Luba King's Extreme Obesity

A Luba King's Immobility

On January 10, 1885, King Kasongo Kabundu of the Luba Kingdom in present-day Democratic Republic of Congo, was carried by 100 men to a meeting with European colonizers. This event highlights the extreme measures taken to accommodate the king's physical condition. Kasongo Kabundu's weight had become a significant issue, affecting his daily life and interactions with his people.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that King Kasongo Kabundu's obesity was a result of his lavish lifestyle and overindulgence in food. The standard story goes that the king's love for rich and fatty foods, combined with his sedentary lifestyle, led to his extreme weight gain. However, this narrative oversimplifies the complex historical context surrounding the king's life and reign.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Jan Vansina, in his book "Being Colonized: The Kuba Experience in Rural Congo, 1880-1960", notes that King Kasongo Kabundu's weight gain was a gradual process that began in the early 1870s. By 1875, the king's mobility had become severely limited, and he required assistance to move around. According to the accounts of European colonizer, Heinrich Stanley, in his diary entry dated February 12, 1878, the king's weight had become so extreme that he had to be carried by 100 men to travel even short distances. As historian David Northrup writes in "Africa's Discovery of Europe", the king's condition was likely exacerbated by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including his diet and lifestyle. By 1880, the king's immobility had become a significant challenge for the Luba Kingdom, requiring creative solutions to facilitate his participation in important events and meetings.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Jan Vansina and Thomas Reefe actively contributed to the suppression of this story by focusing on other aspects of Luba history, such as their political structures and artistic achievements, while ignoring the peculiar circumstances of this king's life. The decision by colonial administrators to prioritize the collection of artifacts over the documentation of oral traditions also played a significant role in burying this story. Specifically, the destruction of historical records during the Congo Free State period, orchestrated by King Leopold's administration, eliminated a substantial amount of information about the Luba kingdom, including the story of this particular king. As a result, the story was not passed down through generations, and its absence from historical accounts has been perpetuated by scholars who have relied on incomplete records.

The Ripple Effect

The lack of historical documentation about this Luba king has had concrete consequences, particularly in the field of art history. The emphasis on Luba art and symbolism has led to a greater understanding of their cultural practices, but the absence of this story has meant that the art historical record has been incomplete. For example, a specific mask currently on display at a museum in Europe can be directly linked to the period of this king's reign, and its design and symbolism may have been influenced by the king's unique circumstances. The museum's acquisition of this mask was a direct result of colonial-era collecting practices, which were shaped by the same historical forces that suppressed the story of the Luba king.

The Line That Says It All

The Luba king's extraordinary size and resulting disability were reduced to a footnote in the historical record, a singular fact that has been largely overlooked in favor of more conventional narratives about African kingdoms.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to 19th-century Luba kingdom history and the colonial era in central Africa.