When Nyaminyami arrived, you could tell that he had grown even bigger and heavier! As he slithered under the tides, the water rose tremendously high as if to cover a mountain and when it fell down,the sound felt like a sledgehammer demolishing the the river stones when the water touched Nyaminyami's skin! Ngenzane and his followers were scared and mortified like l was but l had to believe that the humanity inside by brother was still the dominant side rather than the blood thirst reptilian he could be! So l led a taunting and praising river dance to honor the river gods called "bazangenzani" (What will they do to me) and my subordinates quickly followed suite. This was a gamble because we didn't know what Nyaminyami wanted or why he had came back at this particular moment but what was certain was that everyone was going to finally see him in his full glory as he raised his head up from the water and expanded his menancing hood like a king cobra! To tell you that people were peeing themselves in fear is an understatement! People were so scared of Nyaminyami so much that they were breaking their rosary beads and crosses by shaking in fear! But Nyaminyami wasn't hear for a fight or to save me as l thought! Yes, he could have killed us all if he wanted to and in so many ways but Nyaminyami wanted to test us!
Nyaminyami was of the belief that all his followers and believers had to possess a warrior and dominant spirit so to test us all, he created a contest of champions that changed the world as it was known. Ngezane full of charisma and misguided bravery, thought a bow and arrow could end the era of the river gods and so he took a long bow made from the spine of a giraffe and an arrow made from the horn of a rhino and shot at Nyaminyami! However the unthinkable happened! Nyaminyami opened his mouth and gobbled the arrow inside before a big stomach rumble that sounded like an earthquake swept allover the place as he coked his neck as if about to vomit something big. Trees shook, the ground moved, insects ran in reverse and the air solidified for a moment until the same arrow came out of Nyaminyami's mouth burning as if someone had threw a fire buzzing javelin and it stabbed Ngezane in the eye, rendering him dead on sight! People scattered all over as they ran away but another earthquake rippled through the place creating land tremors that made people fall as they ran for their dear lives. In a split second, everyone that hadnt fell into the gullies or dislodged by the earthquake made by Nyaminyami saw what he spew out! It was the worst possible outcome for any tribe to be faced by the first berserkers of the world, the Bergdams!
The Bergdams were the dirtiest, unusual and most bizarre tribe in Africa. They were afraid of water and never washed and Nyaminyami had just spewed them out onto the riverbank in their full might, ready for war and to conquer anything that stood in their way. Bergdams were called "black people", a nickname that they got for their bluish-black skin , root eating disorders and white grainy teeth! They traditionally were hunters that could feed on insects, cook termite soups and fry grasshoppers. Fire was sacred for Bergdams, and only men could approach it hence before making a fire, the elders had to perform a special ritual in honor of Kamabu(the sun god) , another name given to Nyaminyami! I know this must be shocking how a river and water god was suddenly a sun god but gods also partook in wars with other gods and when they won, they supernaturally inherited the powers and abilities of their foe! So when Nyaminyami defeated Kamabu their original sun god by tricking him into shape shifting into a human and touching the water he longed to taste. Kamabu turned into salt water and Nyaminyami took his mantle. The Bergdams' leader, king Kamara served a sorcerer representative of Nyaminyami to his people and through him they could request for good health and successful hunts. Bergdams warriors were all mean war machines! They practiced a ritual called the rite of initiation whereby a young man became a warrior and man after his first hunt.The search lastedtwo days: on the first day, the prey was eaten only by the men of the tribe, and on the second day after the hunt, young men could also start hunting. Girls also had a rite of initiation. It occurred when a girl developed mammary glands; before, she was forbade eating food with adult women. When the girl's first period came, the tribe arranged a ritual of sacrifice; thereby, the initiation rite was wholly complete.Moreover, Bergdams treated the birth of their children as a memorable holiday hence there was a wild ritual for this as well! The baby's father roasted a piece of meat on the fire and smears himself with fat. He then rolled the dirt off his skin and collected it in a small pouch. This particular amulet was going to give the newborn protection. Then the father, was to hang the amulet around the child's neck, spit on the baby's chest, rub the saliva and provide the baby with a name. But like some natives , the 'African Berserkers' also had a more monstrous tradition: the birth of twins was considered a curse and to get rid of one, they had to bury one of the children alive.
As the the bergdams chased after the Lozi and plundered everything along the way, l was left with my mini squadron of comrades that were shaking in fear of the unknown like a poor widow's future! No one knew what was going to happen next but death wasn't out of the picture! Nyaminyami submerged himself under the water, splashing our kilts in the process but no one dared to move until he resurfaced in his human form! If ever there was supposed to be something called the king of Africa then my friend, you should know that Nyaminyami could have qualified as a proper candidate. Forget the physics , biology and abilities, Nyaminyami was a man and creature that had an aurora that made other people just want to bow for no reason. He didn't demand respect or deserve honor but his presence mysteriously always overwhelmed people. Maybe that was one of his powers but when he came out of the water shedding tears of blood as he walked towards us ,in slow motion, you could tell that this was just the beginning!