ZenithGold Publishers

 

Part of the reason I write these books for children is to express immense gratitude to my grandparents and parents who passed on the precious invaluable treasures of the African Oral Tradition to me. Furthermore, I continue to write because I do not want to see this precious and priceless Oral Tradition disappear into oblivion.

Many children born in Africa today, especially since the 1960’s, do not have the opportunity to hear the stories in the Oral Tradition retold to them. As products of the so-called modern world, their parents were perhaps not told these myths, legends, folktales, and riddles or the stories have been corrupted by Western myths and folklore. Consequently, most elite African parents today only tell their children about Cinderella or the Seven Dwarfs and similar tales. While there is nothing wrong with embracing the folklore of other cultures, it is not enough. Much more needs to be passed on and preserved, especially the rich oral heritage that comes from the root of their African ancestors, specifically from the cradle of the human race.

I have come to realize that the root of ancient African Oral Tradition forms an integral part of humanity’s global Oral Tradition and provides a common thread that runs through it all. The global common denominator is spirituality and mystic philosophy or mysticism.

The point is, one who is not born into the language in which this wisdom is narrated cannot easily decipher the hidden jewels of divine wisdom given through the Oral Tradition. Moreover, even though one may be a native speaker of the language, still one needs to have ripened or evolved to have attained some degree of spirituality in order to identify and comprehend the esoteric truths that are hidden within the tales.

When one takes a deep interest in the myths, legends and folklore as told by people of different traditions all over the world, one soon observes what a rich treasury of moral and spiritual knowledge is concealed within these reservoirs of wisdom. It is clear that our Wise Purified Sages (Bakalimagezi Abasengejje) concealed gems of wisdom in the Oral Tradition to the extent that, even up to today, only persons who have evolved to a significant degree of spirituality can decipher the hidden spiritual jewels concealed there.

Most people narrate these folktales merely as stories of superstition or as fabricated legends designed to entertain human minds. However, they relay them without recognizing their spiritual background or without deciphering their deeper meaning. Only evolved great minds can decode spiritual teachings designed for the selected few Initiates who can comprehend them. These jewel teachings were lessons, and discourses intended for mortal man to regain immortality. Concealed in metaphors, symbols, and sometimes in riddles, spiritual knowledge and wisdom has been hidden from unqualified individuals of the world as a way of protecting the lessons from being profaned.

It is my sincere hope and desire that all over the world, the children of today will find these stories not only interesting but also educational. Most of all, for the stimulation of their spirit and or souls, I hope they will discover the spiritual jewels hidden there for their greater good and subsequent final liberation.

Jjajjaawo, Bhuka B.M. Bijumiro-Jjumiro

 

 

 

Once upon a time, in pre-history in ancient Africa, there was a very beautiful young teenage girl whose name was Nampiima. Her parents lived at a time when Entembe was the name of the city by the shores of Lake Nnalubaale (Victoria) where the modern-day city of Entebbe, Uganda is today.

It is believed, the lake was not in existence at that time or there was a much smaller body of water called Lweeru. The present day Lake Nnalubaale came about as a result of the submersion of the ancient city of Entembe, probably from a terrible earthquake. According to the contemporary African Born-Saint, His Imperishable Glory Bambi Baaba Baabuwee, the ancient city of Entembe is buried under the waters of Nnalubaale.

During the time of Nampiima, the Kingdom of Ssese extended closer to the ancient city of Entembe. When the waters of Lweeru covered the remains of the city of Entembe and Lweeru became the great Nnalubaale we now see, much of the Kingdom of Ssese disappeared underwater.

The present day thirty-eight islands of Ssese are only fragments or remnants of a much larger kingdom that extended into what is known today as northern Tanzania. The Ssese Kingdom grew weaker after the waters of Nnalubaale swallowed up such a large percentage of its landmass.

The legendary King of Ssese, called Wada of whom Bukulu is a descendant, was an ancient monarch who practiced spirituality as a way of life. The original Wada was in fact, a high Divine Spiritual Guardian, and should not be confused with the Wada recorded in modern Buganda history.

The story of Nampiima and the Prince takes place in the area described above. The great Lake Lweeru (later called Nnalubaale with its Ssese Islands) and the city of Entembe (later called Entebbe) were the locations in which Nampiima and the Prince lived.

 

QUESTIONS: Chapter 1

1. Can you find the modern city of Entebbe on your map and name the country where this city is located.
2. What is the ancient name for the modern present day city of Entebbe?
3. What happened to the ancient city of Entembe?

