Info For You Lot Chewa People: The Peachy Matriarchal Bantu People Of Africa Together With Their Ancient Nyau Clandestine Society
"Akuluakulu ndi m'dambo mozimila moto," (The elders are rivers where send away is extinguished'). Chewa Proverb.
Chewa people of Malawi
The Chewa people are matriarchal Bantu-speaking ethnic grouping living Central, East as well as Southern Africa. They are found inwards Republic of Malaŵi (where they are predominant), Mozambique, Zambia, as well as Zimbabwe. The Chewa are closely related to people inwards surrounding regions such every bit the Tumbuka as well as Nsenga. They are historically also related to the Bemba, with whom they percentage a similar beginning inwards the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As with the Nsenga as well as Tumbuka, a considerable portion of Chewa territory came nether the influence of the Ngoni, who were of Zulu or Natal/Transvaal origin. An alternative name, often used interchangeably with Chewa, is Nyanja. Their linguistic communication is called Chichewa. Internationally, the Chewa are mainly known for their masks as well as their hugger-mugger societies, called Nyau, every bit good every bit their agricultural techniques.
The Chewa (like the Nyanja, Tumbuka, Senga, Nsenga, Mang'anja) are a remnant of the Maravi (Malawi) people or empire.
Nyau dancer inwards Waenera village. Nyau is a spiritual club of the Chewa people, who are good known because of their masquerade dances, called Gule Wamkulu, which agency "The Great Dance". They appear during populace holidays, anniversaries as well as funerals as well as trip the calorie-free fantastic the nighttime away. Tete province, Mozambique.
There are ii large Chewa clans, the Phiri as well as the Banda. The Phiri are associated with the kings as well as aristocracy, the Banda with healers as well as mystics.
Chewa Nyau dancers at the 2012 Kulamba Traditional Ceremony, Katete.
Geography/Ecology:
Chewa are located inwards Republic of Malaŵi 13° 30' S as well as 34° 00' E; Republic of Zambia 15° 0' S as well as 30° 0 ' E; Mozambique 18° 15' S as well as 35 ° 00' E (19). “Lake Malawi, which is located within the Great Rift Valley inwards south-central Africa (which is where the overwhelming bulk of Chewa individuals traditionally resided), is i of Malawi's most conspicuous topographic features. The southern Lake Republic of Malaŵi expanse is located within depression lying valleys with an height ranging from 472 to 914 meters higher upwardly body of body of water level.
Malawi President Joyce Banda from Chewa tribe, Sits On The Floor With Villagers By 1600, Kalonga ruled over a really large territory N of the Zambezi. Although the territory he had direct dominion over was much smaller, he entrusted the residual of the territory to his matrilineal nephews who administered the next regions every bit territorial chiefs. Political rivalries as well as succession disputes resulted inwards breakaway as well as separation of territorial chiefs. "“Malawi” Empire (which) allegedly underwent political fragmentation prior to the kickoff of the 19th Century [and] the vogue towards modest units, i.e., chiefdoms, [are] symptomatic of a breakdown inwards political evolution." (Phiri, 1972:5)
As the Chewa people spread throughout the fundamental as well as southern parts of Malawi, into eastern Republic of Zambia and, into parts of Mozambique, as well as along the Zambezi River, their linguistic communication spread too. One tin also discovery traces of Chewa civilization inwards Tanzania as well as Zimbabwe. There are unopen to 13 meg Chewa people scattered inwards these
neighbouring nations. The supreme main of the Chewa people lives inwards Chipata, Zambia. Kalonga Gawa Undi is his title. Gawa agency „the i who gives out land‟ as well as Undi agency „the i who protects his subjects.‟ Kalonga presides over all the installations as well as funerals of senior chiefs inwards the “Chewa kingdom” inwards Zambia, Republic of Malaŵi as well as Mozambique.
The dispersion of Kalonga's relatives as well as the ensuing Chewa Diaspora resulted inwards a proliferation of regional varieties of the language. The distinct names that the regional varieties acquired created the impression of the existence of a multiplicity of ethnic groups. According to Mchombo (unpublished), some of the groups identified themselves past times referring to important features of their habitat. For instance, nearly twenty-percent of
the dry ground mass of Republic of Malaŵi is covered past times Lake Malawi. From the southern tip of this lake flows the Shire River, which runs through southern Republic of Malaŵi into Mozambique where it flows into the Zambezi River. In the early on version of the Chewa Diaspora, some of the people settled along the shores of the lake as well as along the Shire River, patch others moved into the Republic of Malaŵi hinterland.
The Chichewa discussion for lake is nyanja, as well as the discussion for tall grass (savannah) is chipeta. The people who settled along the lakeshores as well as along the banks of the Shire River referred to themselves every bit Anyanja, the "lake people", as well as their item diversity of Chichewa became Chinyanja, the linguistic communication of the lake [people]. Those who moved into the interior, the expanse of tall grass, were called Achipeta, the dwellers of the savannah grassland. The adoption of these labels, reflecting important features of their environment, began to obscure the nature of their relationship, except past times similarity of their languages. (Mchombo)
The introduction of yet other variations farther complicated the situation. According to Mchombo, when the Portuguese began to displace into the interior from South-Eastern Africa inwards the seventeenth century, they came across such ethnic groups every bit the Xhosa, the Nyika, the Tchangani, etc., who apparently referred to themselves every bit amaXhosa, amaNyika, amaTchangani, etc. Eventually, when the Portuguese encountered Achewa living inwards Mozambique, who had already adopted the label of Anyanja, they modelled their terminology on the morphological construction of the names of the other ethnic groups they had encountered as well as thus referred to them every bit Amanyanja (Banda, 1974: unpublished). Then, nether the influence of Portuguese phonology, the audio ny, a palatal nasal, got nasalized to ng. This gave ascension to an ostensibly non-distinct as well as nonexistent ethnic grouping of Amang'anja, whose linguistic communication they called Chimang'anja. This label remained inwards utilization and, for many years, contributed to the rather erroneous view that they were a separate ethnic grouping whose linguistic communication precisely happened to live similar to Chinyanja as well as Chichewa. (Mchombo, unpublished) Amang‟anja people at in i lawsuit live inwards Chikwawa, i of the districts inwards southern Malawi, as well as parts of Nsanje.
Meanwhile, the Chewa people who had settled around the southern terminate of Lake Republic of Malaŵi as well as spread into the southeast of Republic of Malaŵi to the expanse surrounding Lake Chilwa as well as to the Mozambique portion of the shores of Lake Republic of Malaŵi encountered some other ethnic group, Ayao. The Yao discussion for lake is nyasa. The Yao referred to these Nyanja people every bit Anyasa. This original dispersion gave ascension to groups identified every bit Achewa, Achipeta,
Amang'anja, Anyanja, as well as Anyasa. The lastly designation contributed to British colonialists' eventual naming of the province every bit Nyasaland {The story goes that the British adventurer who "discovered" the lake happened to withdraw hold arrived in that location inwards a predominantly Yao speaking portion of the country. An research into the call of the lake which, unfortunately, took the form, "What do you lot telephone yell upwardly that?" elicited the response, "Nyasa," the Yao discussion for 'lake'. From that, without a hint of irony, the lake got its call of Lake Nyasa and, the province around it got its call of Nyasaland, which it had until independence inwards 1964, when the call of Malawi, the modern pronunciation of the former Maravi, was as well as so restored. After independence, the lake became Lake Malawi, at to the lowest degree within Malawi. The neighbouring countries of Tanzania as well as Mozambique maintain the call Lake Nyasa, evidently for political reasons Mchombo, unpublished)}before it was renamed Republic of Malaŵi after independence.
Two Chewans:Paramount Chief of the Chewa people Kalonga Gawa Undi talking to President Rupiah Bwezani Banda of zambia during the Kulamba Kubwalo Traditional Ceremony of the Chewa People
There are other Chewa dialects inwards other parts of the country. For example, Phiri (1972:7) reports that Pike divides the “Malawi” peoples into 8 groups:
......Chewa, Nyanja, Ntumba, Mbo, Chipeta, Zimba as well as Nsenga. The only importance
of his 8 divisions is that they brand the pupil of Chewa history aware of the
extent to which different “Malawi” groups had grown apart past times the mid-19th Century.
