundo foram informados, a língua, portanto, confirma-o literalmente. Pois perguntamos resumidamente: onde situam-se as origens do Kôngo?
Conforme aos elementos da língua aqui analisados, essas origens começam no Kalahari inferior, onde encontramos uma região chamada MBÂNGALA pelos antigos etnógrafos (Delachaux, por exemplo assinala-o no seu livro). Hoje esta região é povoada pelos Umbûndu, Côkwe, Nyaneka e Nkúmbe. Os elementos da língua confirmam , para além de asseverar que mbângala, quer ele palavra abstrata (há muito tempo), tanto como realidade climática é ORIGEM dos Kôngo, e que lá o país teria sido constituído pela primeira vez; e seria provavelmente lá que se fortaleceram as amizades e fraternidades afim de evitar ou prever outros turvos. No mesmo tempo, tudo indica que teria sido lá mesmo que pela primeira vez houve cismo cujo objectivo parece ser a extensão, o alargamento do país assim como o sentido da palavra yângama e yândula acima mencionada.
Do outro lado, Nsûndi e Ntându segundo as suas raízes (sûnda: estabelecer-se: instalar-se, findar, acabar: tândaba: ir aqui e acolá, …) demonstram uma sequência e conclusão de uma obra ou fim de uma História. Ademais, nos Vîli, cidadãos de Lwângu a palavra Nsûndi significa uma instalação .
Vamos abrir um parêntese explicando a palavra LWÂNGU. De lu, prefixo que significa acção, e de vângu que deriva de vânga: fazer, formar, acabar, cumprir, determinar, terminar. Assim, Lwângu em relação a Kyângala (mesmo raiz e sentido que mbângala, Mbâmba também consta nesta lista bem que com raiz diferente) cujo sentido é o começo, a origem parece de forma verosimilhante, precisar a obra de Kôngo como FUNDAÇÃO DO PAÍS DELES. Lwângu está localizado no Norte e Mbângala no Sul, eis outra prova evidente que Lwângu, semanticamente significa fim (Norte), em relação a Mbângala que é o começo (Sul). Fechemos parêntese.
Pois, como o diz Denis Paulme baseando sobre as vicissitudes das línguas Bantu, “as tradições indígenas são confusas, indicam entretanto que além dos reinos de Loango e do Congo os estados poderosos foram constituídos, com as soberanias de origem comuna. Por causa da cisão, as migrações sob conduta dos membros da família reais propagariam a mesma civilização do próximo ao próximo” . No século XV, o Loango e seus tributários parece foram submetidos ao soberano do Congo ou Manicongo o qual a autoridade se estendia desde Sette Cama do Norte até no Alto Zambeze” .
Denise Paulme, apesar de ser cientista que já mereceu o direito nas civilizações africanas, escreve estas linhas tendo em mente todas ironias a respeito da Tradição Oral. Mesmo o grande historiador africano Joseph Ki-Zerbo (Histoire de l’Afrique, Payot, Paris, 1979) pensava da mesma forma, que a tradição oral por ter conhecido muitas alterações, deve ser escolhida, peneirada. Várias vezes a falta de método compatível obriga qualquer cientista até sapiente a pensar desta forma. Portanto afirmando que a autoridade de Manicongo ou melhor Mani-Kongo foi reconhecida em Alto Zambeze (Yambesi), indica uma ligação entre o Reino Kôngo e esta região. Os povos daí são Còkwe, Umbùndu, até Nyaneka e Nkúmbe. Alto Zambeze situa-se no Kalahari inferior! (sic!). Voltaremos nos sub-capítulos a seguir, estudar as afinidades e filiações entre Kôngo-Côkwe, Kôngo-Nyaneka-Nkúmbe, Kôngo-Umbûndu.
I.2. Kôngo-Côkwe, as Afinidades ou Filiações?
Para qualquer antropólogo, Kôngo e Côkwe são dois grupos etno-linguísticos diferentes. Para o linguista cada grupo evolui junto com o seu quadro geográfico. O historiador, este acredita que os dois, para além de evoluir nas zonas diferentes, têm origens heterogéneas. Apesar destes pontos de vista, os especialistas não ignoram os laços de parentesco entre os dois “grupos Bantu”.
I.2.1. País das Origens.
Côkwe e Lùnda dizem ter coabitado junto nas origens, em IKO, ou KOLA . A palavra IKO significa LAREIRA em português, escreve Albino Alves no seu dicionário. Podemos verificar mais sentidos no Dicionário Umbundu-Portugues, escrito pelo L.Guennec e Valente, IKO significa FOGO, LAREIRA, LAR .
De resto, IKO não é o único termo. Os Côkwe falem também de LUNDU nyi Senga . A expressão otjiLUNDU significa em Côkwe (umbùndu também) “aldeia abandonada há muito tempo”; ULUNDU ou ovoLUNDU (Côkwe e Umbùndu): montanha onde busca-se as lenhas, ou queima-se as lenhas; lugar (montanha) onde fabrica-se carvão; OkaLUNDU: cemitério, sinónimo de KEMA: ser carbonizado ou pintar em negro utilizando o método de queimar .
I.2.2. Localização deste País.
Marie-Louise Bastin, M. Lima pensam que os Côkwe vêm de Tanganyika, a Leste, conforme informe o repertório oral. Este Leste diz-se NGANGELA. Eis como reza a tradição: “ku Ngangela tangwa cicamene… Ku Luanda cangoloshi” : A Leste vem o sol e vai dormir a Oeste.
Traduzimos isso literalmente NGANGELA onde o sol nasce, LUANDA onde o sol vai dormir. Bastin, Lima e outros são letrados e passaram pelo banco da escola onde aprenderam tanto como nós que o Sol nasce a Leste. Eis a razão pela qual no seu entender, NGANGELA se traduz aqui por Leste. Portanto como podemos ver, Luanda aqui não quer dizer Oeste. Isto demonstra que NGANGELA, significaria outra coisa! A lógica quer região contra região e ponto cardeal contra ponto cardeal, o que sempre foi!
Ngàngela: de N, de gànga e de la. O primeiro é prefixo, o segundo a raiz e último o sufixo. Albinos Alves (com Dicionário Umbûndu) e Adriano Barbosa (com Dicionário Côkwe-Português) escrevem que o verbo gànga: significa brilhar, cintilar, propagar o fogo de vistas (ou olhos), ser cruel. O sufixo la (hala) marca a acção. Pois, NGANGELA significaria onde faz-se muito Sol, Sol sendo o fogo primitivo, ensinam as lendas . Leste é um dos sentidos. Como região, confine a IKO, KOLA, LUNDU e MBÂNGALA, porque tem sentido de proveniência, da origem do Sol . Ora, onde se localiza este país onde origina o sol?
Nas suas pesquisas Lamal constatou que os Bantu que se formaram no círculo zimbabweano seguiram os rios conforme a direcção destes últimos, e fundaram reinos perto das águas. E o autor sublinha que “os grandes rios (que serviram de migração) correm do sul para o norte desde o Kalahari inferior até nas caídas de (rio) Tsàkàla Mumvìdia” .
Kalahari, deserto. Ora Ngàngela, onde vem o sol é um lugar árido! Na actual geografia, no Kalahari inferior encontramos nascentes de águas (fontes), portanto um dos sentidos da palavra Ngàngela é nascente do sol. Assim, fazem boa correspondência: deserto, Sol, calor, região árido. Os Kôngo localizam Mbângala (origem deles) no mayânda (sul-calor). Delachaux situa esta Região-Sul-calor-Sol que é no Kalahari inferior, justamente nesta região que fala Lamal.
Os elementos linguísticos indicam que Kôngo e Côkwe parecem ter as origens idênticas, dum mesmo país.
I.2.3. O Primeiro Rei I.2.3. a) Côkwe “Konde amaldiçoou seus filhos assim como suas descendências; lhes desclassifica da herança e proclama que doravante a sua filha vai lhe suceder. Quando sentiu a morte bater a sua porta, confiou a seu irmão o bracelete, este símbolo do poder, recomendando-lhe de transmitir a Lueji. Kònde foi enterrado debaixo do rio. SAKALENDE, seu irmão, convoca os Nobres (Tubùngu) que vão ratificar a decisão do defunto” .
Insistimos no termo SAKALENDE. Uma primeira hipótese é tal como este antropónimo quer dizer PAI DE KALENDE. SA, partícula que significa pai e de KA-LENDE, alguém que é lento, preguiçoso, do verbo lendelela.
