Anansi was an African folk hero and trickster (meaning a trickster, a rogue) who frequently appears in the myths and folklore of the Akan people (who inhabited the area of present-day Ghana). Anansi was most often depicted as a spider. He was renowned for his wisdom and cunning.
Chibinda Ilunga was a prince of the Luba-Lunda people in present-day southeastern Zaire and southeastern Angola. Chibinda Ilunga was the grandson of Mbidi Kiluwe, ancestor of the Luba kings. His face was said to be white and gleaming like the moon. He left the Luba kingdom after the king, jealous of his hunting prowess, insulted him by claiming that Chibinda Ilunga had never fought in war. One day, he met Lueji in the forest. Lueji was the queen of Lunda and granddaughter of the primordial serpent Chinawezi. She asked the charming foreigner to stay with her. After some time, they married, and Lueji informed the Lunda elders that she was leaving her position and that Chibinda Ilunga would henceforth rule in her palace. After presenting her husband with a bracelet symbolizing power, Lueji experienced an unusually long menstrual period. The constant flow of blood from her meant she would never be able to bear children. Eventually, Chibinda Ilunga was given a wife by Lueja, named Kamonga, who was fertile.
Chitimukulu was the first king of the Bemba people in Zambia. According to the Bemba origin myth, Chitimukulu and his two brothers attempted to build a tall tower in their parents' royal village. However, the tower collapsed, killing many people, and the father sentenced his sons to death. However, three brothers managed to escape to present-day Zambia. It was here that Chitimukulu founded the Bemba kingdom
Elegba - the name given by the people of Benin to a popular trickster character in West Africa, known among the Yoruba tribes as the trickster Eszu.
Garang – according to the beliefs of the Dinka people of southern Sudan, Garang was the first man. He was the husband of Abuk, the first woman who brought disease and death to the earth. Initially, the Great God allowed Garang and Abuk to sow one grain of millet a day, which satisfied all their needs. But one day, driven by greed, Abuk decided to sow more. In doing so, she stubbed the Great God's toe, angering him so much that he distanced himself from humanity and severed the cord connecting heaven and earth.
Kalala Ilunga – a semi-historical heroic king in the mythology of the Luba people of Zaire. A prince named Mbidi Kiluwe once traveled west to hunt in the land of Nkongolo, belonging to the great Rainbow King. Nkongolo was very hospitable and allowed Mbidi to sleep with his twin sisters, Bulanda and Mabela. Both sisters became pregnant. Bulanda gave birth to a son named Kalala Ilunga, and Mabela gave birth to a boy and a girl. Nkongolo recognized Kalala as his son, but after a quarrel between them, Mbidi let Kalala go. Kalala became the best dancer and runner in the kingdom, so Nkongolo's jealous son decided to kill him. He ordered a hidden pit filled with sharpened poles to be prepared beneath the dance ground and invited Kalala to compete in the dance. Kahia, who played the drum for Kalala, warned him of the danger, and Kalala fled across the Lualaba River to his real father's land, pursued by Nkongolo and his men. Mbidi gave him a warm welcome and provided him with an army to defeat Nkongolo, who fled west with Bulanda and Mabela to Mount Kaii. But his sisters betrayed his hiding place to Kalala's men, who beheaded him. Kalala Ilunga became king and founded the second Luba Empire, which encompasses present-day southeastern Zaire.
Kigwa – the ancestor of the kings of Rwanda. The supreme lord of heaven, Piorun Nkuba, had a barren wife. One day, she killed one of her husband's cows and hid its heart in a vessel. For nine months, she carefully nourished the heart with milk until it transformed into a male infant. This son, named Kigwa, grew up in heaven and eventually fell to earth. He had a son, Gihanga, who invented the first metal tools and weapons and became the first king of Rwanda.
Kintu – According to the Ganda people of Uganda, Kintu was an ancient hero, founder of the royal dynasty of Buganda. Kintu, a foreigner, journeyed to heaven in search of a wife. The Supreme God gave him his daughter Nambi in marriage and ordered Kintu to hasten on her return journey, lest her brother Walumbe ("Death") come with them. They set off immediately, but Nambi remembered she hadn't brought any grain to feed her chickens. Despite Kintu's pleas, she insisted he let her return for it, and when she returned to her husband, Death followed close behind. She accompanied them home and dwelt with them on earth. From then on, all people must face death.
Lueji - the legendary queen of the Luanda people, descendant of the eternal serpent Chinawezi and wife of the hero Chibinda Ilunga.
Mbidi Kiluwe - prince, father of a hero named Kalala Ilunga.
Mweel - sister and wife of Woot, the mythical ancestor of the Kuba kings and the people of southeastern Zaire. Woot and Mweel had sexual intercourse, the fruit of which was Nyimi Lele, ancestor of the neighboring Lele people.
Mwetsi - "Moon." The first human, according to the creation mythology of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. The supreme god Mwari created Mwetsi, who initially lived beneath the waters. He then ascended to the earth to inhabit it, but the land was desert, so he began to lament. Mwari sent him his wife, the Morning Star, who gave birth to all the trees and plants on the earth. Mwetsi and the Pole Star built a house, made tools, and began to cultivate the land. After two years, Mwari took the Pole Star and replaced it with his second wife, the Evening Star, and warned Mwetsi of impending doom. That night, Mwetsi and the Evening Star had intercourse, and the woman gave birth to kittens, sheep, cattle, chickens, and antelopes, and then to boys and girls, who, in a single day, became adults. On the fourth day of their life together, the Evening Star warned Mwetsi that his life was in danger, but he continued to mate with her, resulting in the birth of lions, leopards, scorpions, and snakes. However, in the evening, she refused to make love and suggested that he have intercourse with his daughters. Mwetsi followed her advice and mated with his daughters, who gave birth to children the next day. These, too, grew up within a day. Thus, Mwetsi became king of a large nation. However, the Evening Star betrayed him with a snake and became barren. The snake bit Mwetsi, who fell ill from its venom. As Mwetsi's health declined, so did the land: the rains stopped, the rivers and lakes dried up, and death decimated the nation. To put an end to this, Mwetsi's children strangled him and elected a new king. This myth likely served to justify the ritual murder of Mambo, king of Monomotapa in medieval Zimbabwe. To ensure the country's continued prosperity, Mambo could not be allowed to die, so after four years of rule, he was murdered and a new king elected.
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