Shona Mythology

The Supreme God and Creator, mwari, made the first man, Musikavanhu, in the heavens. He put the man to sleep and dropped him down to Earth. As Musikavanhu was falling, he woke up and saw a stone falling near him. Mwari told him to step onto the stone. Water gushed from the place where the stone landed with Musikavanhu, and it became a sacred place for the Shona. Musikavanhu had a dream of birds and animals. When he woke, his dream had come true: Birds flew through the skies and animals roamed the Earth. Mwari then instructed Musikavanhu about how he was to live: He could eat vegetables and fruits, but he must not harm the animals. Mwari also commanded the animals not to eat one another. A woman appeared, and when Musikavanhu touched her, she came to life and became his wife. Musikavanhu instructed their children in the ways in which they were to live; then he and his wife went to the heavens to live with Mwari.

Taken from African Mythology A to Z – Library Binding – May 1, 2010- Second Edition – Written by Patricia Ann Lynch (Author), Jeremy Roberts Dr (Editor) – Copyright © 2004, 2010 by Patricia Ann Lynch