However, Phiri (1972:7) posits that the logical approach to this complex number is to separate the Maravi people into ii subdivisions: the Chewa sub-division, which encompasses the Chipeta as well as Nyanja divisions; as well as the Mang‟anja sub-division." Within the borders of the Republic of Malaŵi nation, only ii subdivisions would merit independent study: the Chewa, at in i lawsuit predominantly found inwards the Central region, as well as the Mang‟anja inwards the Southern region. Divisions subsumed within these larger groups are often given a separate identity on the ground of the topography of the expanse they occupy. (Phiri, 1972:7)
Taking Phiri‟s declaration into account, the expanse where this research was conducted is likely occupied past times the Chipeta partitioning of the Chewa people. But every bit Phiri (1972:7) farther argues, the Mang‟anja [only] differed from the Chewa inwards that they possessed a centralised faith of their own, as well as absorbed influences from other peoples of the greater Zambezi. He thus refers to the Chipeta Chewa every bit the Northern Chewa “who inhabit the northern one-half of Malawi‟s fundamental region” (Phiri, 1972:1). Of this division, Phiri (1972:8) adds:"The Northern Chiefdoms of the Chewa partitioning [is] where Chewa influence has been “Malawi” influence inwards parochial terms.
In the nowadays Malawi, the largest population of the Chewa people live inwards the Central Region, which has nine districts. There are also pockets of Chewa settlers albeit known past times the different labels inwards to a greater extent than than v of the 13 districts of the Southern Region. Currently, Republic of Malaŵi has 28 districts as well as a population of over 13 million. Recent statistics present that over 6 meg of Malawi‟s population are of Chewa ethnic background. Chichewa has been Malawi‟s national linguistic communication since 1968.
Economy
The Chewa are an agricultural based society, as well as farming is the primary income generator. The major crops existence corn (maize) as well as sorghum. Considerable hunting as well as angling are done. The hamlet headman or main determines how much as well as where the dry ground is dispersed amid the people of the village, so the land's ownership is constantly changing. Chewa farmers depend on a unmarried moisture flavor as well as a unmarried harvest to obtain the mass of their subsistence needs” as well as thus the calendar yr is divided into vi calendar month intervals.
Chewa farmer,Malawi
Main saccharide staple(s): “The Chewa diet consists mainly of nsima, a thick porridge (but it is non porridge) made from corn flour. It is eaten with a side dish called ndiwo, made from leafy vegetables, beans, as well as other ingredients.” Corn, beans, rice as well as potatoes every bit good every bit other agricultural products were also oftentimes eaten every bit a staple of the Chewaian’s diet especially when meat was scare.
Main protein-lipid sources: While the Chewaian diet tended/s to consist mainly of agricultural products as well as wild plants, the preferred dish was inwards fact meat,however every bit mentioned higher upwardly in that location tended to live a scarcity of meat as well as often most forms of meat were eaten, these include, fish, insects such every bit termites as well as locusts, bats, chickens, mice, antelope as well as precisely most whatever other mammal that could live hunted.
Chewa miss selling fish
Sexual partitioning of production:
Prior to the arrival of Europeans the Chewa tin live viewed every bit having a social life that revolved around a defined sexual partitioning of production that centered on women existence largely engaged inwards agricultural work, the cooking as well as preparation of nutrient as well as basic household as well as kid caring activities, whereas the men mostly were absent for long periods of times, especially during dry out seasons where their efforts were focused on angling as well as the hunting of other mammals as well as inwards long distance trade, including the slave trade.
Socio-Political organisation as well as interaction
A traditional hamlet had from most twoscore to upwardly wards of 200 huts. An average-sized hamlet has most lx huts as well as a population of precisely over 100. “There is mostly no pattern of hut-grouping, but socially most villages comprise sections the spatial limits of which are non clear. These sections are unremarkably a kinship unit, though it may include a few biological families who are non related to the bulk of the department inhabitants. The kinship grouping comprising the heart as well as soul of the department is a matrilineage with a depth of 3 or 4 generations, to which are appended the spouses as well as seminal children of for sure members.”
Malawi president Joyce Banda is from Matriarchal Chewa tribe
In Chewaian club the interaction betwixt grandparent as well as grandchild is i of equality. While the grandchild resects their grandparents they do non fearfulness them as well as refer to them every bit their affines. For illustration a grandson would refer to his grandmother every bit my married adult woman as well as a granddaughter would refer to her granddaddy every bit my immature homo husband. Furthermore, the grandchildren spent the bulk of their early on years with their maternal grandmother as well as thus a joking human relationship is prevalent betwixt grandparents as well as grandchild.
When speaking to private who is older or superior that mortal is addressed every bit the woman parent of the child’s foremost call and/or the manful mortal parent of the child’s foremost name, i.e. the manful mortal parent of Jim, nonetheless when speaking to a peer they volition address that mortal past times their personal name.
Chewa household unit of measurement Mozambique
Marriage
Traditionally the matrimony do was for clan exogamy, since the Chewa club is matrilineal. When a chewa man child as well as a miss concur to marry. They commutation gifts known every bit chikole. This is a gift from a man child to a miss inwards shape of clothing, household effects or coin given at a fourth dimension of proposing marriage. The gift may live returnable upon termination of betrothal.
However, it is non essential for the validity of a marriage. After the chikole, they both commutation information regarding the identity of their parents as well as their maternal uncles. The next mensuration is for the man child to inform his mwini mbumba who eventually seeks the view of his nkhoswe wamkulu. Having obtained the blessing of his nkhoswe wamkulu, the boy’s mwini mbumba institutes
formal negotiations with the girl’s mwini mbumba. H5N1 farther coming together is arranged for a afterwards engagement to enable the girl’s mwini mbumba to consult his household unit of measurement elders, as well as to brand private inquiries most the boy’s grapheme as well as household unit of measurement background.
Chewa couples inwards a memorable photoshot with president Joyce Banda
At the next meeting, if the boy’s proposal is accepted, a convenient engagement is fixed for the conclusion of the matrimony negotiations, namely, the cohabitation betwixt the spouses. Meanwhile, the man child volition live encouraged to see the girl’s home, as well as volition live shown a slice of dry ground on which he is expected to build the matrimonial home. This ends the formal negotiations for the proposed marriage. In some areas, if the matrimony proposal has been accepted, a chicken past times the boy’s mwini mbumba is offered to the girl’s mwini mbumba. The matrimony may live regarded every bit concluded when the miss is handed over past times her matrimony guardian to the boy, as well as the parties start out to cohabit.
When a valid matrilineal customary matrimony has been contracted, the married adult man is expected to go as well as live with his married adult woman at his wife’s village. This is called chikamwini. Its original intent seems to withdraw hold been a way of introducing a dependent manful mortal labourer into the wife’s household unit of measurement unit.
The residence for the married spouses is matrilocal. The married adult man is shown a slice of dry ground on which to build the matrimonial home. They also allocate a slice of dry ground to the newly wed pair to live used for tillage of crops essential for the subsistence of their family. All the rights inwards honour of such land, are exercisable only with the consent of the wife’s kholo.
Similarly, dry ground allocated to a married adult woman inwards her husband’s hamlet is dependent to the command as well as involvement of
the husband’s kholo. However, residence elsewhere chitengwa may live permitted at a afterwards phase if the
parties are agreeable as well as the organisation has the consent of the wife’s guardian. Similarly, inwards the patrilineal system, a married adult man is obliged to render his married adult woman with a house.
Religious belief
Chewa people deeply admit the existence of i supreme God, Chiuta. He is understood, amid the Chewa people, every bit the creator of the cosmos. Chiuta emerges every bit the Creator, the source of life, as well as the giver of pelting as well as sun, the i who has been inwards existence earlier creation. Another fundamental figure to traditional Chewa faith was a serpent spirit known every bit Thunga, who had the powerfulness to wing through the air to scared pools where pelting calling ceremony were taking place. Keeping with the higher upwardly traditional Chewa faith seems to autumn betwixt animism as well as ancestor worship. There is also Namalenga (the creator of the universe) as well as Mphambe (the lightning).