 

Nampiima was born in the Kingdom of Buganda, in the nation of Uganda in the land of East Africa. As a child, her parents loved her so much because of her exquisite physical beauty. To them she was an idol and they did not allow her do any physical labor like the other children.

However, Nampiima’s heart was elsewhere. She could not eat animal flesh. Her parents said she was allergic to it but the fact was, she was a vegetarian from past-life experience and could do no harm to other living creatures. She could not accept killing them and eating their flesh.

Nampiima did not like staying at home and was not at all happy. Instinctively, she knew it was wrong for people to kill and eat animals. It was as if she had been born into a dreadful prison.

Namunkanga was a strange Wise Sage who lived in the city. He knew that Nampiima was a special soul ready for spiritual instruction. He was also aware that Nampiima’s parents were turning her into a spoiled brat because of the special treatment her parents showed to her because of her transitory physical beauty. Often, Namunkanga would appear out of the blue to teach and instruct Nampiima in various fields of learning.

When she was seven-years old, Namunkanga who wished to protect Nampiima from becoming an unpleasant spoiled child sent her to the well to fetch water. Namunkanga wanted to begin her spiritual training. He knew that being turned
into a spoiled brat would not fare well for her.

He tried his best to teach Nampiima lessons in humility by giving her all the menial jobs whenever her parents were away from home. He wanted her to be able to serve others like the other children. They knew how to peel bananas and how to craft baskets. Children also knew how to take care of the pots and ebyanzi (wooden milk jars). Furthermore, they knew how to cook and be of help to their parents and the community.

One day, Namunkanga sent Nampiima to the well to fetch water. However, Nampiima’s little sister dared to report to the parents what had happened when they were away. When their parents returned, she sang:

Namunkanga ky’akoze wano
Agenze n’atuma Mpiima emugga
Sso nga Mpiima mwana wa bbutu
Tagenda mugga.
Bbutu
Ne kyebutuggula
Bbutu
Ne kitengeetera
Bbutu
Kigenze mu nku
Bbutu
Kinadda lwaggulo!

Translation:

What Namunkanga has done here
He has sent Nampiima to the well
Yet Nampiima is a child of Bbutu
Who never goes to the well.

Bbutu
She becomes of Bbutu
Bbutu
She levitates
Bbutu
It goes into the firewood
Bbutu,
He will return in the evening!

In the folksong, Nampiima’s little sister depicts Namunkanga as a strange creature who comes and disappears into the woods with Nampiima. There, he shows her how to collect firewood and helps her gather it. She reveals how this strange creature, Namunkanga, comes in the mornings and evenings to instruct Nampiima when the parents are away from home. Yet Nampiima is a brat whose parents have spoiled her. That is the esoteric meaning of the folksong above.

However, when the parents tried to look for Namunkanga, they could not find him anywhere. Namunkanga seemed to have disappeared into thin air. They looked everywhere but found no trace of him.

The word Namunkanga means dragonfly but it is a hidden way of saying something else. Namunkanga comes from two roots, “Nami” or “Namu” which is a spiritual term that means, “It’s alive,” or “the power of immortality.” The second root is “Nkanga” which means a “pouch” or “bag” in which precious articles are kept. From a spiritual standpoint, Namunkanga means, “The Secret Bag of the Wisdom of the Power of Immortality.”

In the ancient Kagera-Basin region of East Africa, which covered the kingdoms of Karagwe-Bunyoro-Kitara, the word “Ettu” (a package) or “Enkanga” (a bag or pouch) symbolized wisdom. For that reason, Namunkanga was a mysterious being who could wield the divine powers of an Enlightened Being as a Soul-Liberator.

Namunkanga continued to instruct Nampiima in spiritual matters without her parents’ knowledge. He would come mysteriously. Only Nampiima and her little sister used to see him.

 

QUESTIONS: Chapter 2

1. Why would Nampiima not eat animal flesh?
2. What is the spiritual (esoteric) meaning of the name Namunkanga?
3. To Nampiima, who was Namunkanga?
4. What did Namunkanga do to teach Nampiima the virtue of humility?
5. What made Nampiima feel like she was born into a dreadful prison?
6. Who was a strange Wise Sage?

 

I believe that spiritual knowledge learned early in childhood stays with the child into adulthood. If we could only imprint spiritual values in our children’s minds, their pure souls would find it easy to impress the vital nature and rare high value of this knowledge and ancient wisdom. It would then be easy for their souls to master their minds. In that way, they would be well equipped to win the indomitable battle of life – namely, the battle of elevating the soul over the mind.    B.BJ-j
 

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  By Bhuka Bijumiro-Jjumiro