Kianda is a Goddess of Water, she is traditionally venerated with offerings in Angola (Africa).
Pepetela, one of the leading exponents of Angolan literature, has written a book called “O Desejo de Kianda” means "Kianda's Desire".
“Kianda, Kituta ou Kiximbi são “espíritos das águas” e uma das entidades reguladoras do mar, dos lagos, dos rios, dos peixes, das marés e da pesca. Estão ligadas ainda à fecundidade feminina e às crianças, sendo a elas atribuído o nascimento de gêmeos. Apresentam-se envoltas por um clarão e redemoinhos de águas ou de ar.”
“…Before Portuguese missionaries spread Christianity throughout the country, Angolans used to dance semba as a way of worshipping their gods, especially this mermaid Kianda, goddess of the sea. Every year, Angolans would hold celebrations near the sea, throwing food, clothes and other gifts into the water as offerings to Kianda.”
Fernando Ribeiro, author of "A Matéria do Tempo" (The Matter of Time) blog, tells us a little bit about the fascination for this Mermaid:
“During the time I met up with people from the most popular social classes in Angola. I heard many traditional legends and tales from that country. Apart from another tale with animals, in most of the stories I heard there was the mythical figure of a mermaid. Common people in Angola firmly believe in the existence of mermaids, who they say are endowed with supernatural powers. In Quimbundo (one of the national languages) the mermaids are called Ianda, which is Kianda in the singular. Each aquatic environment has a mermaid, that is to say, each river, lake, or pond has its own kianda who takes the name of the river, lake, or pond. In some ways, she is the embodiment of the aquatic environment”
In the same blog as above, the author shares one of the many stories he heard about Kianda:
“The stories of mermaids that I heard most often reported the appearance of a mermaid to a poor man, to whom she revealed the existence of a treasure. The man, who had suddenly became rich, started to behave in such a selfish way, spending all the wealth for his personal benefit and not for the benefit of his community. As punishment, the mermaid then made the treasure disappear, leaving the man in absolute misery. Sometimes the punishment was harsher and the man was forever enchanted at the bottom of the river or pond. There are mermaid stories in which the whole village behaves in a selfish and greedy way, in which case the punishment is applied to the whole community, which is then enchanted at the bottom of the lake or the river. There are Angolans who do swear, by the “blood of Christ, that they have
heard the sound of women grinding, dogs barking or roosters singing from a village condemned to live at the bottom of the pond or river forever.”
The Kianda Song
"We call to you, oh Great Goddess of the Sea.
Oh, Mother of all life.
Let us call to one and all.
All her names, all her aspects.
Kianda.
Mari.
Mor.
Here our cry!
Help us to remember you.
Turn our ears to hear your voice.
Move our bodies to walk softly upon your planet.
Teach our hearts to know that which brings life and healing to all.
Kianda.
Mari.
Mor.
Hear our cry!"
Article inspired by blogger Clara Onofre and Carolanne Kennedy
