The Hidden Mystery of the Mbundu People
The Mbundu people are the second-largest diverse group in Angola and they make up 25% of the population. Mbundu people speak "Kimbundu" one of the Bantu languages, their culture is sometimes called "Kimbundu".
They can be found in the North West area in Angola although they stretch out to the East from the city's capital "Luanda". Their language "Kimbundu" is similar to the Ovimbundu and their culture is to their neighbours in the North, the Kongo people.
What makes them unique? The Mbundu people were once the head of "The Ambundu Kingdom" called "Ngola" where the name of the country "Angola" originates from.
The Mbundu came in the 16th century from the North. Bringing their agriculture with them, they built villages and soon became a large town. These towns similar to Matamba has a social system where the ruling titles are held by women, titles and inheritance all passed down according to their flexible matrilineal system.
The mystery of how they ruled, if they've been in power or how they came into power isn't quite known but it is no surprise as we've heard of Queen Njinga ruling in the 1600s. There are 10 dialects of Kimbundu; Ngola, Dembo, Jinga, Bondo, Bongala, Ibaco, Luanda, Quibala, Libolo, and Quissama. However, this classification is European, not Angolan.
