Monday, April 2, 2018

B: Bumba




In the African mythology of the Congo's Bushong people, Bumba was the creator god. He lived alone, and very lonely, in a universe of water until one day, after extreme stomach distress, he vomited up the sun, moon, and stars. The sun dried up the water, so Bumba then vomited eight animals: leopard, crested eagle, crocodile, fish, tortoise, heron, beetle, and goat. These animals went on to create many other animals. Finally, Bumba barfed out mankind and gave them laws, customs, and rulers. When Bumba was done with all this, he returned to his home in the sky. But he will occasionally visit mankind in dreams and visions.

(On what I assume is a completely unrelated note, when my firstborn was young, he named his beloved stuffed cat Bumba.)

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to "C" you tomorrow!


17 comments:

  1. That's not a story to read after lunch... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. 'barfed out mankind' - LOL - that is a description that is going to stay with me :D
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings - Movie Monsters

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm with the other commenters on this one. It's hard not to focus on all the vomiting going on. :) Maybe we can look at it as out of the bad or the difficult, comes the good? That's my story, anyway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you have a good perspective, Karen!

      Delete
  4. Interesting. Incidentally, Bumba is a town in Congo, with a population of hundred thousand people. But the town has no power or water supply. I wonder, how such a fate befell a town with this name, and how people live there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wonder, too. Those are not good conditions for 100,000 people. Thanks for the comment!

      Delete
  5. Well, I've heard of many different ways of creating the world, but 'barf' - well that's a first for me :)
    Sophie
    Ghostly Inspirations - Sophies A to Z

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love these origin stories. 'Vomited' up mankind--well said.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're fascinating, right? This one in particular!

      Delete
  7. I'm finding your theme for AtoZ fascinating and glad you stopped by to visit my blog, otherwise I might have missed your posts.
    Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is a great theme for A to Z! Glad I stumbled on you, and I'll be following. Though I think I'm with the others who are a bit dubious about all the vomiting :D
    Rebecca who is NOT doing A to Z

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, wow! I never got to be anyone's first follower before :D (I suppose others are following by email, which is probably what I should have done).

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love your takes on stories - barfing out mankind. Too funny!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What an odd creation story! I think there is soemthing very funny about the idea that humanity is the final burf of a very unsettld stomach!!!

    ReplyDelete