Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde in Bemba tradition
Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde are three wives in a Bemba story performed by Elizabeth and recorded and translated by Robert Cancel. Their hunter husband tells them to follow if he fails to return. When he dies in the bush, they find him, gather his bones and sing: Ntoole gathers, Nunde joins the pieces, and Mweo calls life back. Together, their different contributions bring him back to the village.
The story repeats the test with a darker result. The other wives deny Mweo food, and she grows thin. On another hunt, their husband dies again; Mweo also dies at home. Ntoole and Nunde try the life-song without her, but cannot restore him. They carry the hunter's body to the village, find Mweo dead there, and bury both. The tale links a wondrous recovery to the fragile ties among the three wives.
SourceStorytelling in Northern Zambia (Robert Cancel, 2013): Chapter III, Bemba Storytelling 2, performed by Elizabeth, pp. 81–83
The quick answers
Who are Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde?
Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde are Bemba figures.
The myths of Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde
1 myth, with sources recorded for each.
Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde Bring Their Husband Back
A skilled hunter has three wives: Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde. Before setting out, he tells them to follow if he does not return. When he dies in the bush, the women find him and gather his bones. Ntoole sings as she picks them up; Nunde joins the pieces; and Mweo sings of life returning. Their combined songs bring the hunter back, and the wives go with him to the village.
Later, the other wives deny Mweo food, and she grows thinner. The hunter goes hunting again and dies. Mweo also dies at home. Ntoole and Nunde sing again, but without Mweo's life-song they cannot restore him. They carry the hunter's body to the village, where they find Mweo dead; both are buried there. In this telling, each wife's contribution matters, and the loss of one breaks the work they had accomplished together.
4 sources· checked 2026-10-02
- 1Storytelling in Northern Zambia (Robert Cancel, 2013)T1
- 2Storytelling in Northern Zambia (Robert Cancel, 2013)T1
- 3Storytelling in Northern Zambia (Robert Cancel, 2013)T1
- 4Storytelling in Northern Zambia (Robert Cancel, 2013)T1
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Written and maintained by MythSource. Last reviewed October 2, 2026. How a page gets built.
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MythSource. (October 2, 2026). Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/ntoole-mweo-nunde
"Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde." MythSource, Oct. 2, 2026, www.mythsource.com/figures/ntoole-mweo-nunde.
"Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde." MythSource. Last modified October 2, 2026. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/ntoole-mweo-nunde.
Source details
- Storytelling in Northern Zambia: Theory, Method, Practice and Other Necessary Fictions. Robert Cancel, author, recordist and translator; Laudon Ndalazi, performer of Bisa Storytelling 1 (The Old Woman with the Hump); Paolo Kaoma, storyteller of the Chibulu account; Stanley Kalumba, storyteller of the Kalulu account; Dismas Kampamba, performer of Bemba Storytelling 1 (Fipindulule); Elizabeth, performer of Bemba Storytelling 2 (Ntoole, Mweo and Nunde); Chipioka Patrick, performer of Tabwa Storytelling 3 (Biti Mupalume); Fred Kafankwa, performer of Bwile Storytelling 4 (Mupita); Timothy Kachela, storyteller of Bwile Storytelling 5 (The Beeswax-Born Daughter). Open Book Publishers, 2013. DOI 10.11647/OBP.0033. Source edition · Licence: CC BY 3.0. MythSource's accounts are adapted summaries in original wording, not source quotations. Source recordings and illustrations are not reproduced.
The mythology summaries and identity fields on this page are grounded in the sources listed above. The appearance table records candidates separately; only confirmed connections are presented as modern retellings in Overview.