Saturday, April 10, 2010

Shona Zvidawo & Totems

The Shona-speaking peoples of Zimbabwe use several cultural markers to identify a person and to show their origin. The most important cultural marker is one's totem (usually in the form of an animal). My totem - mutupo in Shona - is Mhara/antelope. Male members of the Mhara totemic lineage go by the honorific name of *Chikonamombe* ( *mombe* means cow in Shona). The honorific name, *Chikonamombe* can also be rendered as *Chikonan'ombe* . In Shona, this honorific name is known as a *chidawo*.

Zvidawo (plural of chidawo) can also be used as family names, hence *James Chikonamombe*. Every totemic lineage has a praise poem that is associated with that lineage. A single line of this praise-poem is called a *detembo*; several lines are called *madetembo*, and to be showered with praise using your lineage praise-poem is known as *kudetembedzwa* .

Here are some lines from my lineage praise-poem: Mbuya Chikonamombe, chigumbu chinounye... ....Gusho, vari Rare.....vari zihota...vemuto munyere....vakazadzwa mhezi neVaranda. The reciting of the praise-poem is often accompanied by the ritual clapping of hands (kuwombera maoko). If you ever see two Zimbabweans clasping and clapping their hands, as they exchange pleasantaries, don't be confused....you will actually be witnessing a ritual greeting.

Shona *madetembo* often include ritual attributes of that totemic lineage (sometimes in jest), and some geographic attributes. For example, in ours, there is reference to *vari Rare*. Here, *Rare* refers to an area in Chikomba (my home district) now known as *Range*. During colonial times it was known as *The Range*. In our poem, the line with *vemuto munyere* refers to our legendary love of meat. When Zvikonamombe (plural of Chikonamombe) are at the table then be forewarned: there are no vegetarians in the family, and baby-carrots and mushy peas just won't suffice!

Honorific names are how adult (male) Zimbabweans address one another, either in person or in correspondence (and not by their given family names). For example, PM Morgan Tsvangirai is addressed in person as *Save*, and not *Morgan* or *Morgan Tsvangirai*. You might have read of *Gushungo* in passages about Zimbabwe. The *Gushungo* they are referring to is President Robert Mugabe. The respectful and proper way to address President Mugabe in person is by his lineage honorific name of Gushungo, and not *Bob* or *Robert*.

226 comments :

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Unknown said...

Can i have the totem of Shumba Gwara

Anonymous said...

Makadii panewo here vanoera Chipembere seni I don't even know kuti unodetembewa sei

Thembinkosi said...

Maita Moyo
Maita Nyakuvengwa
Vari Utumbi
Vari Makachura
Vari Chidzika newere
Vari Chakabeta
Zvimbwarumbwana Zvekwa Mukaro
Vari Pfungidzo
Vari Gonamutenga
Sagwara marambaushe
Vakarova ibwe rikabuda nyeredzi
VeShambochena

[ ] Number 2
Maita Moyo
Maita Nyakuvengwa
Vari Rutumbi
Vari Makachura
Chidzikanewere
Zvirumbwa-rumbwana
ZvekwaMukaro
Zvakapeta Ishe Mapetere
Vari Pfungidzo
Vari Gonamutenga
Sagwara MarambaUshe
Vakarova ibwe rikabuda nyeredzi
Ishe Mukaro
Huruyadzo Mutungadzose

Anonymous said...

Samaita
I'm very proud nemutupo vangu .

Mazvimba-kupa


Tisu bedzi tinonakidza madzimai.

Anonymous said...

So?๐Ÿ™ƒ

Anonymous said...

Also looking kuziva mutupo uyu

Anonymous said...

Seems there's a lot of mixed confusing information about gwai gumbi kamba, anyone to clarify please๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

Anonymous said...

Hi does anyone have any knowledge on the totem Bere chidawo gondo or magondo ?

Anonymous said...

