Séédimwé

Overview

Jacottet’s Séédimwé is a fabulous devourer, but the contributors could not give the collector a physical description. His suggestion of a partly human, partly animal monster is an interpretation, not a supplied portrait. The three selected tales establish appetite and actions more securely: he imitates a mother’s identifying performance, swallows households and their possessions, and tears apart trees while following children. Those episodes give different escapes and recoveries rather than one continuous biography.

In XV, Tchinamina, a mother leaves two daughters and a son at home while gathering food. Séédimwé’s first impersonation fails, but he later reproduces her identifying sounds well enough to gain entry and eats the girls. Their brother hides beneath the roof. After mother and son move into the forest, the creature repeatedly consumes their fruit stores. The mother initially blames the boy; when she stays to observe the thief, Séédimwé eats her too. The boy remains concealed in a tree, obtains forged arrows from Nalunkalamba, and kills the creature at a watering place. A little bird directs his attention to the creature’s small finger. Cutting it releases his mother, sisters and many other swallowed people, who build villages.

XVI instead begins with a shared supply of cooked meat. Séédimwé pretends to be full, then secretly swallows the cooking pots at night. Hare’s vigilance prevents another theft, and after the others eat the meat he consumes people, pots and houses together. Numerous pursuers fail to reach him; a wild dog and hyena kill him with arrows. Large birds cannot open the body and damage their beaks. The tiny katuitui makes an opening; a larger bird’s unsuccessful attempt closes it again. Recalled, the small bird finally opens the belly, releasing houses, pots, cattle and people. The people then establish villages.

In XVII, three lost boys shelter first in branches, then a hollow trunk and finally another tall tree. The youngest keeps watch and saves them temporarily by digging a hiding place when Séédimwé breaks the trunk. On the third night, his bird friend carries him away as the creature fells their tree; the two companions fall and are eaten. Their mothers mourn after the survivor returns. Séédimwé follows the bird’s trail to the village, where the boy’s father drives him away with spears. Unlike the earlier releases, this ending neither revives the dead boys nor kills the pursuing creature.

Two separate Louyi stories add different attributions. XVII, Moutjinda, begins with a pregnant woman promising her future son to Séédimwé in exchange for antelope meat. The growing boy survives repeated traps, helped by companions all claiming the same name and wearing the same identifying ornament. Finally he lights a fire beneath a pot where the monster is hidden, and the creature burns despite its cry for mercy. XVIII instead follows a boy trapping an enormous bird in ruins; it continues to speak during preparation. All those who eat it die. Akaende identifies that bird as Séédimwé in Jacottet’s note. That named identification belongs to this Louyi variant and does not retrospectively supply a bird body for every Subiya story.

Origins & earliest records

Jacottet’s 1899 Textes Soubiya publishes the Subiya text and French translation. His introduction credits the volume’s Subiya material to Kasala and Samata collectively, without assigning an individual teller to these selected tales. Kaboukou’s separately supplied Kololo and Totela texts do not establish him as their narrator.

Records & interpretation

The complete selected French episodes and surrounding notes were read. Narrative actions are separated from Jacottet’s speculative comparisons and general explanations. The 1899 original title page supplies the publication date despite conflicting Archive metadata.

Selected bibliography

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

1. 01

   Études sur les langues du Haut-Zambèze, II: Textes Soubiya

   Édouard Jacottet; Subiya contributors Kasala and Samata · 1899

   XV, Tchinamina, pp. 54–59; XVI, Séédimwé, pp. 61–64; XVII, Séédimwé and three boys, pp. 67–69, all complete endings and notes.

2. 02

   Études sur les langues du Haut-Zambèze, III: Textes Louyi

   Édouard Jacottet; bird identification attributed to Akaende · 1901

   XVII, Moutjinda, pp. 49–50; XVIII, The boy and the bird, pp. 51–52, complete outcomes and Akaende’s specific identification. Individual narrative teller unconfirmed.

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. Digitized primary collected textJacottet — Textes SoubiyaResearch access: 2026-10-05
2. Digitized primary collected variantsJacottet — Louyi Séédimwé variantsResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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