Deities
Chiuta
Chiuta, is the supreme deity figure in the traditional religions of the Tumbuka people, who resides in present-day Malawi. Chiuta is also sometimes known by the following names: Mulengi, Mwenco, and Wamtatakuya. Chiuta is omnipresent, though shapeless. Though prayers can be made directly to Chiuta, ancestors and spirits play a large part in determining whether these prayers would be fulfilled. Offerings and appeals to ancestors and spirits can help sway their favors. Chiuta is associated with several natural phenomena that occurs from the sky, such as rain and thunderstorm.Legends
Creation of the universe
In the beginning, it is said that only earth and Chiuta existed. The earth was empty, and there was no body of water in its surface. Then Chiuta summoned the clouds, rain, and lightning to fall on earth. Later, Chiuta also went down to earth, followed by the first humans and all the animals.Origin of death
There are two versions of the origins of death associated with Chiuta. According to Lynch and Roberts (2010), the first version involved a chameleon and lizard. The chameleon was supposed to bring a message to humans, that when they die, they would be reincarnated. On the other hand, the lizard's message would instead tell humans that their deaths are permanent. Unfortunately, the lizard was faster than the chameleon, and thus death became a permanent state. In the second version, told by Harvey (2005), the connection between the heavens, represented by the sky, and earth was cut when the humans discovered fire. Since all animals feared what the humans could do, they asked for Chiuta's help. Chiuta settled the issue, and tired from the conflict, decided to retreat to heavens and sever the connection between earth and heaven.References
* *{{cite book, author=Mphande, David, title=Oral Literature and Moral Education among the Lakeside Tonga of Northern Malawi, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gtMiBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA75, date=25 October 2014, publisher=Mzuni Press, isbn=978-99908-0-244-3, pages=75