Brethren and disbelievers, I greet you all in peace. Now, sometime back I came a cross an online debate where a curious individual innocently asked whether Samson really existed. Christians descended on him vehemently insisting that not only did Samson exist, even the whereabouts of his tomb where he was buried are known today. So I decided to seek a similar figure in history to hopefully draw some meaningful comparisons and conclusions and thus stumbled upon Luanda Magere. Luanda Magere was a mighty, Luo warrior said to be born some time in the 1700s and rumored to possess extraordinary abilities and who mainly specialized in tormenting the neighboring Nandi community. He had a few interesting similarities with alleged historical figures (Samson & Jesus) that I found quite interesting.
Similarities between Luanda Magere and Samson:
Both possessed extraordinary physical strength. Samson would decimate Philistine warriors singlehandedly just as easily as Magere would dispatch his Nandi counterparts.
Both possessed secrets to their extraordinary powers. The secret to Magere’s unusual strength was his shadow, samson his hair.
Both were betrayed by their lovers, women from their opponents’ communities, both of whom had each been sent on a secret mission to investigate the source of their extraordinary strengths.
Supernatural events surrounded their lives. At Samson’s conception, an angel appeared to his mother informing her he had been dedicated to God. At Magere’s death, a strong wind swept through the land while dark clouds eclipsed the whole of Kano and Nandi. A relentless 2 year drought followed.
Both have known burial locations, with Samson’s alleged tomb found on a mountain in Tel Tzora while Magere’s remains, a rock alongside his spear and shield, are found at the Luanda Magere site in Kisumu.
Similarities between Luanda Magere and Jesus:
1.Both were claimed to possess supernatural powers- Luanda Magere’s skin was said to be made of stone such that no spear or arrow could pierce his skin. Likewise Jesus was claimed to possess supernatural powers with the ability to walk on water, calm storms and turn water into wine.
2. Supernatural occurrences upon their deaths- Immense, unexplainable darkness covered the sky upon the death of both Jesus and Luanda Magere. Luanda Magere’s body turned into a rock while Jesus’ body vanished into thin air within 3 days of his death.
3. Post-mortem appearances- After his death, Luanda Magere appeared to village elders in their dreams, informing them of where his body lay. Once his body was recovered, 3 days and nights of heavy rainfall followed. Jesus appeared in visions to his followers within 3 days of his burial, later on he even appeared physically to some of them.
4. Deification. Up to today some people conduct rituals and offer prayers at the rock of Luanda Magere while Christians perform rituals in church (eucharist, baptism) and offer prayers to Jesus.
So villagers what do you think, did Luanda Magere exist? @LuandaMagere did you exist?
He was a Bantu, there is a Bantu grouping who lived(s) in the Kavirondo Rift valley, absorbed by the Nyando Luo’s. His legend was also usurped by them.
Men acquire such mythical status after death. Why? How else will you prove otherwise when the guy is dead? In the same wavelength, Jesus became mythical after his death (assuming he existed). What you should realise is that such people are “commodifised” to serve a particular purpose. They cease to exist once this usefulness ends.
Yes there were, Bantus settled in Nyanza some 600 years ago, the earliest Luo’s arrived around 350 years ago, actually the last batch arrived almost at the same time with Bazungus.
