The creation story of the Bakongo people, an ethnic group primarily defined as the speakers of Kikongo, offers a fascinating perspective on the origins of the universe. The Bakongo have historically inhabited regions along the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, particularly in areas now part of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. Their creation story shares intriguing similarities with the modern scientific explanation of the universe’s beginnings, known as the Big Bang Theory.
According to the Bakongo cosmology, the universe began with a circular void known as mbûngi, a vast emptiness devoid of life. This void was not a simple absence but a space with potential, a primordial state awaiting transformation. The Great Spirit, Nzambi Mpungu initiated the creation process by summoning a spark of fire, called Kalûnga, which grew within the mbûngi until it became an immense force of energy.
When this force reached a critical point, it unleashed heated elements across space, resulting in the formation of the universe, including the Sun, stars, planets, and other celestial bodies. In this narrative, Kalûnga is both the origin of life and a dynamic force of motion, emphasizing that life requires constant change and perpetual motion.
The Bakongo creation story describes the development of the Earth through four distinct stages: The first stage is the emergence of fire, where the spark of Kalûnga begins to expand, representing the universe’s initial fiery state. This is followed by the red stage, where the Earth is still burning and in the throes of formation, reflecting the fiery chaos that might have existed in the early universe. Next comes the grey stage, a period when the Earth begins to cool down, remaining barren and lifeless, covered with dust—echoing the universe’s cooling phase that followed its explosive beginning. The final stage is the green stage, where the Earth becomes fully mature, vibrant, and capable of supporting life, symbolizing the flourishing of life that emerged as the universe continued to evolve and stabilize.
The Bakongo creation story bears striking similarities to the Big Bang Theory, a scientific explanation of how the universe began approximately 13.8 billion years ago. The Big Bang Theory posits that the universe started from an extremely hot and dense singularity, which expanded and cooled over time to form galaxies, stars, planets, and eventually life. In both the Bakongo myth and the Big Bang Theory, the universe begins from an initial state of emptiness or singularity, expanding rapidly and releasing energy across space. This expansion results in the formation of celestial bodies, transitioning through stages from a hot, dense state to a cooler, stable environment capable of supporting life.
The practice and worship of Nzambi Mpungu and other local deities significantly declined after the arrival of Christian missionaries from Portugal. These missionaries forcefully converted the Bakongo to Catholicism, often using coercive methods to suppress their traditional beliefs. By the early 16th century, the Kingdom of Kongo had become a Portugal-affiliated Christian kingdom, with its rulers adopting Portuguese court manners and christian customs. The Bakongo people largely abandoned their traditional religion and embraced Catholicism, which remains the dominant faith among them to this today.
