There is a moment in Black Panther that is easy to remember but surprisingly easy to overlook.

M'Baku, leader of the Jabari, stands before T'Challa during the challenge for the throne. The Jabari are watching. The drums are beating. The atmosphere is intense.

Then M'Baku says:

“Glory to Hanuman.”

And immediately, the Jabari respond with their familiar roar.

When I first heard that line, it was one of those movie moments that made me pause. Why Hanuman?

At first, it sounds almost out of place. We are watching an African kingdom, an African tribe, African traditions and characters—and suddenly a name from Indian religious tradition is being shouted by the Jabari.

But once you look into who Hanuman is, the choice becomes much more interesting.

So, who exactly is Hanuman?

Hanuman is one of the best-known figures in Hindu tradition. He is closely associated with the Ramayana and is traditionally portrayed with the features of a monkey or ape-like being.

But reducing Hanuman to simply “the monkey god” misses much of what the character represents.

Hanuman is strongly associated with strength, courage, devotion, discipline and loyalty. In stories from the Ramayana, he is remembered for extraordinary acts of bravery and for his unwavering devotion to Rama.

That makes the Jabari's use of his name much more understandable.

The Jabari are not portrayed as people who worship technology or who are impressed by everything Wakanda's modern society has built. They are deeply connected to their own traditions, physical strength and old ways.

So when M'Baku invokes Hanuman before a physical challenge, the reference immediately carries an idea of strength and power.

Why does “Hanuman” sound familiar to an Igbo speaker?

There is a linguistic detail that has made this discussion especially interesting among Igbo speakers.

The Igbo word anụmanụ means animal. It is used as a general term for animals and is distinct from words used for people.

So when an Igbo speaker hears something like “Hanuman” or “Anuman,” there can be an immediate familiarity in the sound—especially because of the animal/ape imagery associated with Hanuman.

But this is where we have to be careful.

A similar sound does not automatically mean that the two words have the same origin or that Hanuman came from Igbo. There is no solid evidence here establishing that connection.

What makes it fascinating is the coincidence of sound and symbolism.

One is a name from an ancient Indian tradition. The other is an Igbo word meaning animal. They come from completely different linguistic traditions, yet to an Igbo listener, hearing “Hanuman” while seeing an ape-like figure can create an interesting association.

And honestly, that is part of what makes language so fascinating.

Sometimes a word can hit your ear in a completely different way because of what it resembles in your own language.

India, Wakanda and a name most people weren't expecting

There is another layer to the scene.

Marvel created Wakanda as a fictional African nation, drawing inspiration from African cultures, languages, clothing, architecture, traditions and history. The Jabari themselves are a fictional people within that world.

So why bring India into it?

Because Black Panther wasn't afraid of mixing influences.

The name Hanuman is not an African name. It comes from a very different cultural and religious tradition. Yet Marvel placed it into the mouth of an African-inspired fictional tribe and made it work within the world of Wakanda.

And strangely enough, it works because of the qualities Hanuman represents.

The Jabari are warriors.

Hanuman is associated with extraordinary strength and courage.

M'Baku is challenging T'Challa through physical combat.

Hanuman is traditionally associated with overcoming seemingly impossible challenges through strength, devotion and determination.

The reference therefore feels less random once you understand the symbolism behind it.

What makes the line so memorable?

For me, the fascinating part isn't necessarily the idea that Igbo and Indian languages are secretly connected. That's a much bigger claim, and the similarity in sound alone isn't enough to prove it.

The fascinating part is something simpler.

A Hollywood movie created an African fictional world, took a figure from Indian tradition, gave that name to the Jabari, and somehow created a moment that can make an Igbo speaker stop and think:

“Wait… did I hear that correctly?”

That reaction is real.

And it shows how much our own languages influence the way we experience movies.

You don't hear a foreign word with completely empty ears. You hear it through your own language, your own culture and everything you already know.

For an Igbo speaker, “Hanuman” may immediately sound close to “anụmanụ.”

For someone familiar with Hindu tradition, “Hanuman” immediately brings to mind a powerful and deeply respected figure.

And for a Marvel fan, the phrase instantly takes you back to M'Baku and the Jabari.

One line.

Three different cultural associations.

The bigger idea

Maybe that's the most interesting thing about the scene.

Different cultures can arrive at similar ideas without being the same culture.

Strength. Courage. Loyalty. Honour. Tradition. Spirituality.

Those ideas appear in different civilizations, expressed through different names, stories and symbols.

Hanuman represents these qualities in Indian tradition. The Jabari express their own ideas of strength and tradition through the world of Wakanda. And Igbo, like every living language, carries its own words and concepts for understanding people, animals, life, spirit and the world around us.

So no, “Glory to Hanuman” is not proof that Igbo and Indian languages are the same, and the resemblance between “Hanuman” and anụmanụ should not be presented as a proven historical connection.

But that doesn't make the observation boring.

Actually, it makes it more interesting.

Because sometimes the coolest discoveries are not the things we can immediately prove to be connected. Sometimes they are the little coincidences that make us curious enough to ask questions about language, culture and history.

And that's exactly what this scene did.

The Jabari said “Glory to Hanuman.”

India had its Hanuman.

Igbo has anụmanụ.

Different histories. Different languages. Different cultures.

But somehow, one Hollywood line managed to make all three sit in the same conversation.

And that is one of the little details that makes Black Panther so interesting to look back on.

Wakanda may be fictional.
But the cultural conversations it creates are very real. 🖤🌍