The chameleon plays an important role in several myths from Malawi. The Tumbuka people relate a tale of how Chiuta, the supreme deity in their traditional religion, sent a chameleon and a lizard to take two messages to humans.
The chameleon’s message was that when humans died, they would be reborn; the lizard’s message was that death would be permanent. Because the chameleon was so slow, the lizard arrived first with its message. When the chameleon finally arrived, it was too late — the people had accepted the lizard’s message, and the permanence of death was established.
African Mythology A to Z,
by Patricia Ann Lynch
Chelsea House (2010).
The following children’s song was recorded in June 1958 at Kawere School in Dowa, a district in the Central Region of Malawi. Bilimankhwe is the name of a chameleon and in the song the children ask him why his eyes are swollen. Bilimnakhwe replies that he has been mourning the deaths of his kinsfolk and that it is inappropriate for the children to be laughing when there is a funeral at his home.
Then, Bilimankhwe goes further to state that he will no longer stay in the village as it has been ravaged by death. He informs the children that he will leave the village and let others rebuild it.
My thanks to Waliko Makhala of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation for the translation and transcription that follows.
Bilimankhwe,
Why are your eyes so swollen?
There is death in our home, don’t you children laugh at me
Look, my home is bare, bare, bare. (1)
Bilimankhwe,
Why are your eyes so swollen?
There is death in our home, don’t you children laugh at me
Look, my home it is bare, bare, bare.
I will leave this village
Let others build this village
I will leave this village
Look at my home it is bare, bare, bare.
Here are the lyrics in the original Chichewa.
Bilimankhwe
Bilimankhwe masso anatupa ninji?
Kwathu maliro musamaseke ana anu
Kwayera mbee mbee mbee.
Bilimankhwe
Bilimankhwe masso anatupa ninji?
Kwathu maliro musamaseke ana anu
Kwayera mbee mbee mbee.
Ine nzachoka pa mudzi pano
Ngala umanga pamudzi pano taonani pakhomo pangapa kwayere mbee mbee
Ine nzachoka pamudzi pano
Taonani pakhomo pangapa payera mbeee mbeee mbeee.
(Repeats four times)
by the boys of Kawere School,
Recorded in Dowa District, Central Malawi on 3 June 1958,
from the Malawi Broadcasting Corporations archives,
translated and transcribed by Waliko Makhala.
Footnotes
- Death has taken its toll.
