Mabale Stories

The following stories are the first two of a Mabale series. Mabale is a Bantu dialect spoken by the Ba–mabale (sing. Wa–mabale; both abbreviations of moto wa Mabale, a Mabale-man and batu ba Mabale, the Mabale people). The Bamabale live on the right bank of the Congo River, up but especially down Nouvelle–Anvers. 1 They also occupy the immediate hinterland and are even found in a few places on the left bank, opposite the same central town. The Bamabale belong to the group of tribes we usually call Bangala. Amongst them are the Iboko, who also live at Nouvelle–Anvers, and whose ancestor Mata-Boiki (i.e. grandson of Boikr) has become famous, since his encounter with Stanley; further, the Mbenga, Motembo, Losengo and Boloki (between N.A. and the mouth of the Mongala); the Ndobo and Mbundzi (down N.A.), all on the right bank. The BaFәtә (near Lisala) and the εlεku (at Lolanga and near Coquilhatville); the Libinza, Ewaku, and Likoka (in the hinterland, on the Ngiri).