Ndikumbirawo kuziva more about Vhuramai/Vhuramavi and the male Chicago and female chidawo. I know already that we are Shava Mhofu ...sekemutema Seke's father being Nyashanhu(Museyamwa) Felix M

Anonymous said...

Ndikumbirawo kuziva more about Vhuramai/Vhuramavi and the male Chidawo and female Chidawo. I know already that we are Shava Mhofu ...sekemutema Seke's father being Nyashanhu(Museyamwa) Felix M

Anonymous said...

Thaggg

Anonymous said...

Ko vanamadzvovera ndovapi

Anonymous said...

Kwaziwai..Ndokumbirawo kuziva mutupo wa Chisale

Nehor-eka said...

Uya weVhuramai uyo rega tibatsirane tichidayi. Pavakabva kuTanganyika (second Guruuswa), vakavaka musasa panaZambezi- nyika yeMadhaudhau. Vakauraya  mhuka, mhofu yemukono (eland) ndokubva vatanga 
kunzi mhofu yemukono asi vakange vasiriri vaera mhofu, vamwe vakapihwa muko uyu vakaramba and maintained their totems. Vasati vakunzi ana Mhofu, Katoya ainge ari Moyondizvo. Zvainzi ukadya nyama yeMhofu inemuko iyi wainge wakunzi Vhura Mai vanoera Museyamwa. Mai vavo ndivo vaipa vanazita iri vachiti tasvika muvhu remari.”
 (Gogo Musengezi). AnaVhuramai ndivana Shava, chikove chinamasahwa,or nhuka. Mbirudzapasi (mwanawaMbiru)They are also identified by his totem Shava (the Eland), also known as Nhuka though Nhuka is reindeer which was a larger envelope than an eland but have since gone extinct. In their praise 
poetry they use terms such as Mhofuyemukono (the bull eland) and Mhukahuru (the large beast). All descendants of Mbiru share the same totem of 
Shava, but some changed to 
various Chidawos  over  time  (praise name in parentheses) 
to hide from their enemies. Therefore, the totem Shava is a totem name variant of 
Mhofu/Mpofu  ,  which  is  the  name  of the  Eland  that  is  common in Southern Africa. 
The meanings attached to 
Shava include the fairness of the skin, resembling the colors of the Eland, or 
becoming self-sufficient such 
as by hunting  or  fishing.  Shava is associated with the
 Vahera tribe, descendants of Mbiru, who lived  at  Gombe  Hill in present-day Buhera ,  East of Zimbabwe. Buhera is  an English corruption of the word Vahera, which means the Hera people.However there are theories 
that there are three branches of the Vhuramai tribe: The 
original one  who  came  from  Buhera, Katoya's descandants since she never changed her maiden name when  she married,  and  the  Harava,  since the Harava converted 
themselves to Vhuramai when Musonzarima defeated them.
The story goes like ,
apo varume vatatu 
pavakaramba vachifamba 
vakaona matsimba emunhu 
ndokuateera ndokubva  vasangana nemurume murefu ayiraura (Munhumutapa) and asked him,„Vakamubvunza kuti ndiwe 
ani? Ainge ari murauri wehove. Munhumutapa akavatora akaenda navo kumba kwake. Mbirudzapasi akabva ada mwana waMunhunumutapa Murozvi akamuitisa mimba akatiza naye”. (Sabhuku 
Savanhu).

 Pavakasvika pagomo 
reGombe nhasi uno riripedyo neBuhera district office, mukadzi ainge aneta Mbirudzapasi akaudza  vanin‟ina vake kuti vaenderere mberi iye achipepa muzvere mubako”. That's the place Marange then  went  and stayed even upto now in 
Bocha.