Conforme as versões a respeito deste evento, eis o que a nossa humildade pensa ser uma verdade histórica:
Saka: de saka, agitar (um liquido no vaso, ou objectos no cesto); adivinhar, oscilar, vacilar o cesto . Podemos verificar no dicionário de Adriano Barbosa: sâkula (derivado de sâka) significa escolher, seleccionar, tirar de lado, excluir, eliminar e sâkalwila (de sâka): tratar medecinalmente. Sem sombra de dúvida, é aqui questão de NGÂNGA ou Padre, ou alguém desta classe Sacerdote).
Lende: de lende nuvem, confusão, turvo. Adriano Barbosa, escreve no seu dicionário que lende significa ser preguiçoso, sem actividade, lento. O autor assinala, para além, que é uma velha forma e pouco usada. Este sentido é largamente confirmado pelos verbos: 1) lendila: ser ou ficar muito tempo sem obra; cobrir-se de nuvens; 2) lendelela: sujeitar, submeter. Este termo referia-se a Rueji. Porque ela foi muito antes proclamada como sucessora. Portanto ficava ainda no entanto lenta, isto é sem trabalho, sem actividades. E isto diz-se em termo bantu da sacralogia, ela foi coberta de nuvens. Pois, para sair deste estado, foi necessário a intervenção de SAKA LENDE (ou melhor Nsaka ja Lende), assim como o diz já o sentido literal do nome (que trata com a medicina tradicional, quem agita os preguiçoso, etc.). Pois conforme as versões acerca desta história, sem o sacramento e ou a intervenção de Nsaka já Lenda, nunca Rueji sucederia.
I.2.3. b) Kôngo
“Houve uma grande confusão na Corte e Nsâku Ne Vûnda resolveu a situação deste modo: quem pretender suceder ao trono, deve doravante ser baptizado pelo Sacerdote Nsâku Ne Vûnda, sem gesto o qual, nenhuma legitimidade será reconhecida” , assim traduzimos o extracto duma tradição recolhida pelo Monsenhor Jean Cuvelier.
“Na localidade de Mbânza-Kôngo a tradição assinala a existência duma autoridade de carácter religioso, possuindo os poderes mágicos e qualquer candidato para dirigir deve necessariamente adquirir o seu apoio sem o qual nenhum poder será reconhecido. Sem o seu consentimento, nenhum rei não pode reinar” . Assim fala Dos Santos.
Passamos as similitudes. SÂKA significa assim como Nsâku, aquele que consagra, aquele que administra um sacramento a alguém, a pessoa que abençoa. Este Nsâku dos Kôngo, lemos acima, possuía os poderes mágicos e que foi de carácter religioso, acrescenta. Isto se relaciona tanto com SÂKA Côkwe que trata de forma medicinal ou que agita os preguiçosos. Também, ninguém se esquece de que a terapia no mundo bantu requer os poderes sobrenaturais na pessoa do praticante.
Quanto a LENDE, Rueji foi lenta, sem actividade, sem trabalho. Isto quer dizer que ainda estava coberta das nuvens. Eis a razão pela qual, lhe foi necessário a submissão (lendelela). Observamos que nos Kôngo este LÊNDE deve, na lógica, corresponder a VÛNDA cujo as raízes: 1) repousar, descansar, tomar um tempo para descansar: 2) ser desempregado, tomar o seu tempo sem nada fazer. Como nome duma pessoa, escreve Laman no seu famoso Dictionaire Kikôngo-Français, “diz-se também duma pessoa gravemente doente”. Ora, o sentido Côkwe de SAKALWILA completa esta ideia Kôngo exposta pelo Laman.
Rueji significa “quem se quer inabordável, impagável, que não quer” em Côkwe. Ora, Luezi em Kikôngo, lemos nas lexicografias, “pessoa que não quer trabalhar” , sinónimo de Lukenyi “que quer ser inabordável, alguém que ninguém pode tocar ” .
I.3. Kôngo-Nyaneka
I.3.1. País das Origens. Na sua oralidade, os Nyaneka pensem que são donos das localidades que ainda ocupem. Mas revoquem o país das origens como uma região deserta, no entanto cheia das nascentes. A seguir enumeramos certas palavras que indicam o país das origens.
EIKO ou IKO ou EKALA significa lar, origem materna; família da mãe..., mas também FOGUEIRA. (Como podemos observar, a mesma palavra que significa ORIGEM, também leva estes sentidos ligados ao FOGO, CALOR, FAMILIA.)
OMANTHIYA quer dizer LAR, LAR FAMILIAL onde o fogo aceso durante a noite reúne todos; também designa “as pedras de suporte para as panelas” ; lar ou lugar onde o fogo reunificador é aceso chama-se OMANTHIYA e fogo em si é EIKO, ou IKO ou seja EKALA. Curiosamente, tîya (raís da palavra nyaneka) significa quente em Kikôngo. (Desta vez, uma mesma palavra liga as-três-pedras-suportes-das-panelas e a família.)
EHOKO (IKO), EKANGELA (N-gângela), ETUNDA são diferentes palavras para significar deserto, aldeia-não-habitada, terra abandonada, até uma montanha (ekolo). Digamos que outro sentido da montanha é reduzidamente a pedra-suporte-das-panelas. No sentido da montanha, cujo OMPHUNDA é sinónimo, existe varias lendas de origem. Pois reza a Tradição: a vida iniciou entre três montanhas, como a comida começa antes de mais entre as três pedras-suportes. Um entre milhares provérbios lembra-lhes isso: “enanthiya like kalinthiki mbiya”. Quer dizer, uma só pedra (montanha) não pode sustentar a panela. (os Kôngo dizem: «makukwa matatu malamb’e Kôngo». O País (Kôngo) foi fundado pelas três pedras - suportes da panela. Nesse provérbio, a palavra enanthiya significa entre outros família, montanha-pedras suportes. Como será explicitado mais afrente, makukwa é a correspondência de enanthiya. Doutro modo, logo a partir desse provérbio, nota-se de que os Nyaneka parecem acreditam que a sua sociedade fundamenta-se em três famílias, ou três linhas principais onde o povo se identifica como cidadão.
1) OKAAYA: terra sagrada argila branca para unção rituais; a lenda diz que argila branca é símbolo dos ancestrais. Onde encontrar?, pergunta uma adivinha. «Depois do fogo se apagar», responde a sabedoria ancestral. Ou outra resposta mas vulgar: a terra branca se foi com o vento, (Okaaya kaya n’ofela) quando a advinha é: onde vive os bisavôs já ninguém conseguem lá ir viver. Porquê?
2) OUTUNDILO: significa nascente do sol (na linguagem corrente o sol é ekumbi ou etango). A palavra deriva de tunda: aparecer (unicamente para o sol). Outro sentido é de DESERTO, ou UMA ALDEIA INHABITADA (mas que já terá sido habitada antigamente). A palavra tem a mesma raiz com MONTE (OMPHUNDA). Em resumo, a concepção bantu estipula que a família é origem de toda sociedade. Ora as palavras aqui usadas são EIKO, IKO, EKALA. Isto é Kola dos Kôngo ou Iko(la) Côkwe. Neste último grupo, otji-lundu (também é Umbundu) quer dizer uma aldeia abandonada há muito tempo. Como referência citamos ETUNDA (outundilo: nascente do sol) que em Nyaneka-Nkumbe significa a mesma coisa.
Base de elevação de terreno chama-se EKOLO; Causa, “foi por causa dele” OKOMBANDA yae, dizem os Nyaneka, isto é, OMBANDA significa causa, sinónimo de base. Também se utiliza o verbo k’ombanda por FUNDAR . Na verdade, OMBANDA tendo este sentidos significa a mesma coisa que MAYANDA dos Kôngo. (o bilabial ma + o velar ya produzem geralmente MBA). Bem que mbânda significa CIMA (homem vem do céu tal e a crença dos Nyaneka ), pelo menos temos testemunha de que a causa ou a base da sociedade não é somente EKOLO, mas também OMBANDA que em Kikôngo teria mayânda como variante (ou metamorfose) morfológica. Ambos termos significam origem.
Pois nesta amalgama de Iko (Côkwe), Mbângala ou Kôla (Kôngo), Ekangela (Nyaneka-Nkumbe) para significar DESERTO, a semântica extensa aclara que o lar primitivo (IKO) está ligado ao clima ou região árida. Mbângala (kúna Mbângala fazem os Kôngo para dizer há muito tempo), que intervém nas expressões para além de significar clima caracterizado pela ausência das chuvas confirma que EKANGELA (e Nyaneka-Nkumbe) designa as ORIGENS.
