KIMPA VITA OR NSIMBA VITA or Dona Beatrice
She was the first Kongo young woman who fought against the colonialist at XVII-XVIII centuries. Therefore, there is serious discussion concerning her correct name between KIMPA VITA and NSIMBA VITA. Here is my contribution in the matter.
In fact, Bernardo Da Gallo, capuchin priest of XVII-XVIII centuries in Kongo kingdom, was the first who presents her in the world for the first time. We can read his history wrote by L. Jadin: “Relations sur le Congo du Père bernardo Da Gallo” and “Les sects des Antoniens au…”
Well then, his usual orthography cialoango (nsi’a Lwângu=Lwângu country), n’cindi (Nsîndi= district), cialo (nsyÂlu= spoon), Aciquennque (Asi Nkênge= Nkênge’s people), etc. respectively Ci Italian means NSI Kôngo. Distinguishing Nsi and KI, Da Gallo use QUI: QUIquenque (Kinkenge), QUImolaza (Kimulaza= province), QUIoua (Kyôwa), QUIcanga (Kinkânga), etc.
In this case CHIMPA VITA may be the misrepresentation of NSIMBA VITA. Da Gallo, in his own report, explain this name: “she was twin… and traditional and exotic priest in some rites like that Quipachi, ancestors rites (…) specially in twin’s rites where adepts called her Ngâng’a Marimba”. (p.43).
Well, in understanding of our Italian priest, CHIMPA VITA means NSIMBA VITA. Without doubt! In other hand, he might wrote QUIMPA VITA. Or more, Da Gallo shall specify she was ngâng’a QUIpaci or ngâng’a BaQUImba (secret society of Bakhimba, cfr. L. Bitremieux: La société secrete des Bakhimba au Mayômbe). Therefore, he wrote ngâng’a Marimba, the twin’s rite in the old Kôngo.
Actually we can find family’s branch with name of old Kôngo’s Kings and others authorities, like that Don Zuan Nzîng’a Nkûwu, Ndo Mfunsu mvêmb’a Nzînga, Do Manuel Ne Vûnda, NA Kôngo Don Diogo, NA Kôngo Do Bele-Damu, etc. (Cfr. J. Cuvelier: Nkutâm’a mvila za makanda mu nsi’a Kôngo). In this book, page 70 of 4th edition of 1974, we read. “NSIMBA A VITA. Nsaku’e lawu. Ntâma Nsâku’e lau kaka. Banuene vita, i bosi Nsimba Vita Nsâku’e lawu”. Free translation: We are NSIMBA VITA, Nsaku’e lawu in others words. At the past time, we were Nsâku’e lawu only. The Ancestors fight. Theafter we became NSIMABA VITA Nsâku’ e Lawu.
Is NSIMPA different to NSIMBA? Although can appears like that morphologically, we can observe that: at the past, precisely when Da Gallo is writing these events, in the other side, the Spanish priests are trying too to gather kikôngo vocabulary in different regions. So they are victims of interference of both phonemes (MPA and MBA). For examples: they wrote Matâmba=Matâmpa, Mbângala=Mpângala, Mbângu=Mpângu without any distinction.
I read lot of about debates concerning the correct name between KIMPA and NSIMBA VITA. In my humble knowledge, these two aspects that I showed up never was augmented by authors. The historic truth, always relative, may be NSIMABA. Why? 1) we tried to interpret the understanding of Da Gallo who presents this revolutionary young woman for the first time in the world, and NSIMBA VITA shall be the correct translation; 2) among the scraps of History diverted from Dona Beatrice and Antonians sects, actually we can quote NSIMBA VITA as family’s branch.
Conclusion: I am not minimizing the thesis of religious anthropology: KIMPA VITA, the mystery of the war. But, all of that I underline up, constitute a simple historic critic. It means, I am demanding historians, anthropologists,… learn and study more about it. Maybe we are wrong. Right maybe. But, we like strong proof, not only probabilities.
Patricio C. BATSIKAMA
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