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Overview
A woman presents her beautiful daughter to suitors only after testing their restraint. She dresses in dry old skins, covers her head with ash and dances before each man, warning him not to laugh. The earlier suitors cannot contain their amusement and are rejected. The Chameleon arrives slowly and remains composed throughout the performance. The mother accepts him, receives his marriage payment and lets him take the girl home.
She gives an explicit condition: her daughter must neither cook nor grind maize, and others must prepare her meals. The Chameleon tells his own mother to do the work while the bride rests. Eventually the older woman tires of the arrangement, gives her daughter-in-law maize and leaves for the fields. The bride begins grinding it. She disappears into the earth together with her mortar, pestle, basket, mat and possessions; a lake appears where she stood.
On discovering the lake and the broken condition, the Chameleon blames his mother and demands that she announce the death to the bride’s family. She refuses. A goat and gazelle prove unsuitable messengers, but a cock can communicate the news and flies to the bride’s mother’s hut. She tries to strike it with wood, then travels to the Chameleon’s village and destroys livestock and household utensils in anger. He quarrels with his mother and separates from her. His attempt to obtain another bride from the same family is refused, and he finally marries elsewhere. The vanished bride is not restored.
Origins & earliest records
Junod credits an unnamed man from the vicinity of Rikatla, who narrated this as a continuation of Ngoumba-ngoumba. Junod prints the two as separate tales because their plots differ. His introductory discussion treats the Chameleon here as potentially an animal-named prudent young man, rather than giving an unequivocal anatomical description.
Records & interpretation
Junod (1897), VII La sagesse du Caméléon, narrative pp. 138–142; contributor and combined transmission p. 138 note, work prohibition p. 139, sinking and lake p. 140, messenger and final separation pp. 141–142.
In the literature
“là où elle travaillait apparut un lac”
VII La sagesse du Caméléon, printed p.140 · Henri-Alexandre Junod (French)
A mother tests her daughter’s suitors with an intentionally absurd dance; the Chameleon succeeds by not laughing and marries her after payment. The bride’s mother stipulates she must neither cook nor grind maize. His mother initially does the work but later demands maize grinding; bride, implements and possessions sink into the ground and a lake appears. The husband blames his mother; goat and gazelle fail messenger tests and the rooster brings the news. The bride’s mother attacks the messenger unsuccessfully, comes to destroy household livestock and utensils, and departs. Chameleon expels his own mother, is refused another daughter by the same family, marries in another village and ceases living with his mother.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Les chants et les contes des Ba-Ronga de la baie de Delagoa
Junod (1897), VII La sagesse du Caméléon, narrative pp. 138–142; contributor and combined transmission p. 138 note, work prohibition p. 139, sinking and lake p. 140, messenger and final separation pp. 141–142.
- 02
Les chants et les contes des Ba-Ronga de la baie de Delagoa — VII La sagesse du Caméléon
Henri-Alexandre Junod, Les chants et les contes des Ba-Ronga de la baie de Delagoa, Lausanne: Georges Bridel1897. Historical French translation/collection, not a direct transcription of all original spoken performances. Complete VII La sagesse du Caméléon, printed138–142, read with notes. Original138/140/171/174/178/185/191/192/194 checked where relevant; contributor footnote138 for VII and184–185 for XI. No whole-volume review claimed.
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.
Located primary passages
Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.
Les chants et les contes des Ba-Ronga de la baie de Delagoa
Henri-Alexandre Junod, Les chants et les contes des Ba-Ronga de la baie de Delagoa, Lausanne: Georges Bridel1897. Historical French translation/collection, not a direct transcription of all original spoken performances. Complete VII La sagesse du Caméléon, printed138–142, read with notes. Original138/140/171/174/178/185/191/192/194 checked where relevant; contributor footnote138 for VII and184–185 for XI. No whole-volume review claimed.
- A mother tests her daughter’s suitors with an intentionally absurd dance; the Chameleon succeeds by not laughing and marries her after payment. The bride’s mother stipulates she must neither cook nor grind maize. His mother initially does the work but later demands maize grinding; bride, implements and possessions sink into the ground and a lake appears. The husband blames his mother; goat and gazelle fail messenger tests and the rooster brings the news. The bride’s mother attacks the messenger unsuccessfully, comes to destroy household livestock and utensils, and departs. Chameleon expels his own mother, is refused another daughter by the same family, marries in another village and ceases living with his mother.
Footnote138 names only an unnamed man from near Rikatla; he supplied this as a continuation of Ngoumba-ngoumba, which Junod editorially separates. Do not promote the Chameleon’s interpretive young-man analogy to a proved literal transformation. The death-origin legend in the preceding editorial introduction is distinct; no songs, messenger formulas or ritual copied.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Attributed oral account in French collected primary editionJunod — the Chameleon’s vanished brideResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
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