Onde estaria localizado este país das origens? Os Nyaneka e Nkumbe localizam-se nessa região chamada MBÂNGALA pelos antigos etnógrafos (ver Delachaux). É um deserto, um pouco húmido. Portanto mais além ao Sul temos a continuação do Kalahari e Nyaneka-Nkúmbe pensam, segundo quase todos etnógrafos desde Estermann, Westernam e Baumann, que os primeiros ancestrais vêm do actual ONDIVA. A tradição é tal que esta região é caracterizada pelas fontes ou nascentes dos rios. É verdade que ONDYIVI-NDYIVI significa fonte, nascente de água, ou melhor terreno restrito, onde rebenta facilmente, e por isso geralmente cheio de poços. Nesta região do Sul de Angola, inclusive o Norte da Namíbia, Botswana e Sul-Este de Zâmbia encontramos muitos poços, fontes de água. E lá temos um clima desértico húmido. Eis alguns poços e fontes de água que podemos encontrar: Kushi, Kwebe, Kwîtu, Kwându, Kwânza, Huvala, Quembo, Lomba, Utembo, Luengue, Liana, Mussuma, Lwanguinga, Keve, Kwîlu, Okavângu, Yambesi, Cunene, etc.
Virgílio Coelho, estudando os elementos da língua a respeito das origens Kimbùndu, afirma junto com os repertórios orais que pelo menos uma palavra serviu a designar o povo inteiro pela primeira vez. Este termo traduz-se por AMIZADE, PARENTE, ADERENTE. Tal é a opinião dos Lunda (Côkwe) na opinião de Vansina. Vamos tentar explor a correspondência linguística Nyaneka e Kôngo com objectivo de tentar interpretar esta ideia no entender dos Kôngo/Nyaneka.
Amizade traduz-se por Oupangi em Nyaneka. Deriva no entanto do verbo pangiya: fabricar, criar; construir, formar algo, família (casa). Aliás, parente diz-se OMBUNGA em Nyaneka ou ainda wotyikumba. Ombunga vem do verbo hungu, tunga, lunga, isto é fabricar, criar, formar, modelar.
É curioso ver que conquistar se traduz também por sokola para além de punda e hakana. Ora, sokola, kolesa, kolisa ou simplesmente kola significa criar, fabricar, fazer, formar, construir... sinónimo de pangiya e ombûnga.
«Tumbunga»: somos parentes dizem os Nyaneka. A filologia informa-nos de que esse facto de ser parente resulta eventualmente dos pactos de casamento: «fabricar ou formar uma familia»
O caso não é diferente nos Kôngo. Mpângi quer dizer amigo, irmão e deriva do verbo vânga: criar, fabricar, formar, etc. Eis porquê adoptou-se logo Kôngo como nome de país porque significa: unidos, juntado. Do verbo kônga ou kôngesa: juntar, unir, pôr junto, misturar, fazer círculo, inclinar. Sinónimo de kolesa (kola): cercar, inclinar, formar um círculo; construir, fazer uma barragem ou círculo. Aliás kôngola em Nyaneka, sinónimo de toteka, significa juntar, unir muitas pessoas. Como veremos mais tarde ao respeito dos Monarcas Kôngo, o título de NTÔTELA evoca que o rei deve preservar a união, é a pessoa que simboliza a união do povo.
As palavras parecem dizer mais: panga(na) em Nyaneka traduz-se por «ficar MUITO TEMPO, UM TEMPO CONSIDERÁVEL». Isto é equivalente de «Kuna Mbângala» nos Kôngo. O termo afirma OUMPANGI, AMIZADE como resultado de muito tempo de convivência das populações que se teriam finalmente juntado. Pois, torna-se difícil acreditar a um simple acaso, sobretudo quando a expressão «nos tempos antigos» se diz kohale-ale ou simplesmente kohale, kola em Nyaneka. Kola, designa, como já vimos atrás, o país de origens tanto nos Kôngo como nos Côkwe e Nyaneka.
Essa correspondência ensina que a AMIZADE foi na base das novas sociedades se criando, depois das conquistas. Eis porquê AMIZADE, PARENTE têm as mesmas raízes com FABRICAR (a sociedade), JUNTAR (as pessoas), MISTURAR (diferentes povos), MUITO TEMPO. De modo igual, encontramos rios com semelhante nome. Tal é o exemplo de Okahangulu (Okavangu), Lwangingua, Yambêsi, Kwuito, Kwilu, Kuhandu (Kwându) . Semanticamente, esses rios citados precedentemente são testemunhos das origens ou melhor das amizades criadas. Adágio diz: «as árvores indicam as proviniências; os rios nos lembram as nossas infâncias (origem?)». Embondeiro, figueira são algumas árvores que, depois de fundar uma região foi necessário plantar afim de testemunhar a amizade como origem comum dos fundadores. Os rios, portanto, pelo facto de fornecer água para beber, banhar, pescar, cultivar e outros trabalhos domiciliáres de primieira necessidade, são muito especiais. Lendas e mitos das origens não esquecem mencionar nomes de rios por essa simples razão. É óbvio, os mesmos rios que marcaram as primeiras sociedades foram neste caso imortalizados ou antropomorfizados (personificados) através de canções de ritos, de pesca, de agricultura, da infância, etc.
Quanto as características deste país, a palavra CRIAÇÃO se traduz também por EPOMBO, EHOMBO em Nyaneka. A mesma palavra ou ainda melhor ONDOMBO designa em geral «os dias de calores antes da chuva». É curioso, na verdade, notar que para além de NDYIVI-NDYIVI (Ondyiva) os Nyaneka levam outro termo que designa estes «poços de água geralmente com NASCENTE», isto é cacimba: ONYOMBO. Ora como veremos, CASAR (ou casamento), é na nossa humilde opinião uma das palavras mais adequadas para explicar as primeiras fundações dos países . Em princípio, a família é o núcleo da sociedade. Ora, na concepção dos Nyaneka, Kimbûndu, Umbûndu, Côkwe, Kôngo esta família começa pelo acto de CASAR. Isto é juntar duas pessoas diferentes; isto é misturar duas famílias. Eis a razão pela qual o casamento é um assunto não de duas pessoas, pois engajamento de toda sociedade. CASAR se diz HOMBOLA, tendo a mesma raiz com a palavra que significa «POÇO DE ÁGUA geralmente com NASCENTE» e «Dias de CALORES antes da chuva». Também caracteriza a actividade das origens: caçar = yômbela em Nyaneka, e curiosamente diz-se Kôngo em kikôngo.
I.4. Kôngo-Umbûndu
Na linguagem dos Historiadores, Linguistas, Antropólogos, … Kôngo ocupa a região entre Atlântico e rio Kwângu desde Kwânza no sul até nos confins do Planalto central ao norte. Umbûndu portanto são, no entender dos mesmos especialistas, um conjunto das etnias, meridionais de Angola, mas que encontramos em grande mistura antropológica nos grupos Côkwe Lûnda, Ngângela, etc.
I.4.1 As Palavras Também Têm a sua História
«Quando nomeio o objecto cadeira, estou a referir-me a todas cadeiras às que existem na minha casa, mas também às cadeiras do restaurante ou da igreja, às de agora ou às do passado, às ricamente trabalhada ou às mais simples e humildes» . O que indica que as palavras são arbitrárias e convencionais, logo não mentem em si e são documentos históricos por excelência.
Banal, conforme o Direito feudal, os habitantes dum mesmo Senhorio foram obrigados a utilizar a moagem, forno, lavador,… do Senhor-Chefe, consoante uma licença. Estes objectos então foram chamados “forno banal”, “moagem banal”, “lavador banal”, etc. porque designados de maneira precisa pelo um ban. Isto é proclamação política. Como todo mundo se dirigia para lá, a palavra banal foi retomada em XVIII século nos sentidos de comum, UTILIZADO PARA TODOS, SEM ORIGINALIDADE.
Falamos pois dos títulos administrativos Mbûndu. Na linguagem de Joseph Miller, estes títulos não somente concernem os Umbûndu, mas também os Kimbûndu. Vamos tentar colocar os sentidos Kôngo ao lado afim de favorecer o leitor um julgamento livre: afinidades? Filiações?… Os dados vêm do livro “O poder politico Mbundu. O parentesco nos Umbundos”, escrito pelo Joseph Miller.
1) KOTA: TITULO Mbûndu, os velhotes duma linhagem, a quem são confiadas as posições titulares de linhagem; são os dignitários da Corte servindo o rei, sendo eles constantemente eleitores das autoridades reais.
Em Umbûndu, as raízes são:
1) kòta: adquerir, guardar; 2) kòta: acabar, terminar, dar fim a; 3) kòta: exorcizar, expulsar o espírito ou o demónio duma doença.
Em kikôngo, Kõta vem de:
1) Kôta: engajar a, impedir uma batalha, pôr obstáculo; 2) Kôta: custar, valorizar junto; 3) Kôta: exortar, advertir, persuadir; 4) Khôta no Mayômbe significa RESPONSABILIDADE.
