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Overview
In Chatelain’s fourth tale, Kimalauezu’s pregnant wife longs only for fish. The fish withdraw to another river, so her husband follows and fishes there. On the third cast an underwater voice asks him to wait because the speaker is a parent; then tells him to pull. A very large fish comes up in his net. Other fish follow it through the grass while he carries it home, their movement represented by a repeated rustling sound. The witness does not identify a scientific species.
The wife and her neighbors meet the returning man. When she prepares the fish, it sings a request to be handled well, continuing even after she puts it in the cooking pot. She sets out five plates, but her husband and neighbors refuse the meal, leaving her to eat alone. Afterwards, as she sits with her pipe and mat, the fish speaks from her belly and asks where it should leave. It rejects her proposed feet and mouth, then takes its own exit: the woman bursts in the middle and the fish goes away. Its continued voice across preparation, cooking and ingestion, and final departure, distinguish it from ordinary food in the scene.
Origins & earliest records
Tale IV is supplied by João Borges Cezar, identified specifically as the nephew of the namesake who supplied tale I version A. Chatelain describes him as a former Loanda pupil who traveled with him to Europe and America. The dialect is Loanda; these two similarly named contributors are not silently merged.
Records & interpretation
Complete tale IV, The Woman who Longed for Fish, bilingual pp. 82–83; English narrative and conclusion p. 83. Contributor and comparative note IV p. 276; notes 300–310 pp. 276–277.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Folk-Tales of Angola
Complete tale IV, The Woman who Longed for Fish, bilingual pp. 82–83; English narrative and conclusion p. 83. Contributor and comparative note IV p. 276; notes 300–310 pp. 276–277.
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.
- Collected Ki-mbundu text with facing English translation and contributor notesChatelain 1894 — Returning Fish of the Craving WifeResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
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