Week 7, Reading A: The Twin Brothers

In the Congo, family and sibling rivalries are common, as is demonstrated in The Twin Brothers, from the Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort, by Richard Dennett.

Reading Notes

• Twin boys are born almost fully grown (the poor mother), each with his own fetish, a charm for magical powers.
• The elder one, Mavungu, decides that he wants to set out and explore.
• Meanwhile, the daughter of Nzambi is at marrying age, but he won't make her marry anyone unless she says so. 
• A bunch of animals ask for her hand, but she turns them all down.
• Mavangu hears of this and decides he wants to marry her.
• He uses his charm to turn a bunch of blades of grass into different tools (a knife, a gun, a horn, etc.) until he is ready to travel.
• Mavangu sets off, and the charm helps to feed him along the way by providing food  and a place to sleep upon request.
• Nzambi's daughter falls in love with Mavangu upon sight, and they are quickly married.
• The next day, Mavangu sees that the hut has mirrors all over the place, but that their all covered.
• He tells his wife he wants to see the mirrors, and she uncovers all but one.
• Each mirror reflects a different village, including his home one.
• Mavangu demands to see the last mirror uncovered, and his wife initially refuses, telling him that everyone who sees the last one wishes to travel there, but never returns.
• However, he insists and she reluctantly shows him.
• Naturally, Mavangu wants to travel to the town as soon as he sees it, and despite his wife's pleading he does just that.
• Mavangu travels by horse until he comes close to the town, and meets an old woman on the outskirts.
• He asks her for fire to light his pipe; she tells him to tie up his horse and to come and get it.
• He ties his horse up tightly, and as soon as he comes near the old woman she kills him.
• Meanwhile, Mavangu's twin brother Luemba wonders at Mavangu's long absence, so uses his charm to turn blades of grass into tools and sets off on his brother's trail. 
• When he arrives, Nzambi mistakes him for Mavangu, as does everyone else, and they refuse to listen to Luemba's claim that he isn't his brother.
• That night, Luemba uses his charm to take his sister-in-law out of his room, so he doesn't sleep with her.
• The next day, Luemba asks and is shown the mirrors like his brother, and upon seeing the town reflected in the last one realizes his brother is still there, and decides to go rescue him.
• None of his in-laws are happy, but relent because, mistaking him for Mavangu, they realize that if he can return once, he can return again.
• Luemba traces his brother's path and comes across the old woman as well, asks for fire, and is given the same answer as his brother.
• Unlike his brother, Luemba only ties his horse up lightly, and then kills the old woman.
• Luemba finds the bones of Mavangu and his horse, and uses his charm to resurrect them.
• The two brothers then use their charms to resurrect hundreds of other people who suffered the same fate.
• Luemba and Mavangu head back to Nzambi's town with their followers, and Luemba informs Mavangu of what happened when he was dead.
• Then they start to quarrel over who should have the followers.
• Mavangu feels he should, as the oldest, while Luemba feels that none of them, including his brother, would be alive without him.
• Mavangu kills Luemba in anger and leaves his body behind with his horse, taking the followers back to Nzambi's town and being welcomed.
• Luemba's horse takes his charm and uses it to resurrect Luemba.
• Luemba promptly seeks out and kills his brother, which everyone agreed was his right to do.

Twins are significant in African mythology, as they are believed to represent the balance of the forces in the world. (Source: Myth Encyclopedia)