Conforme aos sentidos acima enumerados, os «Makhôta» pertencem na linhagem dos Nsâku Ne Vûnda, linhagem dos Sacerdotes que consagram as Autoridades logo depois da eleição . Em 1791-1795, Raimundo Dicomano nota que “cada Senhor-Chefe de Bânza (capital) e libâta (aldeia) possuía um MACOTA (velhote conselheiro), ou idoso chamado MANI PÊMBA ou Justiceiro-Major. Quando surge qualquer dificuldade entre o povo, é a pessoa indicada que examina a causa, logo põe as duas partes em acordo” .
Pois, os sentidos Umbûndu e Kikôngo complementam-se mutuamente. Exorcizar, por exemplo, que é Umbundu, confirma que os Makôta (Kôngo) foram realmente MANI PÊMBA assim como reza a Tradição. Isto é membro da família dos Nsâku Ne Vunda. EXORCIZAR era um dos atributos das funções dos Nsâku na sociedade Kôngo antiga .
2) KILÂMBA: Título dos reis Pende (como sub-grupo Ovimbundu) que governavam antes a chegada dos IMBÂNGALA.
O radical é lâmba que segundo Alves é o nome dado a uma pessoa amável, querida, bondosa, simpática . Em kikôngo lâmba é transitivo que para além de significar estender-se, alargar-se, quer dizer também DURAR MUITO TEMPO. O mesmo verbo significa pensar, reflectir profundamente, meditar. Hâmba cujo kâmba e variante, significa a mesma coisa em Kimbûndu.
Não é estupefacto que Kilâmba venha a significar “uma pessoa amável” porque na Era de fundação dos reinos bantu, a AMIZADE estava na base das preocupações antes de fazer as pazes num país conquistado. LÛNDA significa por exemplo AMIZADE, por mesmas razões, dizem os autores .
O sentido de DURAR MUITO TEMPO é próprio da noção de autoridade em mundo bantu : o princípio do poder baseia-se no sangue duma família derivado do ancestral principal. Nos Kôngo, somente os Nzînga podiam governar antes da descoberta pelo Diogo Cão. Nzîng’a Nkûwu por exemplo, é uma prova. A palavra Nzînga vem do verbo zînga: viver muito tempo, durar muito tempo, persistir durante muito tempo, etc. E foram eles as elites das migrações. Denise Paulme, mais atrás, numa citação que fizemos escrevia: «as migrações sob conduta dos membros da família reais »
Ao que concerne o sentido de MEDITAR, REFLETIR existe também correspondência. Em kikôngo, MFÛMU significa AUTORIDADE, CHEFE. Deriva portanto de fûmuna sentar-se com a mão sustentando o queixo, ou bochecha; meditar, reflectir, fazer exame da consciência, pensar.
O título KILÂMBA, lemos atrás, é herança Mbùndu na parte dos Pende, “antes os IMBANGALA”. Os Pende dizem que os ancestrais são cidadãos de IMBÂNGALA (MPÂSI) ou KÔNGO-DYA-MBÂNGALA . Pois, já sabemos a cidadania deles: Imbângala. Mbângala sendo de acordo com a Tradição o país das origens de Besi-Kôngo, seriam eles Kôngo da mesma lógica comparativa que os Portuenses são Portugueses. Lamal o faz entender na sua obra sobre os Ba-Sûku e as populações de Kwângu-Kasayi.
3) LUKANO: bracelete lùnda; símbolo da autoridade real, escreve Joseph Miller. No século XVIII, os Europeus que estão a compôr as lexicografias notam que em Mbùndu. Bracelete traduz-se em ma-lùnga . Adriano Barbosa faz: ma-lùnga, lùnga e Alves lùnga para qualquer bracelete como jóia. Estes autores precisam que o mesmo objecto se chama LUKANO quando é insígnia de poder. Neste caso o que significa então a palavra? Em Umbûndu como em Côkwe recolhemos os mesmos sentidos: um problema duvidoso, um processo, uma resolução (a um crime), premissa, decisão (de um defunto) …” . Em kikôngo, nkânu significa coisa, problema, problema duvidoso, julgamento, processo, algo que traz perseguições, crime .
Temos prova de que mesmo as palavras não só falam, mas também como documento histórico, obriga-nos a aceitar o ponto de vista que fornecem. E a Lógica como «ciência de palavras» – também significa «ciência do pensamento, das linguagens» – põe em paralelo o acto mental e o objecto além de impossibilitar a separação entre o pensar e a linguagem. E entre o pensar Kôngo/Umbûndu e a realidade exprimida ao objecto existente na qual ambos se referem, tudo indica que a subsistência teria sida a mesma. Isto é, na linguagem de Ferdinand De Saussure, o significante (ou consoante E. Sapir, a realidade factual – termo que utiliza na antropologia histórica servindo da Linguística).
Pois isso autoriza-nos dizer que as designações acima referidas são portadoras das significações que indicam uma concepção formada a partir das realidades vividas em conjunto logo interpretadas de forma convergente. Quer com isso dizer que as «mentes» desses grupos etnolinguísticos imortalizam um mesmo evento histórico que já tratamos com Kôngo-Côkwe sobre a sucessão de Lwêzi/Ruej.
This is the abstract of my thesis about THE ORIGINS OF KONGO Kingdom in Portuguese.
English translation
The origins Verbal I.1. according to Tradition The point of the origins of the Kôngo, if we must listen to the depositaries of ancestral verbal traditions, is more of the one than a confusion. However all recognize that "Nsûndi tufila ntu, Mbâmba tulâmbudila malu" or "Ntu kuna ntându, malu mu mayânda me nzâdi", or still, "Mpânzu ku ntu, Kyângala kunnima". Perhaps these citations constantly repeated by the depositaries of the verbal repertoires in confusion mark the movement-master according to which the old ones (of which those are simply descending) would have taken in the occupations of the country. Exactly the Missionaries who collect the verbal traditions in century XVII or XVIII (Bernardine of the Gallo, António Cavazzi, etc.) they will hear these phrases in the repertoires of the Kôngo. Then, taking the map geographic do old Kôngo Kingdom, as debuxado pelos authors, then let us observe that Nsûndi is ao Norte and South Mbâmba ao (Mpêmba no Center). For this it saw, let us say that Nsûndi has other equivalences which Mpânzu and Mpûmbu will also intervine, and Mbâmba is changed with Kyângala (can be verified in books of the linealogia of Jean Cuvelier and Joseph De Munck. Cf. the bibliography). Let us start for explaining these dispersed repertoires and contrasts. In its illustrious Dictionary kikôngo-Frenchman, Laman gives the meanings to these words that we esteem as raízes of Nsûndi: 1) sûnda: to establish themselves, to install themselves, to inhabit; 2) sûnda: to finish, to cease, to finish; 3) sûnda: to surpass, to exceed; to be preferable, superior, better of the one than; to be the first one, to be in front of a race, a competition; to cross agua, to swim, to float. We take NTÂNDU, North which the raízes: 1) tânda: to float, to swim, to start to swim or to go and acolá here, to walk; 2) tânda: who is great; 3) tândaba: to go and acolá here, in a certain place, parents; 4) tândula: to release, to become great, to strain, to increase, to surround parents, etc. How much the Mbâmba and yânda (kyângala and Mayânda) MBÂMBA: 1) bâmba: glue, fixed for the adobe, to grasp, to close, to press; 2) bâmbakana: to associate, to join themselves (in a work); to calm, friendship; 3) bâmbakasa: enriched for bambakana: to break up themselves, to leave themselves, to go each one its coast. YÂNDA: 1) (ma)yânda: start, origin, I begin, reason, cause, bedding; 2) yânduka: (yândula), to feel heat, much heat; to be heated, to melt itself as bathes it (to the sun) to heat; 3) yândula: to retake, to propagate, to divulge; etc. KYÂNGALA: 1) ky-ângala: sweat, perspiration; heat, suffocating atmosphere; 2) yângala: what it is great; 3) yânga(la)kana: (it does not exist in the Laman dictionary): to extend themselves, to retake themselves as a trepadeira plant. Sinónimo of yânzakana (cf. Laman): to extend itself as a trepadeira, variant plant of yânzama; 4) Yângama: verb of state of yângika: to float on (a surface eliminates); visible, to be high, gigantic; 5) yângama: to release itself. These linguísticas neighborhoods authorize to say them that the world in the Kôngo does not seem to start the Mbâmba but yes in the South. That is, in the truth, the conception of the cosmogonia of the Kôngo. (Ma)yânda means the South, for beyond origin. Therefore, still one remembers that in this country of the south, thus in they inform these linguísticas neighborhoods to them, in this country of the south, "much heat becomes" (such yânduka and Kyângala support the words). By the way, the tradition collected for the Bernardo Of the Gallo and Jerome de Montesarchio (in centuries XVII and XVIII) copied or also registered by Monsignor Jean Cuvelier, say directamente that the country where first king Kôngo established its capital one was Nzânz'a Nkâtu. This word is expressed literally "DOES NOT HAVE PEOPLE", people being here the flora. The translators of the Bible support we verosimilhante when they are equivalent "DESERT" the "Nsi'a Nkâtu", which NZANZ'A NKATU is a variant. Then, what! desert? Our continent only has two. The Sahara being of the North, the option less contradictory would be the KALAHARI that is in the South, doutra form in (the MA)YÂNDA. In the toponímia of this region, the authors had designated and still continue to designate topónimo of MBÂNGALA, exactamente in the southern part of Angola. Therefore in the Kôngo, the word mbângala assigns the time marked due to rains, dry time, great time of heats (August - September). Still more, Kikôngo (to confer in the Dictionaries Laman and Bentley), the expression kuna mbângala is expressed for has much time. Therefore, word MBÂNGALA still keeps sequelas of its old one felt! E when Jean Cuvelier speaks of KÔNGO-DYA-MBÂNGALA NZÛNDU TADI and Jean Van Wing of the KÔNGO-DYA-MBÂNGALA as country of the origins as had been informed, the language, therefore, it confirms it literally. Therefore we ask resumidamente: where the origins of the Kôngo are placed? As to the elements of the