H25. Choose to live or die. 11.-.14.17.24.46.
People are offered a choice of two subjects, one of which is death, the other is life, or they are asked whether they want to be reborn or die for good. Death has been chosen.
Bantu-speaking Africa. Ngala, balolo [a little man offered a man working in the forest to choose from a large package with glass, knives, beads, clothes, etc., and a small one with eternal life; man asked him to wait until he went to consult others; in his absence, women came, took a bundle of beads, etc.]: Abrahamsson 1951:43; Belgian Congo pygmies [God suggested to people a bundle of death and a bundle of eternal life; they chose death (perhaps fearing a very old age); God left them in anger]: Trilles 1945:101 in Abrahamsson 1951:43; luba: Colle 1913 [snakes they do not die, but only shed their skin; at first, God offered the woman and the snake a nut with death and a nut with immortality, offered to choose; the woman took death, the snake immortality]: 507; Frazer 1926 (tumbwe; {y Frazer says it's a Baholoholo band, not a tumbwe}) [The Great Spirit called a man, woman, and snake to choose what they want: the embryos of death or immortality; the woman chose death, and the snake chose immortality, therefore, it does not die, but replaces the skin and is renewed; (=Abrahamsson 1951:44)]: 222; tabwa [Leza decided to punish a person for violating the established rules; offered a choice of baskets of death and life; people chose death, and the snake now changes life]: Abrahamsson 1951:44; vemba [Kabezya brought the first people down from heaven to earth; offered a choice of packages with death and life; people chose death; so even animals are mortal; but the snake has chosen a bundle of life, sheds its skin and rejuvenates]: Janssens 1926:553 (quoted in Abrahamsson 1951:43); southern vemba [Leza gave a man and a woman to choose packages with death and life; man chose death]: Abrahamsson 1951:43; bena-marungu [Leza offered a choice between life and death; people chose death and snakes life; now shed their skin and renew themselves]: Janssens 1926:556; luba (bachololo) [God invited woman and snake to choose the embryos of life and death; woman chose death, snake life]: Janssens 1926:556; isanzu [The sun went down to earth, brought a jug, his wife Luna a basket; decided to find out who was wiser on earth; the woman chose a jug and the snake chose a basket; they had to throw the selected items at ground; the pitcher has broken but the basket isn't; so humans are mortal and snakes change their skin and get younger]: Kohl-Larsen, S. 309 in Abrahamsson 1951:46, in Millroth 1965:200, in Beier 1966:64-65; chagga [female asked the kids if they wanted to die and break like an easy to repair calebas or like a ceramic vessel; they preferred the latter, so people die forever]: Abrahamsson 1951:46-47.
West Africa. Dogon [Amma offers people two mats to choose from - captivity and death; they choose the second one]: Abrahamsson 1951:43; Eve (Matse) [God gave people three identical packages to choose from with the riches of the world, with stones, with salt; people chose salt; they are mortal because they rejected "den Sack der Freuden"]: Spieth 1906:788 in Abrahamsson 1951:443.
Sudan - East Africa. Malgashi () [Zanahary's son offered people a choice of black and red objects; they chose red, so people are mortal; Z.'s black son threw Angalampona and Vazimba spirits into the water, who live long]: Abrahamsson 1951:123-124.
North Africa. Kabila []: Frobenius 1921a, No. 17:88-89
Western Asia. The Sumerians [Adapa, the wise man from Erdu, sailed out to sea to catch fish for the sanctuary of Ea; the South Wind drowned his boat, A. cursed him, breaking his wings; the South Wind did not blow for seven days; after learning what was going on, The god of heaven Anu demanded A. to come to him; Ea advises A. on his way to heaven and to Anu's palace to wear her hair loose and dress in mourning; this arouses the curiosity of Tammuz and Gishzid, two heavenly gatekeepers; A. replies to them that he "mourns two gods who disappeared from earth," i.e. T. and G.; they are flattered, standing up for A. before Ana; Ea also ordered not to eat the food of death, not to drink the water of death, which Adape will be offered; but Anu offers him food and water for life; by abandoning them, A. deprived himself and all people of immortality]: Kramer 1977:151-152.
Malaysia-Indonesia. Mentawai [Shaman Pageta Sabbau offered people a choice of bananas with fish or yams with prawns; they chose the former; PS said people would now die forever like bananas and fish; choosing second, they would change their skin and grow younger like shrimp and shoot new shoots like yam tubers cut into pieces]: Schefold 1988:73-75; Western Toraja [heavenly god invited people to choose between banana and stone; they chose a banana, so they are mortal]: Kruyt 1938, No. 8:435-437; (cf. Western Toraja [divine spouses Mpolihoe and Melini ask an old woman seven times if she wants to grow old to revive; she does not hear well, every time she asks, What? Then she is asked seven times if she wants to die for good; the old woman hears hard again, answers, Yes; now people are mortal]: Kruyt 1938, no. 8:435); Timor [Usif Neno created two people, offered a choice of months and stars; if you choose a month, you will die and respawn, if stars die for good; the UN sent these people to earth, they are the current ones]: Kruyt 1923:417 in Fischer 1932:226.
Plains. Sheena [the chief invites the hero to choose one of the men sitting in the tipi; the one sitting to the left of the entrance is chosen; men turn into black and white stones and two types of grass; the chosen one turned out to be grass; If the hero chose a stone, old people would get younger]: Grinnell 1908:279.