BUNZI
allyRain, fertility
Bunzi, also called Mpulu Bunzi or Phulu Bunzi, is a serpent spirit of the waters and a rain deity in traditional Kongo religion. She was first venerated by the Woyo of the kingdom of Ngoyo, on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, around present-day Cabinda and the mouth of the Congo River. She is often represented as a multicoloured serpent who rewards her faithful with abundant harvests. Tradition says that the rainbow visible in the sky is a manifestation of Bunzi. According to the myth, she is the daughter of Mboze, the Great Mother, and of Kuitikuiti. Born in the form of a small serpent, she inherited the power to bring rain after her mother's death. Among the Yombe of the Republic of the Congo, the figure becomes masculine under the name Phulu Bunzi, lord of the waters, who seals a pact between Nzazi, the thunder, and Mbumba, the rainbow serpent, to maintain harmony between earth and sky. Bunzi thus embodies agricultural fertility, fecundity, and the bond between rain, waters and prosperity.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
A fragment of Onionkupón's Breath, bound to one of the five elements of the cosmic balance.
Sacred Mask
A mask carved of ancient energy — a symbol of the cosmic force proper to its pantheon.
Era
3,000–1,000 BCE — Cycle of Elemental Powers
Spiritual Lesson
To understand the nature of one's own balance and the wisdom hidden behind every trial.
Words of the Spirit
“What is rooted does not fear the storm.”
Frequently asked questions
Which people venerate Bunzi?
Bunzi was first honoured by the Woyo of the kingdom of Ngoyo, on the Kongo coast of Central Africa. The Yombe of the Republic of the Congo also invoke her under the name Phulu Bunzi.
Why is Bunzi associated with the rainbow?
Kongo tradition says that the rainbow visible in the sky is an apparition of Bunzi, the multicoloured serpent of the waters and the rain who rewards her faithful with good harvests.
Who are Bunzi's parents?
According to the myth, she is the daughter of Mboze, the Great Mother, and of Kuitikuiti. She was born in the form of a small serpent and inherited the power to bring the rain.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Wyatt MacGaffey, Religion and Society in Central Africa: The BaKongo of Lower Zaire (1986)
- Harold Scheub, A Dictionary of African Mythology: The Mythmaker as Storyteller (2000)