language analyzed here, these origins start in the inferior Kalahari, where we find a called region MBÂNGALA for the old etnógrafos (Delachaux, for example designates it in its book). Today this region is populated by the Umbûndu, Côkwe, Nyaneka and Nkúmbe. The elements of the language confirm, for besides asseverar that mbângala, want it abstract word (it has much time), as much as climatic reality is ORIGIN of the Kôngo, and that there the country would have been constituted for the first time; e would be probably there that the friendships and fraternities had been fortified similar to prevent or to foresee other disturbances. In the same time, everything indicates that he would have been same there that for the first time had cismo whose objectivo seems to be the extension, the widening of the country as well as the direction of the word yângama and yândula mentioned above. Of the other side, Nsûndi and Ntându according to its raízes (sûnda: to establish itself: to install themselves, to findar, to finish: tândaba: to go and acolá here...) they demonstrate to a sequência and conclusion of a workmanship or end of a History. Ademais, in the Vîli, citizens of Lwângu the Nsûndi word means an installation. We go to open a parenthesis explaining word LWÂNGU. Of lu, prefix that means share, and of vângu that drift of vânga: to make, to form, to finish, to fulfill, to determine, to finish. Thus, Lwângu in relation the Kyângala (exactly felt root and that mbângala, Mbâmba also consists in this list well that with different root) whose felt it is the start, the origin seems of verosimilhante form, to need the workmanship Kôngo as FOUNDATION Of the COUNTRY Of them. Lwângu is located in Norte and Mbângala in the South, here it is another evident test that Lwângu, semanticamente means end (North), in relation the Mbângala that is the start (South). Let us close parenthesis. Therefore, as Denis Paulme says to it basing on the vicissitudes of the Bantu languages, "the aboriginal traditions are confused, however indicate that beyond the kingdoms of Loango and the Congo the powerful states they had been constituted, with the origin sovereignties commune. Because of the split, the migrations under behavior of the real members of the family would propagate the same civilization of the next one to the next one ". In century XV, the Loango and its tributaries seem had been submitted the sovereign of the Congo or Manicongo which the authority if even extended since Sette Bed of the North in the High Zambeze ". Denise Paulme, although to be scientist who already deserved the right in the African civilizations, writes these lines having in mind all ironies regarding the Verbal Tradition. Exactly the great African historian Joseph Ki-Zerbo (Histoire of l'Afrique, Payot, Paris, 1979) thought in the same way, that the verbal tradition for having known many alterations, must be chosen, be bolted. Some times the lack of compatible method compels any scientist until sapiente to think of this form. Therefore affirming that the authority of Manicongo or better Mani-Kongo was recognized in High Zambeze (Yambesi), it indicates a linking between the Kôngo Kingdom and this region. The peoples from there are Còkwe, Umbùndu, until Nyaneka and Nkúmbe. High Zambeze is placed in the inferior Kalahari! (sic). We will come back in the sub-chapters to follow, to study the affinities and filiations between Kôngo-Côkwe, Kôngo-Nyaneka-Nkúmbe, Kôngo-Umbûndu. I.2. Kôngo-Côkwe, the Affinities or Filiations? For any anthropologist, Kôngo and Côkwe are two different etno-linguísticos groups. For the linguista each group evolves together with its geographic picture. The historian, this believes that the two, for besides evolving in the different zones, have heterogéneas origins. Despite these points of view, the specialists do not ignore the bows of kinship between the two "Bantu groups". I.2.1. Country of the Origins. Côkwe and Lùnda say to have cohabited together in the origins, IKO, or KOLA. Word IKO means FIREPLACE in Portuguese, writes Albino Alves in its dictionary. We can verify sensible more in the Dictionary Umbundu-Portuguese, written for the L.Guennec and Valente, IKO means FIRE, FIREPLACE, HOME. Of remaining portion, IKO is not the only term. The Côkwe also says of LUNDU nyi Senga. The expression otjiLUNDU means in Côkwe (umbùndu also)"abandoned village has much time"; ULUNDU or ovoLUNDU (Côkwe and Umbùndu): mountain where one searchs the firewoods, or is burnt the firewoods; place (mountain) where manufactures coal; OkaLUNDU: cemetary, sinónimo of KEMA: to be carbonized or to paint in black using the method to burn. I.2.2. Localization of this Country. Marie-Louise Bastin, M. Lima thinks that the Côkwe comes of Tanganyika, the East, as it informs the verbal repertoire. This East says NGANGELA. Here it is as it prays the tradition: "ku Ngangela tangwa cicamene... Ku Luanda cangoloshi ": The East comes the sun and goes to sleep the West. We translate this literally NGANGELA where the sun is born, LUANDA where the sun goes to sleep. Bastin, Rasp and others are scholars and had passed for the bank of the school where they had learned in such a way as we who the Sun is born the East. Here it is the reason for which in its to understand, NGANGELA if translates here for East. Therefore as we can see, Luanda does not want here to say West. This demonstrates that NGANGELA, would mean another thing! The logic wants region against e region point cardinal against point cardinal, what it always was! Ngàngela: of N, of gànga and la. The first one is prefix, according to the last root and the suffix. Albino Alves (with Umbûndu Dictionary) and Adriano Barbosa (with Dictionary Côkwe-Portuguese) write that the verb gànga: he means to shine, to scintillate, to propagate the fire of sights (or eyes), to be cruel. The suffix la (hala) marks the share. Therefore, NGANGELA would mean where much Sun becomes, Sun being the primitive fire, teaches legends. East is one of the directions. As region, it confines the IKO, KOLA, LUNDU and MBÂNGALA, because it has felt of proveniência, of the origin of the Sun. However, where if it locates this country where originates the sun? In its Lamal research it evidenced that the Bantu that if they had formed in the zimbabweano circle had followed the rivers in agreement the direcção of these last ones, and had established kingdoms close to waters. E the author underlines that "the great rivers (that they had served of migration) even run of the northward south since the inferior Kalahari in the fallen ones of (river) Tsàkàla Mumvìdia". Kalahari, desert. However Ngàngela, where it comes the sun is a barren place! In current geography, in the inferior Kalahari we find water springs (sources), therefore one of the directions of the Ngàngela word is rising of the sun. Thus, they make good correspondence: desert, Sun, heat, barren region. The Kôngo locates Mbângala (origin of them) in mayânda (south-heat). Delachaux points out this Região-Sul-calor-Sol that is in the inferior Kalahari, exactly in this region that says Lamal. The linguísticos elements indicate that Kôngo and Côkwe seem to have the identical origins, of one same country. I.2.3. First King I.2.3. ) Côkwe "Konde cursed its children as well as its descents; it declassifies to them of the inheritance and it proclaims that doravante its son goes to occur to it. When it felt the death to beat its door, trusted its brother the bracelet, this symbol of the power, recommending to it to transmit the Lueji. Kònde was embedded underneath of the river. SAKALENDE, its brother, convoke the Noblemen (Tubùngu) that they go to ratify the decision of the deceased ". We insist on term SAKALENDE. A first hypothesis is such as this antropónimo wants to say KALENDE FATHER. SA, particle that means father and of KA-LENDE, somebody that is slow, sluggish, of the verb lendelela. As the versions the respect of this event, here it is what our humildade thinks to be a historical truth: Saka: of saka, to agitate (one I eliminate in the vase, or objectos in the hamper); to guess, to oscillate, to vacilar the hamper. We can verify in the dictionary of Adriano Barbosa: sâkula (derived from sâka) means to choose, to seleccionar, to take off of side, to exclude, to eliminate and sâkalwila (of sâka): to treat medecinalmente. Without the shadow of a doubt, it is question of NGÂNGA or Priest here, or somebody of this classroom Priest). Lende: of lende cloud, confusion, disturbance. Adriano Barbosa, writes in its dictionary that lende means to be sluggish, without activity, slow. The author designates, for beyond, that it is an old little used form and. This direction wide is confirmed by the verbs: 1) lendila: to be or to be much time without workmanship; to cover itself of clouds; 2) lendelela: to subject, to submit. This term mentioned Rueji to it. Because it very was before proclaimed as successor. Therefore she was still however slow, that is without work, activities. E this says in term bantu of the sacralogia, it was covered of clouds. Therefore, to leave this state, the intervention of SAKA LENDE was necessary (or better Nsaka ja Lende), as well as says already the literal meaning of the name (that it deals with the traditional medicine, who agitates the sluggish one, etc. to it). Therefore as the versions about of this history, without the sacrament and or the intervention of Nsaka already Legend, never Rueji would occur. I.2.3. b) Kôngo "Had a great confusion in Corte and Nsâku Ne Vûnda decided the situation in this way: who to intend to occur to the throne, must doravante be baptizado by