Chewa Witchdoctor sits close his “hospital” hut after the spiritual ceremony. Mafilipa village, Tete province.
Ancestral spirits (Midzimu Yamakolo). It is also a mutual fundamental belief amid the Chewa that the existence of a mortal continues after death; he or she becomes a spiritual existence as well as acquires characteristics of immortality as well as eternity. According to Scott (1892:415) “the ancestral spirits are the spirits of the departed who were in i lawsuit live as well as are at in i lawsuit dead. These are known every bit azimu (spirits). The Chewa believe that the spirits of their dead relatives live physical expiry as well as remain alive. At death, the spirit leaves the trunk as well as flies away similar current of air or air as well as becomes god-like as well as goes to live inwards the spirit world.”
The ancestral spirits non only protect “their people from dangers such every bit dis ease, droughts, famine as well as witchcraft; but also they punish people when they pause traditional moral norms.” When descendants perform appropriate ritual ceremonies as well as through them, the Azimu volition perpetuate their contacts with the living through dreams, visions or past times agency of spirit possession of which only the diviner tin give an authoritative interpretation.
Chewa traditional priest treating a patient
Tribal spirits (Midzimu Yamitundu): In monastic tell to empathize the tribal spirits, i has to know the role of royal (chiefs’) graves inwards the religious scheme of the Chewa. According to Amanze (2002:166) “the chief...is, for all practical purposes, a ritual figure since his or her ancestral spirits are considered every bit the supernatural guardians of the dry ground as well as the hamlet grouping or territorial grouping depends, to a large extent, on his expert will.” H5N1 main never dies, but continues to dominion his people inwards this world through his successor. The deceased chief, it is believed, becomes fifty-fifty to a greater extent than powerful inwards the spirit world than when he was on earth. Therefore, when the tribe is facing natural disaster, appeals are brought to this main every bit i amid many inwards a long chain or hierarchy of intermediaries whose seat is to intercede earlier God on behalf of the tribe or people (Amanze 2002:1
67).
Spirits (Midzimu).: Chewa people, believe the spirits ever existed, as well as they are omnipresent, really much a portion of the world. People projection these spirits into their natural surroundings. These spirits could include nature spirits, spirits nether the command of malicious sorcerers as well as witches, as well as spirits that come upwardly from exterior a person’s item ethnic lineage; sometimes seen every bit avenging spirits (Mbiti,1969:80). e ancestral spirits exercise command over the living as well as all life exists nether their surveillance.” He observes that “the ancestral spirits are treated with awe, fear, reverence, honour as well as veneration.” Their influence penetrates almost every sphere of life. Therefore, many spirits are feared, as well as so people go to diviners or medicine-men (ng’anga) to seek protection from them.
Slaughtered goat`s blood existence sprinkled on a man child inwards a Spiritual purification
Evil spirits (Midzimu Yoipa):Among the Chewa people, the spirits of witches are supposed never to acquire the status of ancestral spirits since existence an ancestral spirit is, inwards itself, a sign of moral superiority, as well as witches as well as sorcerers are believed to live evil persons past times nature, hence they acquire evil spirits (Mizimu yoipa). Witches as well as sorcerers who croak are said to live wandering around homeless as well as to alter into unsafe animals similar hyenas (Amanze, 2002:144).Daneel (1971:161) states that hereditary witches withdraw hold evil spirits inwards their blood which they cannot acquire rid of. Such witches cannot live without bewitching others.
Chewa people of malawi performing libation ritual
Good spirits (Midzimu Yabwino).: Among the Chewa people, expert spirits are those which are straight concerned with the welfare of the living. They human activity every bit guardian angels, existence active inwards the hateful solar daytime to hateful solar daytime activities of their people. Mbiti (1969:83) states that expert spirits “are guardians of household unit of measurement affairs, traditions, ethics as well as activities.” It is commonly believed that the expert spirits of expert people live inwards the spirit world inwards which Chauta is King. It is said that the spirits of expert people render to the physical world or reincarnate inwards the shape of harmless snakes (Njoka). Geoffrey Parrinder (1967:22) states that the serpent has had a fascination for people inwards every land. It is mysterious, fearful as well as immortal. It isregarded every bit immortal, because it sheds its skin, yet it continues to live. Parrinder furtherpoints out that a serpent with its tail inwards its mouth, apparently swallowing itself yet with no kickoff or terminate similar a circle as well as sphere, is symbolic of eternity. This concept of eternity is the ground of Chewa spirituality
Angry spirits (Midzimu Yokwiya): The other spirits amid the Chewa people are angry spirits. Crawford (1967:88) describes angry spirits every bit spirits with a grudge as well as bent on vengeance. There are 4 types of angry spirits according to Gelfand (1962:162). These include the spirit of a murdered person; the spirit of a retainer who has non been paid for his services or a mortal from whom something was taken or borrowed as well as non returned; the spirit of a married adult man or married adult woman who died inwards an unhappy province of head over a affair of deep concern; as well as finally, the spirit of a parent, especially a woman parent who was ill-treated past times the children. These spirits volition seek amends as well as payments for the injustice from the guilty parties. The Chewa people believe that an angry spirit tin drive really serious quarrels within a family, misfortune, as well as loss of property, wealth or life.
Alien spirits (Midzimu Yachilendo):Alien spirits shape some other shape of spirits found amid the Chewa people. They are the spirits of non-members of the lineage such every bit white people, or fifty-fifty creature spirits. These spirits tin confer to their hosts item skills for divination, hunting etc. They may, however, also live associated with activities such every bit witchcraft. While they may select their host, they may also live given to a mortal past times a previous possessor or may live inherited from an ancestor.
Chewa indunas
Passage rituals (birth, death, puberty, seasonal):
The funerary ritual starts with utaya, the burial rite, as well as is completed past times bona, a rite that takes identify after the harvest of corn inwards the subsequent year. The Nyau (a masked men society) ship the trunk of the deceased on a stretch to the burial site as well as also perform the burial itself. Bona is performed along with beer brewing.
Chewa Nyau dancers at the 2012 Kulamba Traditional Ceremony, Katete.
According to the Chewa, the beer is non only for the people attending the rite, but also for the spirits of the dead. The Chewa believe that if the dead are precisely buried, they cannot live born again, existence tied to the earth. The role played past times the Nyau at the bona ritual is to enable the spirits of the deceased to acquire out the globe as well as render to God; every bit ancestral spirits, they tin live reincarnated inwards the bodies of their descendants.
Nyau dancers of Mozambique
The Nyau (Nyao;meaning mask) society consists of initiated members of the Chewa as well as Nyanja people, forming the cosmology or indigenous faith of the people. Initiations are separate for men as well as for women, with different noesis learned as well as with different ritual roles inwards the club according to gender as well as seniority. Only initiates are considered to live mature as well as members of the Nyau. The discussion Nyau is non only used for the club itself, but also for the indigenous religious beliefs or cosmology of people who shape this society, the ritual trip the calorie-free fantastic performances, as well as the masks used for the dances.
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Nyau societies operate at the hamlet level, but are portion of a broad network of Nyau across the fundamental as well as portion of the southern regions of Malawi, eastern Zambia, western Mozambique as well as areas where Malawians migrated inwards Zimbabwe. During performances with the masks women as well as children often rush into the houses when a Nyau performer threatens, every bit the masks are worn past times only manful mortal members of the club as well as stand upwardly for manful mortal knowledge. At that instant inwards the performance as well as rituals, Nyau masked dancers are understood to live spirits of the dead. As spirits the masquerades may human activity with impunity as well as in that location withdraw hold been attacks as well as deaths during performances inwards the past. Increasing westernization has led to a decrease inwards Nyau.
