Courtesy Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

A depiction of a Luba King. The oral traditions of the Luba reveal much about their customs and lineage histories.

The Luba live on the savanna and in the forests of southeastern Zaire, the third-largest country in Africa. They hunt, gather food, fish, and farm. Manioc or cassava, a tuberous root that yields tapioca, is one of the major crops; it was introduced to the region from the Americas during the seventeenth century. The Luba practice a farming method called swidden, whereby the foliage is slashed and the land burned before the crop is planted—much the same way tobacco is grown in the United States.

Tales of Luba history and traditions are entrusted to “men of memory,” or oral historians, and reveal much about customs and the succession of kings (lineage histories). According to oral tradition, all the kings descended from Nkongolo, whose name means “rainbow,” a reference to his light skin, which the Luba called red.

The oral traditions of the Luba are divided into two categories: historical or religious tellings and those mainly for education or entertainment. For example, “The Origin of the Birds” [see sidebar] teaches children bird names and diets.

All living things—humans, animals, and plants—are given names that signify major attributes or deeds. Even the dead are given names. When attributes are good, praise names are accorded.