Priest Nsâku Ne Vûnda, without gesture which, no legitimacy will be recognized ", thus translates the trade bill of a tradition collected for Monsignor Jean Cuvelier. "In the locality of Mbânza-Kôngo the tradition designates the existence of an authority of carácter religious, possessing to be able them magical and any candidate to direct must necessarily acquire its support without which no power will be recognized. Without its assent, no king cannot reign ". Thus Dos Santos speaks. We pass the similitudes. SÂKA means as well as Nsâku, that one that consecrates, that one that manages a sacrament to somebody, the person who blesses. This Nsâku of the Kôngo, we read above, possuía to be able them magical and that it was of carácter religious, it adds. This if relates in such a way with SÂKA Côkwe that deals with medicinal form or that it agitates the sluggish ones. Also, nobody forgets that the therapy in the world bantu requires to be able them supernatural in the person of the practitioner. How much the LENDE, Rueji was slow, without activity, work. This wants to say that still it was covered of clouds. Here it is the reason for which, it was necessary the submission (lendelela). We observe that in the Kôngo this LÊNDE must, in the logic, to correspond the VÛNDA whose the raízes: 1) to rest, to rest, to take a time to rest: 2) to be dismissed, to take its time without nothing to make. As name of a person, it writes Laman in its celebrity Dictionaire Kikôngo-Français, "is also said of a seriously sick person". However, SAKALWILA complete the Côkwe direction this ideia Kôngo displayed for the Laman. Rueji means "who if it wants inabordável, impagável, that does not want" in Côkwe. However, Luezi in Kikôngo, we read in the lexicographies, "person who does not want to work", sinónimo of Lukenyi "that wants to be inabordável, somebody that nobody can touch". I.3. Kôngo-Nyaneka I.3.1. Country of the Origins. About its orality, the Nyaneka thinks that they are owners of the localities that still occupy. But they revoke the country of the origins as a desert region, however full of the springs. To follow we enumerate certain words that indicate the country of the origins. EIKO or IKO or EKALA mean home, origin materna; family of the mother..., but also FOGUEIRA. (As we can observe, the same word that means ORIGIN, also takes these on directions to the FIRE, HEAT, FAMILY.) OMANTHIYA wants to say HOME, HOME FAMILIAL where the lighted fire during the night congregates all; also it assigns "the rocks of support for pans"; home or place where the reunificador fire is lighted calls OMANTHIYA and fire in itself is EIKO, or IKO or either EKALA. Curiously, tîya (raís of the word nyaneka) means hot in Kikôngo. (Of this time, one same word binds to the-three-rock-support-das-pans and the family.) EHOKO (IKO), EKANGELA (N-gângela), ETUNDA is different words to mean desert, village-not-inhabited, land abandoned, until a mountain (ekolo). Let us say that another direction of the mountain is reduced the rock-support-das-pans. In the direction of the mountain, whose OMPHUNDA is sinónimo, it exists you vary origin legends. Therefore it prays the Tradition: the life initiated between three mountains, as the food starts before more between the three rock-supports. One between thousand sayings remembers this to them: "enanthiya like kalinthiki mbiya". It wants to say, one alone rock (mountain) cannot support the pan. (the Kôngo says: "makukwa matatu malamb'e Kôngo". The Country (Kôngo) was established by the three rocks - supports of the pan. In this saying, the word enanthiya means family, mountain-rocks among others supports. As afrente will be explicitado more, makukwa is the correspondence of enanthiya. Doutro way, then to leave of this saying, notices of that the Nyaneka seems believes that its society is based on three families, or three main lines where the people if identifies as citizen. 1) OKAAYA: ritual sacred land white clay for unction; the legend says that white clay is symbol of the ancestral ones. Where to find, it asks one guesses. "After the fire if erasing", it answers the ancestral wisdom. Or another vulgar reply but: the white land if was with the wind, (Okaaya kaya n'ofela) when happened it is: where it lives the greats-grandfather already there nobody obtains to go to live. Reason? 2) OUTUNDILO: it means spring of the sun (in the current language the sun is ekumbi or etango). The word drift of spanking: to appear (solely for the sun). Another direction is of DESERT, or a VILLAGE INHABITADA (but that already she will have been inhabited old). The word has the same root with MONTE (OMPHUNDA). In summary, the conception bantu stipulates that the family is origin of all society. However the here used words are EIKO, IKO, EKALA. That is Kola of the Kôngo or Iko(la) Côkwe. In this last group, otji-lundu (also it is Umbundu) wants to say an abandoned village has much time. As reference we cite ETUNDA (outundilo: spring of the sun) that in Nyaneka-Nkumbe it means the same thing. Base of land rise calls EKOLO; Cause, "was for cause of it" OKOMBANDA yae, says the Nyaneka, that is, OMBANDA means cause, sinónimo of base. Also the verb is used k'ombanda for ESTABLISHING. In truth, OMBANDA having these directions mean the same thing that MAYANDA of the Kôngo. (bilabial me + guarding ya produces MBA generally). That mbânda means TOP well (man comes of the sky such and the belief of the Nyaneka), at least we have witness of that the cause or the base of the society is not only EKOLO, but also OMBANDA that in Kikôngo would have mayânda as variant (or metamorphosis) morphologic. Both terms mean origin. Therefore in this it amalgamates of Iko (Côkwe), Mbângala or Kôla (Kôngo), Ekangela (Nyaneka-Nkumbe) to mean DESERT, the extensive semantics aclara that the primitive home (IKO) is on to the climate or barren region. Mbângala (kúna Mbângala makes the Kôngo to say has much time), that they intervém in the expressions for besides meaning climate characterized for the absence of rains confirms that EKANGELA (and Nyaneka-Nkumbe) assigns the ORIGINS. Where this country of the origins would be located? The Nyaneka and Nkumbe be situated in this called region MBÂNGALA for the old etnógrafos (to see Delachaux). It is a desert, a little wet. Therefore more beyond to the South we have the continuation of the Kalahari and Nyaneka-Nkúmbe thinks, second almost all etnógrafos since Estermann, Westernam and Baumann, that first the ancestral ones come of the current ONDIVA. The tradition is such that this region is characterized by the sources or springs of the rivers. It is truth that ONDYIVI-NDYIVI means source, spring of water, or better restricted land, where breaks easily, and therefore generally full of wells. In this region of the South of Angola, also the North of the Namíbia, Bostwana and Sul-Este de Zâmbia we find many wells, water sources. E we have a wet desert-like climate there. Here it is some water wells and sources that we can find: Kushi, Kwebe, Kwîtu, Kwându, Kwânza, Huvala, Quembo, Hill, Utembo, Luengue, Liana, Mussuma, Lwanguinga, Keve, Kwîlu, Okavângu, Yambesi, Cunene, etc. Virgílio Rabbit, studying the elements of the language regarding the Kimbùndu origins, affirms together with the verbal repertoires that at least one word served to assign the entire people for the first time. This term is expressed for FRIENDSHIP, RELATIVE, ADHERENT. Such is the opinion of the Lunda (Côkwe) in the opinion of Vansina. We go to try explor the linguística correspondence Nyaneka and Kôngo with objectivo to try to interpret this ideia in understanding of the Kôngo/Nyaneka. Friendship is expressed for Oupangi in Nyaneka. Drift however of the verb pangiya: to manufacture, to create; to construct, to form something, family (house). By the way, relative still says OMBUNGA in Nyaneka or wotyikumba. Ombunga comes of the verb hungu, tunga, lunga, that is to manufacture, to create, to form, shape. He is curious to see that to conquer if it also translates for sokola for beyond punda and hakana. However, sokola, kolesa, kolisa or simply kola means to create, to manufacture, to make, to form, to construct... sinónimo of pangiya and ombûnga. "Tumbunga": we are relatives say the Nyaneka. The filologia informs us of that this fact of being relative results eventually of the marriage pacts: "to manufacture or to form a family" The case is not different in the Kôngo. Mpângi wants to say friend, brother and drift of the verb vânga: to create, to manufacture, to form, etc. Here it is reason adoptou soon Kôngo as name of country because it means: joined, joined. Of the verb kônga or kôngesa: to join, to join, to put together, to mix, to make circle, to incline. Sinónimo of kolesa (kola): to surround, to incline, to form a circle; to construct, to make a barrage or circle. By the way kôngola in Nyaneka, sinónimo of toteka, means to join, to join many people. As we will see later to the respect of the Kôngo Monarchs, the NTÔTELA heading evokes that the king must preserve the union, is the person who symbolizes the union of the people. The words seem to say more: panga(na) in Nyaneka is expressed for "being MUCH TIME, a CONSIDERABLE TIME". That is equivalent of "Kuna Mbângala" in the Kôngo. The term affirms OUMPANGI, FRIENDSHIP as resulted of much time of convivência of the populations that if would finally have joined. Therefore, one becomes difficult to perhaps believe to one simple, over all when the expression "in the old times" if says kohale-ale or simply kohale, kola in Nyaneka. Kola, assigns, as already we saw behind, the native country in such