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Unkulunkulu, a MythSource painting
African

Unkulunkulu

01Identity

Unkulunkulu in African tradition

Mountains, lakes, and rivers were among the things Unkulunkulu created. He was a Zulu being described as both the first man and the Creator. In one account, he emerged from a reed with a woman. He brought people and animals from reeds and led them out of a swamp. He taught the Zulu people to hunt, make fire with sticks, and grow grain. He was sometimes called uKqili, meaning “The Wise One”. In this aspect, he controlled lightning. Zulu tradition also linked him with cattle: all cattle belonged to him, and cattle were his gift to humans. Lightning striking a cow was understood as Unkulunkulu slaughtering food for himself. He was also connected with the origin of death. He sent a chameleon with a message that people would be reborn, then sent a lizard with a message that death would be final. The lizard arrived first, so people accepted death.

  • He was both the first man and the Creator. (African Mythology A to Z)
  • He controlled lightning when known as uKqili. (African Mythology A to Z)
  • He was linked with the origin of death. (African Mythology A to Z)
Top questions

The quick answers

02The names

The names Unkulunkulu answers to

uKqili

The Wise One

SourceAfrican Mythology A to Z

03The myths

The myths of Unkulunkulu

2 myths, with sources recorded for each.

The Emergence from the Reeds

In the beginning, Unkulunkulu and a woman emerged together from a reed. The reeds stood in a vast swamp. Unkulunkulu then broke off the other people and the animals from the reeds. They followed him out of the swamp.

After they emerged, Unkulunkulu created the things of the world. He made mountains, lakes, and rivers. He was also described as the first man and the Creator. He created humans, animals, and everything in the world.

The people then learned the skills that allowed them to live. Unkulunkulu taught the Zulu how to hunt. He showed them how to make fire with sticks. He also taught them how to cultivate grain.

Another Zulu creation account gave a different order and assigned some actions to Umvelinqangi. Umvelinqangi descended from the heavens to the swamp called Uthlanga or Uhlanga. He created the primeval reeds from which Unkulunkulu emerged. In that account, Umvelinqangi brought men, women, animals, grain, and the fruits of the Earth out of the reeds.

At first, people did not need food or drink, and they did not die. Crops grew, but people did not know their use. One day, a woman became ill. The people fed her some of the growing food, and she recovered. The others then tried the food. From that time, people ate crops and the meat of animals.

The Emergence from the Reeds, a MythSource painting of the scene

3 sources· checked 2026-09-02

  1. 1African Mythology A to ZT1
  2. 2African Mythology A to ZT1
  3. 3African Mythology A to ZT1

The Messages of Life and Death

Unkulunkulu was responsible for the origin of death. He sent a chameleon named Unwaba to give people a message about what would happen when they died. The message promised that they would be reborn.

Unwaba began the journey, but it travelled very slowly. It stopped at a bush and ate. The delay kept the promised message from reaching the people quickly.

Unkulunkulu then sent a lizard with a second message. This message said that death would be the end and that people would not be reborn. The lizard moved faster than Unwaba and arrived first.

The people heard the lizard’s message before they heard the chameleon’s message. They did not know what death was, so they accepted the statement that death would be final. The lizard’s words therefore became the message they followed.

At first, the people had two possible messages about death. One promised a return to life. The other denied that return. The order of arrival decided which message they heard and accepted. Unwaba’s delay was not described as refusal. It stopped to eat. The lizard arrived before it and delivered the second message first.

Unwaba arrived after the lizard. It brought the earlier promise that the dead would return to life. By then, the people had already accepted the other message. They would not listen to Unwaba, so the promise of rebirth did not take hold.

When Unwaba finally appeared, its message could not change the people’s decision. They had accepted death as the end because they had not understood death when the lizard spoke.

The Messages of Life and Death, a MythSource painting of the scene

1 source· checked 2026-09-02

  1. 1African Mythology A to ZT1
04Different accounts

Different accounts

›One receipt said that Unkulunkulu and a woman emerged together from a reed, and that Unkulunkulu brought out the other people and animals. Two other receipts said that Umvelinqangi created the primeval reeds and brought people, animals, grain, and fruit from them, while Unkulunkulu emerged from the reeds.

    The accounts that differ: African Mythology A to Z, Zimu; African Mythology A to Z, Umvelinqangi; African Mythology A to Z, Zulu Pantheon

    From “The Emergence from the Reeds”

    ›One receipt credited Unkulunkulu with creating mountains, lakes, rivers, people, animals, and everything in the world. Another credited Umvelinqangi with bringing people, animals, grain, and fruit from the reeds.

      The accounts that differ: African Mythology A to Z, Zimu; African Mythology A to Z, Umvelinqangi; African Mythology A to Z, Zulu Pantheon

      From “The Emergence from the Reeds”

      ›The account involving Umvelinqangi said that people first did not need food or drink. It explained that eating began after a woman became ill and recovered after being fed growing food.

        The accounts that differ: African Mythology A to Z, Umvelinqangi

        From “The Emergence from the Reeds”

        ›Another version named Umvelinqangi, the Sky Father, as the sender of the two messages instead of Unkulunkulu.

          The accounts that differ: African Mythology A to Z, Zulu Creation Account.)

          From “The Messages of Life and Death”