H5N1 cave ikon inwards Zaire depicts Kasiya Maliro, a type of Nyau mask that may engagement to 992 CE. The Nyau cosmology continued during the fourth dimension of the Ngoni invasions inwards the mid-1800s as well as during the fourth dimension of early on colonists including Portuguese as well as British. According to local mythologies Nyau came from Malomba, a identify inwards what is at in i lawsuit the DRC. Due to heavy penalty for telling secrets to non-initiates most the Nyau cosmology (e.g. who are the men dancing) the beginning of Nyau could non live clarified past times the foremost missionaries as well as colonialists arriving inwards Maravi. Penalties went every bit far every bit the mortal revealing secrets existence killed past times members of the society. The arrival of missionaries during the 1920s had a growing influence on Nyau at the hamlet level, which produced opened upwardly conflict. Though Christian missionaries banned Nyau inwards Chewa communities, the club as well as its do survived nether British colonial dominion through adaptation that included some aspects of Christianity. Presently, it is silent practiced with Chewa members belonging both to a Christian church building as well as the Nyau society. Although some other ethnic groups withdraw hold developed cultural dances, such every bit the Ngoni, Yao as well as Mang'anja, the Nyau' of the Chewa tin live considered the most elaborate of the hugger-mugger societies as well as dances inwards areas around Lake Malawi.
The Nyau beliefs include communication with those who are dead, or their spirits, calling this human activity pemphero lalikulu ("Great Prayer"). Chewa believe inwards the presence of God inwards everyday life, as well as that God is both manful mortal (in the sky) as well as woman mortal (in the earth). Words for God include Chiuta, the bully bow or rainbow inwards the heaven as well as Namalango inwards the earth, similar a womb, where seeds germinate as well as is a source of novel life. The spirit world's symbolism is presented at the Gule Wamkulu ("Big Dance"), which incorporates mwambo ("traditions"), masks, song, trip the calorie-free fantastic as well as rules. Nyau incorporates sophisticated contrary role-playing, proverbs, mimicking as well as satire inwards performances. Primarily the Nyau perform their masked dances at funerals, memorial services as well as initiations (for girls: Chinamwali). Each dancer represents a special grapheme relating to the mask or creature construction he wears. The zilombo ("wild animals") are large constructions that cover the entire trunk as well as mostly stand upwardly for animals, as well as the masks worn over the confront are primarily ancestral spirits. The secrecy behind Nyau incorporates coded language, riddles, metaphor, myths as well as signing. Viewed with suspicion past times outsiders, Nyau has been misunderstood as well as misrepresented past times others, including the Christian church.
Initiation of men into the hugger-mugger club begins with residing inwards a wooded grove, the identify the dead are buried (cemetery) for a calendar week or much longer inwards the past. Particularly inwards Zimbabwe, Nyau members that migrated from Republic of Malaŵi as well as are at in i lawsuit portion of the Shona Culture silent do Nyau rituals as well as handgrip Nyau religious beliefs. They perform dances inwards the suburbs of Mabvuku, Highfield as well as Tafara. They travail to scare away people who wishing to interview them saying "Wavekutamba nemoto unotsva" (you are at in i lawsuit playing with send away you lot volition acquire burnt).
Women as well as children as well as also some men may rush into the houses when a Nyau performer appears. Nyau is the presence of the dead, an encounter with a spirit as well as so associated with fearfulness as well as ritual dread. However, senior women perform inwards the Gule Wamkulu with intricate clapping, singing, dancing as well as chanting, responding to the vocal of the masquerader as well as are unopen to the dancers. During the funeral period, women joke with the Nyau inwards a do called kasinja whilst brewing beer as well as patch staying awake the nighttime earlier a funeral. Men as well as women both acquire into the graveyard grove burials at the terminate of the Nyau funeral performance.
Initiated women attend the Nyau performances freely, though they volition deny noesis of the men wearing masks. The men are actual spirits inwards the ritual, as well as cannot live spoken of every bit men fifty-fifty though women volition recognize their husbands, fathers, blood brother as well as uncles. Identifying the homo wearing a mask is disrespectful to the religion, breaking the instant when the masquerade is the spirit of the dead, much every bit calling Eucharist a biscuit breaks the ritual instant when Christ is close as well as would live considered disrespectful to Christians.
Women are fundamental to Chewa civilization as well as performances
Uninitiated women as well as children, as well as uninitiated men, may live chased past times Nyau performers as well as non-members are discouraged from coming close during funerals. In portion this is to avoid outsiders from existence disrespectful, non agreement the importance of a 'good' burial as well as the significance of the presence of teh dead. In Zambian villages, boys may participate inwards groups called kalumbu who bring together a grouping from every bit immature every bit v or six. However, they must pay a joining fee (often around 2 kwacha inwards 1993) which they heighten past times hunting as well as selling birds, or the fee is paid past times their parents. Upon joining the novices are often beaten with branches earlier learning the discipline. The minimum historic menses of boys or girls joining the Nyau itself is unremarkably around 10 years of age.
Members of Nyau club inwards Zambia
The diversity of masks resembling ancestors is huge as well as ever growing, dissimilar the creature structures. Some mask carvers are professionals patch others are occasional artisans. Over 400 masks which are associated with the Nyau club as well as the Gule wamkulu ritual are exhibited at the Chamare Museum inwards Dedza District, Malawi.
Masks
Nyau masks are constructed of wood as well as straw. as well as are divided into 3 types. The foremost is a feathered cyberspace mask, the 2nd is a wooden mask as well as the 3rd is a large zoomorphic basketry construction that envelops the entire trunk of the dancer. Wearing the latter, dancers tend to plow around as well as around inwards a displace known every bit Nyau yolemba.
They are representations of a large diversity of characters, including wild fauna such every bit antelope, lions as well as hyenas. With names such every bit Bwindi, Chibano, as well as Wakana, the masks portray a diversity of traits as well as types such every bit the philanderer, a helpless epileptic, lust, greed, foolishness, vanity, infertility, sorcery, as well as ambition.; fifty-fifty a helicopter. As i Nyau fellow member explains the masks as well as performance represents all of humanity as well as all of the spirit world.
There are a diversity of mask types, some of which include:]
Bwana wokwera pa ndege/pa galimoto (Mister inwards a plane/in a car) is representing a "white" person. This mask shows how those who already had coin as well as powerfulness inwards their lifetime, volition hold this fifty-fifty when they withdraw hold passed inwards the ancestral world.
Chabwera kumanda (the i who came dorsum from the grave) is a grapheme who misreads people as well as resembles an ancestor who hunts people inwards their dreams inwards monastic tell to acquire attending as well as offerings (e.g. beer, meat, etc.). While his dance, Chabwera kumanda chases people around which underlines his evil character.
Kasinja or Kamchacha is the messenger of of import ancestors. He sometimes partly plays some form of moderator as well as tells which mask or creature is coming next to perform its dance.
Kondola which originated every bit Msakambewa ("Mouse Hunter"), as well as so changed into To Ndola (a homo inwards a copper mining town), as well as and so changed again, to Chizonono (someone afflicted with gonorrhea), is an illustration of a mask that has undergone transformation because of changing pressures as well as societal influences.
Maliya (eventually from Mary) represents a form hearted woman mortal ancestor. This dancer volition sing as well as trip the calorie-free fantastic together with the people.
Mfiti (witch) is wearing a really nasty mask as well as has inwards full general a really demolished as well as shaggy appearance. The outer shape resembles its evil character, since witches are believed to kill people with their juju.
Simoni (eventually from Saint Peter) wears a cherry-red mask, resembling an Englishman with sunburn. Therefore he is farther wearing a suit made of rags. This grapheme mightiness live a caricature on the English linguistic communication colonialists
The initiation ritual for girls is called cinamwali as well as during this ritual a miss who has reached the historic menses of puberty is secluded inwards a solid for a for sure menses of fourth dimension as well as is taught the manners as well as accomplishments required of an adult woman. She is also warned non to break to men whatever of the things she volition acquire inwards the ceremony. The content of the teachings, presented mostly through songs as well as dancing, tin live classified into ii types: instruction inwards womanly manners as well as practical instruction inwards sexual practice as well as childbearing
Ceremonies
Gulewamkulu festivals withdraw identify when in that location is less agricultural activity so that villagers withdraw hold adequate fourth dimension to laid for as well as phase the performances. In addition, after harvest the people withdraw hold plenty nutrient for the festival. Some of the harvested maize is used to brew beer for the participants who include invited guests from surrounding villages.The sales of their agricultural products also ensure that the villagers withdraw hold enough
coin for sponsoring the nyau activities. Some of the coin is used to hire drums, purchase additional cloths for masks, as well as give cash rewards (kusupa) to gulewamkulu dancers.
