Menu
In the beginning, there was a god named Chauta living above the indigo sky with an arid below without any living thing. One day the clouds gathered together, and they were bolts of lightning, thundering like the roar of hungry lions, suddenly in the rain, the Chiuta in the form of a spider came down with silk threads from the sky with the first human pair and several animals.
They came down in the name of KaphiriNtiwa located on the DzalaNyama range. Chewa people believe that during thunderstorms, the hard surface becomes weaker and when the rain stops, the soft surface becomes rocky. It is said that there have also been many human and animal footprints on the rock up to these days.
Chauta, humans, and animals have lived together happily and peacefully until one day, Chauta instructed humans not to play with wood because it may cause fire, but humans disobeyed Chauta’s orders. When the hardwood and the soft wood were rubbed together, there arose a spark of fire all over them like a burning hell, and the animals fled from men in anger and rage.
Chiuta, who was betrayed by humans after disobedience and negligence, then spun the spider web back up into the sky and said that from this moment on, man must die and be with him in the sky.
Mulanje Mountain, with its high peaks and stunning scenery, has become famous for its local folk legends. One of them is the hilltop area called ‘Sapitwa’, which is the Chichewa language that means “No Entry Zone” The native Malawi people believed that this place was home to the spirits of their ancestors. Whenever people provoke the spirits, they could become missing. Some of them told stories from mountaineers that they had found food prepared in the mountains and considered it a good omen because they were helped by the spirit of the valley.
Many people claim to see spirits appearing on this mountain in various ways. Many people saw them in human form swimming at Dziwe la Nkhalamba pool. It is believed that just seeing them bathe in the pool brings good luck. Despite its terrifying reputation, it’s still a very popular mountain climbing site with amazing scenery.
This is a part of the stories, legends, and beliefs that have lived with Malawi people for a long time, reflecting the deep-rooted culture that has lived with Malawi until now.
