Reading Notes: Stories of Congo, Part A

This week I chose to read the Stories from Congo unit, which comes from Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort. The Fjort, according to Wikipedia, are the Fiote or Vili (Fiote being a now derogative term the Portuguese gave them. One fact that I learned from the Wikipedia article that is relevant to some of the stories is that the Vili do not build many permanent residences, and those with sumptous dwelling places are likely to be accused of sorcery. I assume from the stories that they are polygamous.

Some random notes:
-Nenpetro is an intriguing character, as he appears in multiple stories but with different wives in each.
-I feel that there must be some reason behind the seemingly random magic that determines how wives and wealth appear and disappear. Why can she not see a fish's head?

Gazelle. Web Source: Wikipedia. 

My favorite stories were "The Twin Brothers" and "How Gazelle Got Married." "How Gazelle Got Married" reminded me of the story of Rumpelstiltskin, since in both names needed to be found out and the servant was the one who found them out. I am curious as to why a dog was such a faithful servant to a gazelle (even though his master forgot him) and why the water caused them to forget the names. Was it water in general that led to forgetfulness or this particular spring? I also find it interesting that the gazelle is a man, but that is because it is a symbol for a female beloved in Arabic.

As for "The Twin Brothers," I am particularly fond of Luemba's character. The fetishes also result in a very interesting system of magic, which seems less rule-based than the fantasy I've read. They seem omnipotent. I was also surprised that the horse could use them to revive Luemba.

Bibliography: R. E. Dennett's Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort, link.