Gulewamkulu (Great Dance) of Chewa people,Malawi
Gulewamkulu, literally translated every bit „big dance‟ or „great dance‟, is likely the most pop trip the calorie-free fantastic inwards Malawi. It is a Chewa ritual trip the calorie-free fantastic that emanates from boys‟ initiation ceremony. Masked dancers of different types, shapes, as well as forms trip the calorie-free fantastic to drums as well as manus clapping accompanying songs that are often characterized past times words of wisdom, instruction, as well as storytelling, sometimes using coded language. The
gulewamkulu characters are regarded every bit ancestral spirits (mizimu) that come upwardly to bring together with the world of the living, as well as inwards the procedure acquire out instructions that volition atomic number 82 to successful co-existence. They are also regarded every bit beasts or wild fauna (vilombo) that would impairment anyone who does non withdraw hear of the instructions given. The initiation camps are unremarkably within or really unopen to a graveyard where these ancestral spirits “live.” In modern Malawi, the gulewamkulu perform at festivals, political rallies, installation ceremonies, as well as at funerals of Chewa chiefs as well as members of the gulewamkulu society.
According to Chewa oral tradition, gulewamkulu was initially performed past times women inwards relation to girls‟ initiation into womanhood, as well as their incorporation into the adult society. (Schechner, 1985:36). Later on, gulewamkulu changed inwards reach as well as objectives. It at in i lawsuit plays a major role inwards both manful mortal as well as woman mortal initiation. In strict modern gulewamkulu societies all the characters are male. They sometimes depict woman mortal behaviour past times precisely dressing similar women. However, inwards moderate gulewamkulu societies, performers may include both
women as well as men.
The performers have on masks to conceal their identity, as well as to simulate for sure persons as well as wild fauna or beasts. The identity of each grapheme is thus kept a secret, as well as the characters are regarded every bit a reincarnation of dead ancestors that come upwardly dorsum to dwell temporarily amid the living. Each mask bears the call of the grapheme or personality it portrays. The masks include both carved confront masks as well as basketry
(burlap) masks inwards price of their physical appearance. Some „masks‟ are precisely caput covers (chisudzo) made from different types of materials including birds‟ feathers as well as creature skins depending on the portion of the grapheme existence portrayed.
Gulewamkulu is a generic request the performance or the (secret) society, patch vilombo (singular, chilombo) or gule (dance) is a generic request all the mask characters. The club is also referred to every bit the nyau. Traditionally, the term nyau refers to all basketry masks such every bit the ng‟ombe (the cow), the njovu (the elephant) or the chilembwe (the “antelope”). In this case, the championship chilombo is relegated to the other, bipedal‟ characters. In modern Malawi, the price nyau as well as gulewamkulu are used interchangeably. These ii price every bit good every bit the term gule are used inwards this chapter to hateful the same thing – the dance, the dancers, or the society/cult.
Nyau at the 2012 Kulamba Chewa Festival, Katete.
In conclusion, the term nyau refers to a scheme of hugger-mugger club religious worship also nicknamed, Mpingo wa Aroni‟ (Aaron‟s Church – named after the Biblical Aaron the high priest) with its item rituals as well as devotion to ancestral spirits. The cult as well as the trip the calorie-free fantastic inwards nyau are so intertwined that they are hardly separated from each other. However, oral tradition suggests that the trip the calorie-free fantastic came foremost as well as developed into a cult. (Kuthemba-Mwale, 1977:26).
Other Chewa Dance/music
In Chewa communities, a specific style of drumming may live used for similar or related dances. For instance, the gulewamkulu drums are also performed for them njedza, kazukuta, chisamba, or chinamwali cha mkangali dances since they withdraw hold several things inwards mutual with the gulewamkulu: they portion every bit transitional dances into adulthood or are precisely related to adult life, as well as are performed or monitored only past times senior members of the society.
The mnjedza is performed past times hamlet heads as well as chiefs, both manful mortal as well as female, precisely earlier a gulewamkulu performance. The trip the calorie-free fantastic is a drape raiser (kalambula bwalo) for the gulewamkulu performance. Chiefs as well as hamlet heads are custodians of the gulewamkulu tradition, as well as withdraw hold the responsibleness to denote all gulewamkulu performances on the lastly hateful solar daytime of every festival through the dancing of mnjedza. While all the dancers are community leaders, they are also mostly advanced inwards age.
The kazukuta is a trip the calorie-free fantastic of mature men as well as women. These people are unremarkably household unit of measurement or household heads, whose hamlet roles include existence chiefs‟ advisors, medicine men, counsellors, as well as specialists inwards such community roles every bit grave digging, drum making, or music making. This grouping of elderly men as well as women run into inwards various forums to verbalize over electrical flow issues. The meetings tin either live formal or informal. One such
informal setting is a beer party.
muchinji-kulamba
When these men as well as women withdraw hold drunkard to their satisfaction, they often trip the calorie-free fantastic the kazukuta whose movements are similar to those of the gulewamkulu. These similar trip the calorie-free fantastic movements are a reflection of the dancers‟ adulthood achievement through the gulewamkulu as well as other forms of initiation. It is through the kazukuta that these men as well as women merge as well as are gratuitous to comment on society‟s sacred issues as well as perform
together an otherwise ritually prohibitive „dance‟ – the gulewamkulu inwards disguise.
The chinamwali cha mkangali is the observance of woman mortal transition rites. Both men as well as women folk discovery together the passing of girls through this initiation do with the participation of the gulewamkulu. What is gulewamkulu to the manful mortal community is „chinamwali‟ to the woman mortal community. Both initiations withdraw hold their ain advisors called the namkungwi. These are responsible for instructing initiates on morality as well as adult life. Male as well as woman mortal namkungwis unremarkably run into as well as programme initiation ceremonies for the adolescent boys as well as girls inwards a item year. They as well as so run into the hamlet caput for his authorization as well as input. This collaboration is necessary to foreclose a clash of programmes as well as promote proper coordination of the ii initiations.
While the chinamwali is unremarkably the full general term for woman mortal adolescent initiation, the chisamba is performed every bit an initiation trip the calorie-free fantastic for women who withdraw hold their foremost conception. All the woman mortal initiation „dances‟ are accompanied past times drumming. Men play the same gulewamkulu drums during the closing ceremonies of all the
chinamwali events. In addition, every „senior‟ chinamwali ceremony is graced past times special gulewamkulu performances. As a revolutionary move, women decided to exclude manful mortal as well as the gulewamkulu involvement inwards woman mortal initiation rites. H5N1 similar trip the calorie-free fantastic called njelelo was introduced whereby women themselves have on masks as well as display a form of „female gulewamkulu‟ performance.
Weddings as well as inter-village festivals render some other context for the performance of amusement dances of the chimtali as well as mganda. In addition, youthful dances such every bit the gwanyasa are performed during schoolhouse festivals inwards the contemporary Chewa setting.
Chewa King Gawa Undi as well as his indunas
Chewa people of Malawi
The Chewa people are matriarchal Bantu-speaking ethnic grouping living Central, East as well as Southern Africa. They are found inwards Republic of Malaŵi (where they are predominant), Mozambique, Zambia, as well as Zimbabwe. The Chewa are closely related to people inwards surrounding regions such every bit the Tumbuka as well as Nsenga. They are historically also related to the Bemba, with whom they percentage a similar beginning inwards the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As with the Nsenga as well as Tumbuka, a considerable portion of Chewa territory came nether the influence of the Ngoni, who were of Zulu or Natal/Transvaal origin. An alternative name, often used interchangeably with Chewa, is Nyanja. Their linguistic communication is called Chichewa. Internationally, the Chewa are mainly known for their masks as well as their hugger-mugger societies, called Nyau, every bit good every bit their agricultural techniques.
The Chewa (like the Nyanja, Tumbuka, Senga, Nsenga, Mang'anja) are a remnant of the Maravi (Malawi) people or empire.
