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blog It Was a Woman’s World, Too: Nzinga Mbande

A. E. Lowan

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A. E. Lowan submitted a new blog post:

It Was a Woman’s World, Too: Nzinga Mbande
by A. E. Lowan

Nzingambande.jpg


We welcome you again to the world of speculative fiction, where there are no limits for what an individual can accomplish—except in the mind of the writer. Often, while we can create entire worlds out of our imaginations, stories of adventure and daring do have been limited to male characters, based on the belief that women in Earth’s history did not live adventurous or public lives.

In this series, we would like to counter that notion with examples of women who did just that, lived lives of excitement and public importance. We hope that the lives of these women inspire you to reach beyond the common narrative and to give voices to extraordinary women in your own stories.

Meet Nzinga Mbande (1583-1663)

Nzinga Mbande was the daughter of Ngola (King) Kia Samba of the Mbundu people in the African kingdom of Ndongo, in modern day Angola. Her father had allowed Portugal to establish a settlement at Luanda in exchange for military aid against Ndongo’s enemies. The Portuguese, who were falling behind other European nations in the slave trade, were moving their slaving activities to the Congo and the southern parts of West Africa.

When Nzinga’s father died, he was succeeded by his illegitimate son, Mbandi. Nzinga, who had been raised at her father’s side in both political and military affairs,...
Continue reading the Original Blog Post.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
Most likely, she actually did not slit her servant's throat. It was probably a story made up by the Portuguese to make her look more terrible than she was. It does make for a great story, though, and an excellent point in how far women often need to go to gain the same respect as their male counterparts.
 
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