The Funkwe [Lamba mythology; Zambian mythology]
The Funkwe, also called Mwine Mulonga (“the lord of the rivers”) is described by the Lamba people (Zambia) as a colossal snake with the tail of a fish. It is entirely invisible, but its presence is betrayed by sudden floods among marshlands and streams. The creature itself makes its lair in the riverbed, and spits out volumes of water that cause the floods. It can – at least in some versions – also shapeshift into a human form. When threatened, they can exhale poisonous gases.
In some stories, this creature can grow to be several miles in length. They are not dumb animals, but intelligent creatures, and there is at least one tale about a Funkwe taking on a human shape and marrying a woman. In the Roan Antelope copper mine in Luanshya (Zambia), a lot of workers died and locals blamed the presence of a Funkwe, or a similar snake monster. In 1927, administrator Stephenson arranged an exorcism to drive out the creature. I do not know whether the occurrence of lethal incidents declined after this, though I would assume it didn’t. Two years later, the swamp where the mine was built was drained, and fewer people fell ill or died. It should be noted that the swamp was home to a number of lethal diseases, including malaria. The mine retained its notoriety, however, and locals refused to come near it.
Some anthropologists believe this tale to be a variant of the great rainbow snake, a creature from Luba mythology. Others, however, propose a theory that it is a regional variant of another similar story: the mythical Itoshi, an invisible snake from Ila and Tonga mythology that is said to grab people and drag them away.
Lakes Namulolobwe, Kashiba and Nakamwale are said to be inhabited by a Funkwe. Local also claim, however, that these lakes are home to a Chitapo: a female lake spirit. These two stories may have conflated to some extent. It is also said that the two beings have an arrangement, where the Chitapo has a hoard of diamonds and/or emeralds, which is guarded by the Funkwe.
Sources:
Spiegel, Brian, “Water Spirits and Mermaids: The Copperbelt Chitapo” (2008). Anthropology Publications. Paper 2.
Spiegel, Brian, “The “Wild” and “Lazy” Lamba: Ethnic Stereotypes on the Central African Copperbelt” (1989). Anthropology Publications. Paper 5.
(image source: Brandon-Ellis on Deviantart)
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