Nyau dancer inwards Waenera village. Nyau is a spiritual club of the Chewa people, who are good known because of their masquerade dances, called Gule Wamkulu, which agency "The Great Dance". They appear during populace holidays, anniversaries as well as funerals as well as trip the calorie-free fantastic the nighttime away. Tete province, Mozambique.
There are ii large Chewa clans, the Phiri as well as the Banda. The Phiri are associated with the kings as well as aristocracy, the Banda with healers as well as mystics.
Chewa Nyau dancers at the 2012 Kulamba Traditional Ceremony, Katete.
Geography/Ecology:
Chewa are located inwards Republic of Malaŵi 13° 30' S as well as 34° 00' E; Republic of Zambia 15° 0' S as well as 30° 0 ' E; Mozambique 18° 15' S as well as 35 ° 00' E (19). “Lake Malawi, which is located within the Great Rift Valley inwards south-central Africa (which is where the overwhelming bulk of Chewa individuals traditionally resided), is i of Malawi's most conspicuous topographic features. The southern Lake Republic of Malaŵi expanse is located within depression lying valleys with an height ranging from 472 to 914 meters higher upwardly body of body of water level.
Malawi President Joyce Banda from Chewa tribe, Sits On The Floor With Villagers By 1600, Kalonga ruled over a really large territory N of the Zambezi. Although the territory he had direct dominion over was much smaller, he entrusted the residual of the territory to his matrilineal nephews who administered the next regions every bit territorial chiefs. Political rivalries as well as succession disputes resulted inwards breakaway as well as separation of territorial chiefs. "“Malawi” Empire (which) allegedly underwent political fragmentation prior to the kickoff of the 19th Century [and] the vogue towards modest units, i.e., chiefdoms, [are] symptomatic of a breakdown inwards political evolution." (Phiri, 1972:5)As the Chewa people spread throughout the fundamental as well as southern parts of Malawi, into eastern Republic of Zambia and, into parts of Mozambique, as well as along the Zambezi River, their linguistic communication spread too. One tin also discovery traces of Chewa civilization inwards Tanzania as well as Zimbabwe. There are unopen to 13 meg Chewa people scattered inwards these
neighbouring nations. The supreme main of the Chewa people lives inwards Chipata, Zambia. Kalonga Gawa Undi is his title. Gawa agency „the i who gives out land‟ as well as Undi agency „the i who protects his subjects.‟ Kalonga presides over all the installations as well as funerals of senior chiefs inwards the “Chewa kingdom” inwards Zambia, Republic of Malaŵi as well as Mozambique.
Hastings Kamuzu Banda, a Chewa tribe homo as well as the foremost president of Malawi
The dispersion of Kalonga's relatives as well as the ensuing Chewa Diaspora resulted inwards a proliferation of regional varieties of the language. The distinct names that the regional varieties acquired created the impression of the existence of a multiplicity of ethnic groups. According to Mchombo (unpublished), some of the groups identified themselves past times referring to important features of their habitat. For instance, nearly twenty-percent of
the dry ground mass of Republic of Malaŵi is covered past times Lake Malawi. From the southern tip of this lake flows the Shire River, which runs through southern Republic of Malaŵi into Mozambique where it flows into the Zambezi River. In the early on version of the Chewa Diaspora, some of the people settled along the shores of the lake as well as along the Shire River, patch others moved into the Republic of Malaŵi hinterland.
The Chichewa discussion for lake is nyanja, as well as the discussion for tall grass (savannah) is chipeta. The people who settled along the lakeshores as well as along the banks of the Shire River referred to themselves every bit Anyanja, the "lake people", as well as their item diversity of Chichewa became Chinyanja, the linguistic communication of the lake [people]. Those who moved into the interior, the expanse of tall grass, were called Achipeta, the dwellers of the savannah grassland. The adoption of these labels, reflecting important features of their environment, began to obscure the nature of their relationship, except past times similarity of their languages. (Mchombo)
The introduction of yet other variations farther complicated the situation. According to Mchombo, when the Portuguese began to displace into the interior from South-Eastern Africa inwards the seventeenth century, they came across such ethnic groups every bit the Xhosa, the Nyika, the Tchangani, etc., who apparently referred to themselves every bit amaXhosa, amaNyika, amaTchangani, etc. Eventually, when the Portuguese encountered Achewa living inwards Mozambique, who had already adopted the label of Anyanja, they modelled their terminology on the morphological construction of the names of the other ethnic groups they had encountered as well as thus referred to them every bit Amanyanja (Banda, 1974: unpublished). Then, nether the influence of Portuguese phonology, the audio ny, a palatal nasal, got nasalized to ng. This gave ascension to an ostensibly non-distinct as well as nonexistent ethnic grouping of Amang'anja, whose linguistic communication they called Chimang'anja. This label remained inwards utilization and, for many years, contributed to the rather erroneous view that they were a separate ethnic grouping whose linguistic communication precisely happened to live similar to Chinyanja as well as Chichewa. (Mchombo, unpublished) Amang‟anja people at in i lawsuit live inwards Chikwawa, i of the districts inwards southern Malawi, as well as parts of Nsanje.
Meanwhile, the Chewa people who had settled around the southern terminate of Lake Republic of Malaŵi as well as spread into the southeast of Republic of Malaŵi to the expanse surrounding Lake Chilwa as well as to the Mozambique portion of the shores of Lake Republic of Malaŵi encountered some other ethnic group, Ayao. The Yao discussion for lake is nyasa. The Yao referred to these Nyanja people every bit Anyasa. This original dispersion gave ascension to groups identified every bit Achewa, Achipeta,
Amang'anja, Anyanja, as well as Anyasa. The lastly designation contributed to British colonialists' eventual naming of the province every bit Nyasaland {The story goes that the British adventurer who "discovered" the lake happened to withdraw hold arrived in that location inwards a predominantly Yao speaking portion of the country. An research into the call of the lake which, unfortunately, took the form, "What do you lot telephone yell upwardly that?" elicited the response, "Nyasa," the Yao discussion for 'lake'. From that, without a hint of irony, the lake got its call of Lake Nyasa and, the province around it got its call of Nyasaland, which it had until independence inwards 1964, when the call of Malawi, the modern pronunciation of the former Maravi, was as well as so restored. After independence, the lake became Lake Malawi, at to the lowest degree within Malawi. The neighbouring countries of Tanzania as well as Mozambique maintain the call Lake Nyasa, evidently for political reasons Mchombo, unpublished)}before it was renamed Republic of Malaŵi after independence.
Two Chewans:Paramount Chief of the Chewa people Kalonga Gawa Undi talking to President Rupiah Bwezani Banda of zambia during the Kulamba Kubwalo Traditional Ceremony of the Chewa People
There are other Chewa dialects inwards other parts of the country. For example, Phiri (1972:7) reports that Pike divides the “Malawi” peoples into 8 groups:
......Chewa, Nyanja, Ntumba, Mbo, Chipeta, Zimba as well as Nsenga. The only importance
of his 8 divisions is that they brand the pupil of Chewa history aware of the
extent to which different “Malawi” groups had grown apart past times the mid-19th Century.
However, Phiri (1972:7) posits that the logical approach to this complex number is to separate the Maravi people into ii subdivisions: the Chewa sub-division, which encompasses the Chipeta as well as Nyanja divisions; as well as the Mang‟anja sub-division." Within the borders of the Republic of Malaŵi nation, only ii subdivisions would merit independent study: the Chewa, at in i lawsuit predominantly found inwards the Central region, as well as the Mang‟anja inwards the Southern region. Divisions subsumed within these larger groups are often given a separate identity on the ground of the topography of the expanse they occupy. (Phiri, 1972:7)
Taking Phiri‟s declaration into account, the expanse where this research was conducted is likely occupied past times the Chipeta partitioning of the Chewa people. But every bit Phiri (1972:7) farther argues, the Mang‟anja [only] differed from the Chewa inwards that they possessed a centralised faith of their own, as well as absorbed influences from other peoples of the greater Zambezi. He thus refers to the Chipeta Chewa every bit the Northern Chewa “who inhabit the northern one-half of Malawi‟s fundamental region” (Phiri, 1972:1). Of this division, Phiri (1972:8) adds:"The Northern Chiefdoms of the Chewa partitioning [is] where Chewa influence has been “Malawi” influence inwards parochial terms.