a way in the Kôngo as in the Côkwe and Nyaneka. This correspondence teaches that the FRIENDSHIP was in the base of the new societies if creating, after the conquests. Here it is reason FRIENDSHIP, RELATIVE has the same raízes with MANUFACTURING (the society), TO JOIN (the people), TO MIX (different peoples), MUCH TIME. In equal way, we find rivers with similar name. Such is the example of Okahangulu (Okavangu), Lwangingua, Yambêsi, Kwuito, Kwilu, Kuhandu (Kwându). Semanticamente, these cited rivers preceding are certifications of the origins or better of the bred friendships. Proverb says: "the trees indicate the proviniências; the rivers in remember our infancies to them (origin)". Embondeiro, figueira is some trees that, after establishing a region were necessary plantar similar to testify the friendship as common origin of the founders. The rivers, therefore, for the fact to supply water to drink, to bathe, to fish, to cultivate and other works domiciliáres of primieira necessity, are very special. Legends and myths of the origins do not forget to mention names of rivers for this simple reason. He is obvious, the same rivers that had marked the first societies had been in this in case that immortalized or antropomorfizados (impersonatied) through songs of rites, fish, agriculture, infancy, etc. How much the characteristics of this country, the word CREATION if also translates for EPOMBO, EHOMBO in Nyaneka. Same word or still better ONDOMBO assigns in general "the days of heats before rain". He is curious, in the truth, to notice that for beyond NDYIVI-NDYIVI (Ondyiva) the Nyaneka they take another term that generally assigns these "water wells with SPRING", that is cacimba: ONYOMBO. However as we will see, TO MARRY (or marriage), it is in our humble opinion one of the words more adjusted to explain the first foundations of the countries. In principle, the family is the nucleus of the society. However, in the conception of the Nyaneka, Kimbûndu, Umbûndu, Côkwe, Kôngo this family starts for the act TO MARRY. That is to join two different people; that is to mix two families. Here it is the reason for which the marriage is a subject not of two people, therefore enrollment of all society. TO MARRY if says HOMBOLA, having the same root with the word that generally means "WATER WELL with SPRING" and "Days of HEATS before rain". Also it characterizes the activity of the origins: to hunt = yômbela in Nyaneka, and curiously says Kôngo in kikôngo. I.4. Kôngo-Umbûndu In the language of the Historians, Linguistas, Anthropologists... Kôngo even occupies the region between Atlantic and river Kwângu since Kwânza in the south in the confines of central Plateaus to the north. Umbûndu therefore is, in understanding of the same specialists, a set of the etnias, meridionals of Angola, but that we find in great antropológica mixture in the groups Côkwe Lûnda, Ngângela, etc. I.4.1 the Words Also Have its History "When I nominate objecto chair, I am to also relate to me all chairs to it to that they exist in my house, but to the chairs of the restaurant or the church, to the ones of now or to the ones of the past, to richly worked or simplest and humble". What it indicates that the words are arbitrary and conventional, then they do not lie in itself and they are historical documents par excellence. Banal, as the feudal Right, the inhabitants of one Landlord had exactly been obliged to use the milling, oven, washer... of Senhor-Chefe, consonant a license. These objectos then had been called "banal oven", "banal milling", "banal washer", etc. because assigned in necessary way for the one ban. That is announcement politics. As everybody was directed for there, the banal word was retaken in XVIII century in the directions of common, USED FOR ALL, WITHOUT ORIGINALIDADE. We speak therefore of the administrative headings Mbûndu. In the language of Joseph Miller, these headings not only concern the Umbûndu, but also the Kimbûndu. We go to try to place the Kôngo directions to the similar side to favor the reader a free judgment: affinities? Filiations... The data come of the book "the politico power Mbundu. The kinship in the Umbundos ", written for Joseph Miller. 1) KOTA: TITULO Mbûndu, the old fools of an ancestry, to who are trusted the titular positions of ancestry; they are the dignitários of the Cut serving the king, being they constantly voters of the real authorities. In Umbûndu, the raízes are: 1) kòta: to adquerir, to keep; 2) kòta: to finish, to finish, to give end; 3) kòta: to exorcizar, to banish the spirit or the demónio from an illness. In kikôngo, Kõta comes of: 1) Kôta: to engage, to hinder a battle, to put obstacle; 2) Kôta: to cost, to value together; 3) Kôta: to exortar, to warn, to persuade; 4) Khôta in the Mayômbe means RESPONSIBILITY. As to the directions above enumerated, the "Makhôta" belongs in the ancestry of the Nsâku Ne Vûnda, ancestry of the Priests who soon consecrate the Authorities after the election. In 1791-1795, Raymond Dicomano it notices that "each Senhor-Chefe de Bânza (capital) and libâta (village) possuía a MACOTA (advising old fool), or aged called MANI PÊMBA or Justiceiro-Major. When any difficulty between the people appears, is the indicated person who examines the cause, then puts the two parts in agreement ". Therefore, the directions Umbûndu and Kikôngo are complemented mutuamente. Exorcizar, for example, that it is Umbundu, confirms that the Makôta (Kôngo) had been really MANI PÊMBA as well as prayer the Tradition. That is member of the family of the Nsâku Ne Vunda. EXORCIZAR was one of the attributes of the functions of the Nsâku in old the Kôngo society. 2) KILÂMBA: Heading Dos Reis Hangs (as Ovimbundu sub-group) that they before governed the arrival of the IMBÂNGALA. The radical is lâmba that as Alves it is the name given to an amiable person, beloved, kind, likeable. In kikôngo lâmba is transitivo that stops besides meaning to extend itself, to widen itself, wants to also say TO LAST MUCH TIME. The same verb means to think, to reflectir deeply, to meditar. Hâmba whose kâmba and variant, mean the same thing in Kimbûndu. He is not estupefacto that Kilâmba comes to mean "a person amiable" because in the Age of foundation of the kingdoms bantu, the FRIENDSHIP was in the base of the concerns before making the pazes in a conquered country. LÛNDA means for example FRIENDSHIP, for same reasons, says the authors. The direction TO LAST MUCH TIME is proper of the notion of authority in world bantu: the principle of the power is based on the blood of an ancestral family derived from the main one. In the Kôngo, the Nzînga only could govern before the discovery for the Diogo Dog. Nzîng'a Nkûwu for example, is a test. The Nzînga word comes of the verb zînga: to live much time, to last much time, to persist during much time, etc. E the elites of the migrations had been they them. Denise Paulme, more behind, in a citation that we made wrote: "the migrations under behavior of the real members of the family" To that it concerns the MEDITAR direction, TO REFLECT also exists correspondence. In kikôngo, MFÛMU means AUTHORITY, HEAD. Drift therefore of fûmuna to sit down with the hand being supported the chin, or cheek; to meditar, to reflectir, to make examination of the conscience, to think. Heading KILÂMBA, we read behind, is Mbùndu inheritance in the part of Pende, "before the IMBANGALA". Pende says that the ancestral ones are citizens of IMBÂNGALA (MPÂSI) or KÔNGO-DYA-MBÂNGALA. Therefore, already we know the citizenship of them: Imbângala. Mbângala being in accordance with the Tradition the country of the origins of Besi-Kôngo, would be they Kôngo of the same comparative logic that the Portuenses is Portugueses. Lamal makes to understand it in its workmanship on the Ba-Sûku and the populations of Kwângu-Kasayi. 3) LUKANO: bracelet lùnda; symbol of the real authority, writes Joseph Miller. In century XVIII, the Europeans who are the compôr the lexicographies notice that in Mbùndu. Bracelet is expressed ma-lùnga. Adriano Barbosa makes: ma-lùnga, lùnga and Alves lùnga for any bracelet as jewel. These authors need that the same objecto if calls LUKANO when it is hashmark of being able. In this case what it means then the word? In Umbûndu as in Côkwe we collect same the sensible ones: a problem doubtful, a process, a resolution (to a crime), premise, decision (of a deceased)... ". In kikôngo, nkânu means thing, problem, problem doubtful, judgment, process, something that brings persecutions, crime. We also have test of that exactly the words not only speak, but as historical document, compels to accept us to it the point of view that they supply. E the Logic as "science of words" - also it means "science of the thought, of the languages" - puts in parallel the mental act and objecto besides disabling the separation between thinking and the language. E between thinking Kôngo/Umbûndu and the reality stated to objecto existing about which both mentions, everything indicates that the subsistence would have been the same one. That is, in the language of Ferdinand De Saussure, the significant one (or consonant And Sapir, the factual reality - term that it uses in the historical anthropology serving of the Linguística). Therefore this authorizes to say us that the above cited assignments are carrying of the significações that indicate a conception formed from the realities lived in set soon interpreted of convergent form. It wants with this to say that the "minds" of these etnolinguísticos groups immortalize one same historical event that already we deal with Kôngo-Côkwe on the succession of Lwêzi/Ruej.