Lets jump to Mbirudzapasi’s children from 1750....
Mbirudzapasi nemukunda wake wevaRozvi vakazvara vana vashanu vaiti Kaseke (SekeMutema), Chiweshe, Hwata, Marange, Nyangemba (azvara Shayachimwe). Varume avandivo vakava vazukuru vevarozvi vekutanga kudivi ramai. Mbirudzapasi akazvarawo vamwevana nevamwe vakadzi vake vaiti Gutsa aive negona rehondo, Pfumojena, Mutekedzava zukuru  veva Njanja asi vari vana vaMbirudzapasi.Although Mutekedza is 
sometimes known as a Njanja, they are not but a Hera.Please note that the second Seke Mutema took over the name of his uncle Seke Mutema or Kaseke.

Olivia said...

Interesting information

Anonymous said...

Hie Mukoma James. Ndodawo kubvunza kuti mutumbo unonzi Bere MaGondo unodetembwa seyi

Anonymous said...

Gwai or Gumbi for the males and Machuma for the females. And yes that's a tortoise

Anonymous said...

Give us Dziva chidawo

Anonymous said...

Ndokumbirao madetemberwo eShumba Karimera Garwe

Anonymous said...

Shumba mhazi are not shumba Wana wa chifambausiku. The word shumba in the Mutasa clan is a corruption of Shiumba chembizi ( a group of them) . Thefact that Mutasa and all his sons used to enforce chisi by releasing spiritual lions which would attack and tear breakers clothes as punishment. This was very common in the bonda / nyanga Mutasa regions. Even sawunyama used the same powers . Check the history of Wana mhazi and you will discover he was a son of Mutasa thrown away from the throne. I have seen the mandeya clan is born from a muzukuru who grew up in the house of Mutasa and adopted mutupo wa sekuru hence the modifications and mixing of the detembo. Maereka the father of mashingaidze, kuwenyi, musakwa, Musimike,samusodza, nyamudeza, chidamoyo, and maereka junior and others was given the kingdom between nyanga, rusape,between tsonzo and including bonda. The above are all brothers born by maereka who was second born of Mutasa but tricked his father before sent to rule a new territory. I am great grandson of maingishe taimaneganda mashingaidze a grandson of maereka.

ptdzvova@yahoo.com said...

I want to ink you for your contributions o the discussions on the topic . Mitupo nemadzinza e Zimbabwe. I would like to acknowledge our contributions , which are helpful although some of them are misleading nd not true. Firstly James chikonamombeis not a true name ,its a syduo name No one of the chikonamombe totem who uses cikonamombe as a surname. . The late historian was James "Gabarinocheka" Borniface Dzvova. The true history of the Maromo people is that they migrated fro Tanzania and travelled through Malawi and Mozambique. in mutoko you find the Makomo people , chikore under chief chikore, murewa at diet in mukarakate under chief mangwende, chive, under chief Makomo, masking guts area under chief Shindi, mhondoro under chief mashayamombe, Karoo magunje chief muzilawembi and Hwange area chief Dingane. Mashayamombe migrated from chive Rare "The Range" mashayamombe is not the one who was killed by the white settlers but his son chinengundu at fort Martin while he was using the Makomo stick tsvimbo. GONA RA MAROMO. The Makomo people whom you find in places like gokwe , muzarabani , guru, abuhera like median Gono , most of them came from 'Rare" The Range "

Chirenje said...

Hi. Want to know more about mutupo Chirenje. What animal is it.

Anonymous said...

hie, i am here in June 2024. And can someone assist me withthe history of Shumba Mhazi revaGonera. Any material to help me better understand this history will be greatly appreciated. Even refence materials.Thank you in advance

Anonymous said...

For history of Shumba Mhazi people there is a book: Dzinza raVagovera vaChirumhanzu naMutasa by Ignatius Zvarevashe, ISBN 0869227203, available from Mambo Press Bookshop. Regards, WeMhazi.

Anonymous said...

Where Did you get get it that's my totem but ndanga ndisingauzive vamwe vanoti pane zvekuti vakapera nenda what wat my # 263782153364

Anonymous said...

Sahayi mukaro

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