In the nowadays Malawi, the largest population of the Chewa people live inwards the Central Region, which has nine districts. There are also pockets of Chewa settlers albeit known past times the different labels inwards to a greater extent than than v of the 13 districts of the Southern Region. Currently, Republic of Malaŵi has 28 districts as well as a population of over 13 million. Recent statistics present that over 6 meg of Malawi‟s population are of Chewa ethnic background. Chichewa has been Malawi‟s national linguistic communication since 1968.
Economy
The Chewa are an agricultural based society, as well as farming is the primary income generator. The major crops existence corn (maize) as well as sorghum. Considerable hunting as well as angling are done. The hamlet headman or main determines how much as well as where the dry ground is dispersed amid the people of the village, so the land's ownership is constantly changing. Chewa farmers depend on a unmarried moisture flavor as well as a unmarried harvest to obtain the mass of their subsistence needs” as well as thus the calendar yr is divided into vi calendar month intervals.
Chewa farmer,Malawi
Main saccharide staple(s): “The Chewa diet consists mainly of nsima, a thick porridge (but it is non porridge) made from corn flour. It is eaten with a side dish called ndiwo, made from leafy vegetables, beans, as well as other ingredients.” Corn, beans, rice as well as potatoes every bit good every bit other agricultural products were also oftentimes eaten every bit a staple of the Chewaian’s diet especially when meat was scare.
Main protein-lipid sources: While the Chewaian diet tended/s to consist mainly of agricultural products as well as wild plants, the preferred dish was inwards fact meat,however every bit mentioned higher upwardly in that location tended to live a scarcity of meat as well as often most forms of meat were eaten, these include, fish, insects such every bit termites as well as locusts, bats, chickens, mice, antelope as well as precisely most whatever other mammal that could live hunted.
Chewa miss selling fish
Sexual partitioning of production:
Prior to the arrival of Europeans the Chewa tin live viewed every bit having a social life that revolved around a defined sexual partitioning of production that centered on women existence largely engaged inwards agricultural work, the cooking as well as preparation of nutrient as well as basic household as well as kid caring activities, whereas the men mostly were absent for long periods of times, especially during dry out seasons where their efforts were focused on angling as well as the hunting of other mammals as well as inwards long distance trade, including the slave trade.
Socio-Political organisation as well as interaction
A traditional hamlet had from most twoscore to upwardly wards of 200 huts. An average-sized hamlet has most lx huts as well as a population of precisely over 100. “There is mostly no pattern of hut-grouping, but socially most villages comprise sections the spatial limits of which are non clear. These sections are unremarkably a kinship unit, though it may include a few biological families who are non related to the bulk of the department inhabitants. The kinship grouping comprising the heart as well as soul of the department is a matrilineage with a depth of 3 or 4 generations, to which are appended the spouses as well as seminal children of for sure members.”
Malawi president Joyce Banda is from Matriarchal Chewa tribe
In Chewaian club the interaction betwixt grandparent as well as grandchild is i of equality. While the grandchild resects their grandparents they do non fearfulness them as well as refer to them every bit their affines. For illustration a grandson would refer to his grandmother every bit my married adult woman as well as a granddaughter would refer to her granddaddy every bit my immature homo husband. Furthermore, the grandchildren spent the bulk of their early on years with their maternal grandmother as well as thus a joking human relationship is prevalent betwixt grandparents as well as grandchild.
When speaking to private who is older or superior that mortal is addressed every bit the woman parent of the child’s foremost call and/or the manful mortal parent of the child’s foremost name, i.e. the manful mortal parent of Jim, nonetheless when speaking to a peer they volition address that mortal past times their personal name.
Chewa household unit of measurement Mozambique
Marriage
Traditionally the matrimony do was for clan exogamy, since the Chewa club is matrilineal. When a chewa man child as well as a miss concur to marry. They commutation gifts known every bit chikole. This is a gift from a man child to a miss inwards shape of clothing, household effects or coin given at a fourth dimension of proposing marriage. The gift may live returnable upon termination of betrothal.
Chewa adult woman from Malawi
However, it is non essential for the validity of a marriage. After the chikole, they both commutation information regarding the identity of their parents as well as their maternal uncles. The next mensuration is for the man child to inform his mwini mbumba who eventually seeks the view of his nkhoswe wamkulu. Having obtained the blessing of his nkhoswe wamkulu, the boy’s mwini mbumba institutes
formal negotiations with the girl’s mwini mbumba. H5N1 farther coming together is arranged for a afterwards engagement to enable the girl’s mwini mbumba to consult his household unit of measurement elders, as well as to brand private inquiries most the boy’s grapheme as well as household unit of measurement background.
Chewa couples inwards a memorable photoshot with president Joyce Banda
At the next meeting, if the boy’s proposal is accepted, a convenient engagement is fixed for the conclusion of the matrimony negotiations, namely, the cohabitation betwixt the spouses. Meanwhile, the man child volition live encouraged to see the girl’s home, as well as volition live shown a slice of dry ground on which he is expected to build the matrimonial home. This ends the formal negotiations for the proposed marriage. In some areas, if the matrimony proposal has been accepted, a chicken past times the boy’s mwini mbumba is offered to the girl’s mwini mbumba. The matrimony may live regarded every bit concluded when the miss is handed over past times her matrimony guardian to the boy, as well as the parties start out to cohabit.
When a valid matrilineal customary matrimony has been contracted, the married adult man is expected to go as well as live with his married adult woman at his wife’s village. This is called chikamwini. Its original intent seems to withdraw hold been a way of introducing a dependent manful mortal labourer into the wife’s household unit of measurement unit.
The residence for the married spouses is matrilocal. The married adult man is shown a slice of dry ground on which to build the matrimonial home. They also allocate a slice of dry ground to the newly wed pair to live used for tillage of crops essential for the subsistence of their family. All the rights inwards honour of such land, are exercisable only with the consent of the wife’s kholo.
Similarly, dry ground allocated to a married adult woman inwards her husband’s hamlet is dependent to the command as well as involvement of
the husband’s kholo. However, residence elsewhere chitengwa may live permitted at a afterwards phase if the
parties are agreeable as well as the organisation has the consent of the wife’s guardian. Similarly, inwards the patrilineal system, a married adult man is obliged to render his married adult woman with a house.
Religious belief
Chewa people deeply admit the existence of i supreme God, Chiuta. He is understood, amid the Chewa people, every bit the creator of the cosmos. Chiuta emerges every bit the Creator, the source of life, as well as the giver of pelting as well as sun, the i who has been inwards existence earlier creation. Another fundamental figure to traditional Chewa faith was a serpent spirit known every bit Thunga, who had the powerfulness to wing through the air to scared pools where pelting calling ceremony were taking place. Keeping with the higher upwardly traditional Chewa faith seems to autumn betwixt animism as well as ancestor worship. There is also Namalenga (the creator of the universe) as well as Mphambe (the lightning).
Chewa Witchdoctor sits close his “hospital” hut after the spiritual ceremony. Mafilipa village, Tete province.
Ancestral spirits (Midzimu Yamakolo). It is also a mutual fundamental belief amid the Chewa that the existence of a mortal continues after death; he or she becomes a spiritual existence as well as acquires characteristics of immortality as well as eternity. According to Scott (1892:415) “the ancestral spirits are the spirits of the departed who were in i lawsuit live as well as are at in i lawsuit dead. These are known every bit azimu (spirits). The Chewa believe that the spirits of their dead relatives live physical expiry as well as remain alive. At death, the spirit leaves the trunk as well as flies away similar current of air or air as well as becomes god-like as well as goes to live inwards the spirit world.”
The ancestral spirits non only protect “their people from dangers such every bit dis ease, droughts, famine as well as witchcraft; but also they punish people when they pause traditional moral norms.” When descendants perform appropriate ritual ceremonies as well as through them, the Azimu volition perpetuate their contacts with the living through dreams, visions or past times agency of spirit possession of which only the diviner tin give an authoritative interpretation.