Taharqa 00:59, 18 July 2007 (UTC)
^Kind of a rough translation in some spots, but I hope it helps some..Taharqa 01:01, 18 July 2007 (UTC)
Rewrite in Encyclopedic format and English
I agree completely with Scott Free on this. The work must be in English and needs considerable distillation. Misplaced Pages is not a place for arguing points, so it also needs rewriting. Since the piece was written in Portuguese, here is the suggestion in that language:
Este contribuicao deve ser traduzida em Ingles, e mesmo curtado por causa de espaco. O tese contem um argumento detilhada (este resumo tambem!) mas por uma encyclopedia, precisa escriver o artigo na forma propria das encyclopedias.
I have restored the section "The Alliance between Mpemba Kasi and the Mbata Kingdom" which was removed to place this thesis in the article. I do not intend this to reject the argument of the thesis, which I do not see as incompatible, though I have reservations about many of the claims in the thesis. The thesis, however, refers to earlier periods, and movements of the Essikongo in more remote periods, and not the immediate formation of the kingdom of Kongo or at least the dynasty that was ruling in 1483.
flag and coat of arms
I've found one site with a depiction of kongo's flag. the flag seems to have been developed at the same time as the coat of arms. Here's the link to the flag. It depicts a red cross against a white background.
Here is what I found for the coat of arms. There were two. The first one was issued during the reign of Affonso I and is the most popular. The second seems to have been used exclusively during the reign of Alvaro I.
i'm not too familiar with how to work this stuff into the article. I hope someone here can so we can fill this baby out some more. good work every1.Scott Free 20:14, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
- I finally put up the coat of arms. I think the flag is suspect so I'll wait on that. The coat of arms just looks amazing to me.Scott Free 04:03, 28 July 2007 (UTC)
I've taken a look at the flag, and I think this is a correct depictation. The Kongo army is shown in a azulejo (blue and white painted tiles) display in the church of Our Lady of Nazare in Luanda, commemorating the Battle of Mbwila, 1665. A great number of flags are shown emerging from the Kongo army with the same cross devise, though without a clear cut depictation of the little leave motifs at the end.
An image of a priest receiving a local official in the Missione in Prattica, a missionary handbook of c 1750 shows the flag exactly as depicted in this image, red cross with little fleur de lys device at the ends of the cross and white background. So I'd say, it should be mounted.
Problems with Sidebar
I have a number of problems with the sidebar, but I can't figure out how to edit it in a way that doesn't destroy it. There are some inherent problems for example, in giving a population size, since over several centuries it has changed substantially, especially given both population growth and mobility as well as the impact of the civil war and slave trade. Back in 1977 I published an article on Kongo's population based on studying population information found in baptismal records, in which I argued that the core region of Kongo was about 129,000 square kilometers and had some 509,000 people ("Demography and History in the Kingdom of Kongo", Journal of African History) in 1650. I saw a slight rise in total population to the eighteenth century. Obviously there is a problem with the 16th century estimate of 2 million and the 300,000 square kilometers surface area. This depends on how one defines Kongo, for example, does one place all the kingdoms listed in Afonso's full titles, in his letter of 1535 to the Pope as being under Kongo domain or not? I believed that these were not any more than symbolic subunits and not under direct administration, but that is something that can be argued here or elsewhere.
In another article, published in Portuguese in Brazil, I revisited my 1977 article and argued for some radical rethinking of population in the 18th century, but without offering regional estimates, since the data weren't there to support it. I cannot believe that the population did not fall during that period.
I think that the heading "Conquest of Kabunga" is too confusing. It's not in use at all in any of the standard works of history on Kongo and while I have no problems with it intellectually, I think it a bit too innovative for our piece. I'm unclear on what the "Invasion of Kabunga" in 1888 might be. Kongo's loss of sovereignity was gradual, from Pedro V's signing of a vassalage agreement in 1858 (a dead letter in truth) to the second vassalage agreement in 1888, presumably the invasion's source, but it was not in response to any invasion from anyone. There was then a period of co-existence a sort of twilight until the revolt of 1914 and the administrative incorporation of Kongo into Angola as a province. Obviously this section needs to be written fully in the text of the article, and one day I'll try my hand at it, when I have time and have gathered my materials.
I don't know of any evidence that the currency changed from nzimbu shells to raffia cloth (presumably by this you mean libongos or bongos, which derives from the Kikongo verb meaning wealth or profit) which were cloth, though not raffia but tree bark. Both currencies were in use simultaneously and certainly 1648 is not a breaking point. Why not include both?
I don't think that the royal council counts as a legislature in Kongo. These people were appointed and served at the king's pleasure. They were an advisory council whose advice he could ignore. The various kings made use of fewer or more than 12, although I don't doubt that many people would have though of 12 as an appropriate number and indeed it might have had 12 formal members.
As for the name of the country, here are more problems. Officially, since the language of administration and formal communication was Portuguese it should be called "Reino de Congo" as this was found all over its documentation, and its official seal. As for a Kikongo name, I believe that it was probably called Wene wa Kongo in its earlier days, though there is no textual evidence for this, but such terms do occur in Kikongo texts, such as occasionally in Nkutama a mvila za makanda Later it may well have been known as Kongo dya Ntotila, since this term was prominent in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Beepsie (talk • contribs)
- To change the population numbers and area, do NOT put any punctionation in the numbers, the te
Games in Kongo.
Hi!
I had a question on the Misplaced Pages reference desk about the section of this article that talks about games played in Kongo - and specifically the game: 'nclaca'. I did a lot of searching around and I can find NO references to this game in books or on the Internet. Since the information was added by an anonymous editor who has never added anything else to Misplaced Pages - I'm deeply suspicious of this information. Notably, the William Holman Bentley book which supposedly talks about games played in the Kongo makes no mention (according to my search on Google Books) of a game by this name.
I think it's nonsense - so it's gone!
SteveBaker 18:54, 7 September 2007 (UTC)
- Sounds like a reasonable action to me.Scott Free 19:59, 7 September 2007 (UTC)
- On second thought...we might need to put that section back after all. The following section in googlebooks (which I found in all of 30 seconds) seems to back up some parts of the game section. Check it out...http://books.google.com/books?id=N65pbr2hC4wC&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=bakongo+games&source=web&ots=2HGd7AtRnR&sig=N3ptl4z6oQanWTFJIJ3Byvq2Wjc#PPA102,M1
Scott Free 20:05, 7 September 2007 (UTC)
An Expansion
A note to all those who love and modify this article. I've made a lot of changes in it, some reorganization, particularly to take the general description out of the pre-fifteenth century part and put it in the seventeenth century part, since it is really based on that material. I've also added a few references, but I need to do more (help welcome). I've also expanded a lot the later years, and made smaller changes here and there. Beepsie (not signed in for now)
All the work done on this section was reverted about two hours afer I finished. I would like to reverse this revert, but will wait a few days before doing soBeepsie (talk) 16:13, 17 December 2007 (UTC)
I have reverted the page to its 15 December version to preserve the changes that I made, inadvertently not signed in, on that dayBeepsie (talk) 20:04, 19 December 2007 (UTC)
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