Muviro, chief of the Waziri

Waziri (fictional tribe)

Waziri is the name of a fictional African tribe created by Edgar Rice Burroughs in his Tarzan books.In The Return of Tarzan Tarzan returns from civilization to his beloved jungle. But he has changed: when he meets a black warrior, instead of killing him he saves him from Numa, the lion. The warrior...

, is a character in the Tarzan

Tarzan

Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...

 saga created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...

.

Character

Muviro is depicted as a somewhat elderly warrior of the Wazari, wise, brave and respected, and a good friend of Tarzan. He serves as the sub-chief of the tribe under Tarzan. He has two known relatives; Wasimbu, a son, and Buira, a daughter.

In the Tarzan novels

The character of Muviro emerges somewhat gradually in the novels, and the exact point at which he first appears in the saga is somewhat uncertain. The Waziri tribe itself first appears in The Return of Tarzan

The Return of Tarzan

The Return of Tarzan is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine New Story Magazine in the issues for June through December 1913; the first book edition was published in 1915 by A. C....

, the second book, and while Muviro is not named in that novel, he can be presumed to be among the numerous anonymous warriors mentioned. The first actual reference to him may occur in The Son of Tarzan

The Son of Tarzan

The Son of Tarzan is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was written between January 21 and May 11, 1915, and first published in the magazine All-Story Weekly as a six-part serial from December 4, 1915-January 8, 1916. It...

, the fourth book, in which a "Muviri" appears as a minor character, stated to be a follower of Tarzan who had known him in "the old days." The first unambiguous occurrence of the name Muviro is in Tarzan the Untamed

Tarzan the Untamed

Tarzan the Untamed is a book written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the seventh in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was originally published as two separate stories serialized in different pulp magazines; "Tarzan the Untamed" in Redbook from March to August, 1919, and "Tarzan and...

, the seventh book, in which he is mentioned as the farther of Wasimbu, a Waziri warrior crucified by the Germans during their World War I destruction of Tarzan's African estate. Muviro's earliest appearance in person (at least under that name) is in Tarzan and the Golden Lion

Tarzan and the Golden Lion

Tarzan and the Golden Lion is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the ninth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a seven part serial in Argosy All-Story Weekly beginning in December 1922; and then as a complete novel by A.C. McClurg & Co...

, the ninth book, as one of the members of the tribe welcoming Tarzan's family back to the estate at the end of the war.

Subsequent appearances include book 12, Tarzan and the Lost Empire

Tarzan and the Lost Empire

Tarzan and the Lost Empire is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twelfth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a serial in Blue Book Magazine from October 1928 through February 1929; it first appeared in book form in a hardcover edition from...

, the first book to give his title as sub-chief, book 13, Tarzan at the Earth's Core

Tarzan at the Earth's Core

Tarzan at the Earth's Core is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, simultaneously the thirteenth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan and the fourth in his series set in the interior world of Pellucidar.-Plot summary:...

, in which he and some of his warriors accompany the Ape Man to the subterranean realm of Pellucidar

Pellucidar

Pellucidar is a fictional Hollow Earth milieu invented by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs for a series of action adventure stories. In a notable crossover event between Burroughs' series, there is a Tarzan story in which the Ape Man travels into Pellucidar.The stories initially involve the...

, book 14, Tarzan the Invincible

Tarzan the Invincible

Tarzan the Invincible is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourteenth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine Blue Book from October, 1930 through April, 1931 as "Tarzan, Guard of the Jungle."-Plot summary:Tarzan, his...

, book 15, Tarzan Triumphant

Tarzan Triumphant

Tarzan Triumphant is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifteenth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine Blue Book from October, 1931 through March, 1932...

, book 19, Tarzan's Quest

Tarzan's Quest

Tarzan's Quest is a 1936 novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the nineteenth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan.-Plot:...

, in which his search for his lost daughter Buira forms an important sub-plot to the main action, book 21, Tarzan the Magnificent

Tarzan the Magnificent (novel)

Tarzan the Magnificent is a book written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twenty-first in his series of books about the title character Tarzan...

, and the short story "Tarzan and the Champion," collected in book 24, Tarzan and the Castaways

Tarzan and the Castaways

Tarzan and the Castaways is a collection of stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twenty-fourth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. In addition to the title novella, it includes two Tarzan short stories. Of the three pieces, "Tarzan and the Jungle Murders" was written...

.

Muviro and his warrior band also appear in Back to the Stone Age

Back to the Stone Age

Back to the Stone Age is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth in his series set in the interior world of Pellucidar. It first appeared as a six-part serial in Argosy Weekly from January 9 to February 13, 1937 under the title "Seven Worlds to Conquer." It was first published in book...

, a non-Tarzan sequel to Tarzan at the Earth's Core set during the sojourn in Pellucidar.

In other media

Muviro is featured in Tarzan comic books and comic strips in a role identical to his portrayal in Burrough's Tarzan books.

In The Legend of Tarzan

The Legend of Tarzan

The Legend of Tarzan is an animated television series created by The Walt Disney Company in 2001, based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs....

series of animated cartoons produced by Disney, Muviro is recast as a villainous deposed chief of the Waziri.