A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

The company gathers in the bush around a killed deer that none of its members can divide so everyone receives a share. The narrative includes beasts, birds, insects and water animals, describing the gathering in sweeping terms as the creatures God made. When Na Nzua arrives, they welcome a possible distributor, order him down from his riding bull and insist that no creature be left out. The deer proves insufficient; his dog, bulls and enslaved attendants are also killed and divided before the company says it is satisfied.

The lion then calls Nzua close, asks him to open his mouth and spits into it, teaching him a means of assistance in distress. The creature translated as wolf, njinji, ant, leopard, mukenge, hawk and eagle follow in the narrated sequence, with the company as a whole said to act likewise. The subsequent events establish what the gift does: the young man actually becomes several of these animals and later returns to human form. A company profile preserves the common encounter and transmission instead of multiplying every short instruction into a separate new character. The printed species labels are retained as translation labels where modern identification is uncertain.

Cross-animal speaking companyDemands equitable meat divisionMouth-to-mouth transmissionTeaches transformative assistance
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Origins & earliest records

Chatelain attributes tale III to Jelemía dia Sabatelu (Jeremias Alvares da Costa), with Mbaka dialect and associated contributor explanation. He prints the Ki-mbundu text and facing literal English translation. The royal and governor households are narrative settings, not verified biographies of named historical rulers.

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Records & interpretation

Complete tale III, Na Nzua dia Kimanaueze, bilingual pp. 64–81; English pp. 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79 and conclusion p. 81; contributor and dialect note III p. 272.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Folk-Tales of Angola

    Héli Chatelain, collector, editor and literal English translator; named contributor in origin · 1894

    Complete tale III, Na Nzua dia Kimanaueze, bilingual pp. 64–81; English pp. 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79 and conclusion p. 81; contributor and dialect note III p. 272.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Collected Ki-mbundu text with facing English translation and contributor notesChatelain 1894 — Animal Assembly that Grants Nzua’s FormsResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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