Chewa traditional priest treating a patient
Tribal spirits (Midzimu Yamitundu): In monastic tell to empathize the tribal spirits, i has to know the role of royal (chiefs’) graves inwards the religious scheme of the Chewa. According to Amanze (2002:166) “the chief...is, for all practical purposes, a ritual figure since his or her ancestral spirits are considered every bit the supernatural guardians of the dry ground as well as the hamlet grouping or territorial grouping depends, to a large extent, on his expert will.” H5N1 main never dies, but continues to dominion his people inwards this world through his successor. The deceased chief, it is believed, becomes fifty-fifty to a greater extent than powerful inwards the spirit world than when he was on earth. Therefore, when the tribe is facing natural disaster, appeals are brought to this main every bit i amid many inwards a long chain or hierarchy of intermediaries whose seat is to intercede earlier God on behalf of the tribe or people (Amanze 2002:1
67).
Spirits (Midzimu).: Chewa people, believe the spirits ever existed, as well as they are omnipresent, really much a portion of the world. People projection these spirits into their natural surroundings. These spirits could include nature spirits, spirits nether the command of malicious sorcerers as well as witches, as well as spirits that come upwardly from exterior a person’s item ethnic lineage; sometimes seen every bit avenging spirits (Mbiti,1969:80). e ancestral spirits exercise command over the living as well as all life exists nether their surveillance.” He observes that “the ancestral spirits are treated with awe, fear, reverence, honour as well as veneration.” Their influence penetrates almost every sphere of life. Therefore, many spirits are feared, as well as so people go to diviners or medicine-men (ng’anga) to seek protection from them.
Slaughtered goat`s blood existence sprinkled on a man child inwards a Spiritual purification
Evil spirits (Midzimu Yoipa):Among the Chewa people, the spirits of witches are supposed never to acquire the status of ancestral spirits since existence an ancestral spirit is, inwards itself, a sign of moral superiority, as well as witches as well as sorcerers are believed to live evil persons past times nature, hence they acquire evil spirits (Mizimu yoipa). Witches as well as sorcerers who croak are said to live wandering around homeless as well as to alter into unsafe animals similar hyenas (Amanze, 2002:144).Daneel (1971:161) states that hereditary witches withdraw hold evil spirits inwards their blood which they cannot acquire rid of. Such witches cannot live without bewitching others.
Chewa people of malawi performing libation ritual
Good spirits (Midzimu Yabwino).: Among the Chewa people, expert spirits are those which are straight concerned with the welfare of the living. They human activity every bit guardian angels, existence active inwards the hateful solar daytime to hateful solar daytime activities of their people. Mbiti (1969:83) states that expert spirits “are guardians of household unit of measurement affairs, traditions, ethics as well as activities.” It is commonly believed that the expert spirits of expert people live inwards the spirit world inwards which Chauta is King. It is said that the spirits of expert people render to the physical world or reincarnate inwards the shape of harmless snakes (Njoka). Geoffrey Parrinder (1967:22) states that the serpent has had a fascination for people inwards every land. It is mysterious, fearful as well as immortal. It isregarded every bit immortal, because it sheds its skin, yet it continues to live. Parrinder furtherpoints out that a serpent with its tail inwards its mouth, apparently swallowing itself yet with no kickoff or terminate similar a circle as well as sphere, is symbolic of eternity. This concept of eternity is the ground of Chewa spirituality
Angry spirits (Midzimu Yokwiya): The other spirits amid the Chewa people are angry spirits. Crawford (1967:88) describes angry spirits every bit spirits with a grudge as well as bent on vengeance. There are 4 types of angry spirits according to Gelfand (1962:162). These include the spirit of a murdered person; the spirit of a retainer who has non been paid for his services or a mortal from whom something was taken or borrowed as well as non returned; the spirit of a married adult man or married adult woman who died inwards an unhappy province of head over a affair of deep concern; as well as finally, the spirit of a parent, especially a woman parent who was ill-treated past times the children. These spirits volition seek amends as well as payments for the injustice from the guilty parties. The Chewa people believe that an angry spirit tin drive really serious quarrels within a family, misfortune, as well as loss of property, wealth or life.
Alien spirits (Midzimu Yachilendo):Alien spirits shape some other shape of spirits found amid the Chewa people. They are the spirits of non-members of the lineage such every bit white people, or fifty-fifty creature spirits. These spirits tin confer to their hosts item skills for divination, hunting etc. They may, however, also live associated with activities such every bit witchcraft. While they may select their host, they may also live given to a mortal past times a previous possessor or may live inherited from an ancestor.
Passage rituals (birth, death, puberty, seasonal):
The funerary ritual starts with utaya, the burial rite, as well as is completed past times bona, a rite that takes identify after the harvest of corn inwards the subsequent year. The Nyau (a masked men society) ship the trunk of the deceased on a stretch to the burial site as well as also perform the burial itself. Bona is performed along with beer brewing.
Chewa Nyau dancers at the 2012 Kulamba Traditional Ceremony, Katete.
According to the Chewa, the beer is non only for the people attending the rite, but also for the spirits of the dead. The Chewa believe that if the dead are precisely buried, they cannot live born again, existence tied to the earth. The role played past times the Nyau at the bona ritual is to enable the spirits of the deceased to acquire out the globe as well as render to God; every bit ancestral spirits, they tin live reincarnated inwards the bodies of their descendants.
Nyau dancers of Mozambique
The Nyau (Nyao;meaning mask) society consists of initiated members of the Chewa as well as Nyanja people, forming the cosmology or indigenous faith of the people. Initiations are separate for men as well as for women, with different noesis learned as well as with different ritual roles inwards the club according to gender as well as seniority. Only initiates are considered to live mature as well as members of the Nyau. The discussion Nyau is non only used for the club itself, but also for the indigenous religious beliefs or cosmology of people who shape this society, the ritual trip the calorie-free fantastic performances, as well as the masks used for the dances.
Nyau societies operate at the hamlet level, but are portion of a broad network of Nyau across the fundamental as well as portion of the southern regions of Malawi, eastern Zambia, western Mozambique as well as areas where Malawians migrated inwards Zimbabwe. During performances with the masks women as well as children often rush into the houses when a Nyau performer threatens, every bit the masks are worn past times only manful mortal members of the club as well as stand upwardly for manful mortal knowledge. At that instant inwards the performance as well as rituals, Nyau masked dancers are understood to live spirits of the dead. As spirits the masquerades may human activity with impunity as well as in that location withdraw hold been attacks as well as deaths during performances inwards the past. Increasing westernization has led to a decrease inwards Nyau.
Nyau dancers have on “mukuta” – the plume masks. Machesse village, Tete province, Mozambique.
Nyau is a spiritual club of the Chewa people, who are good known because of their masquerade dances, called Gule Wamkulu – The Great Dance. They appear inwards the villages during populace holidays, anniversaries as well as funerals as well as trip the calorie-free fantastic the nighttime away.
Since 2005 the Nyau civilization is protected past times UNESCO. This Chewa tradition exists only inwards the Tete Province of Mozambique, Republic of Malaŵi as well as inwards Mozambican border areas with Republic of Zambia as well as Zimbabwe.
Nyau is a spiritual club of the Chewa people, who are good known because of their masquerade dances, called Gule Wamkulu – The Great Dance. They appear inwards the villages during populace holidays, anniversaries as well as funerals as well as trip the calorie-free fantastic the nighttime away.
Since 2005 the Nyau civilization is protected past times UNESCO. This Chewa tradition exists only inwards the Tete Province of Mozambique, Republic of Malaŵi as well as inwards Mozambican border areas with Republic of Zambia as well as Zimbabwe.
H5N1 cave ikon inwards Zaire depicts Kasiya Maliro, a type of Nyau mask that may engagement to 992 CE. The Nyau cosmology continued during the fourth dimension of the Ngoni invasions inwards the mid-1800s as well as during the fourth dimension of early on colonists including Portuguese as well as British. According to local mythologies Nyau came from Malomba, a identify inwards what is at in i lawsuit the DRC. Due to heavy penalty for telling secrets to non-initiates most the Nyau cosmology (e.g. who are the men dancing) the beginning of Nyau could non live clarified past times the foremost missionaries as well as colonialists arriving inwards Maravi. Penalties went every bit far every bit the mortal revealing secrets existence killed past times members of the society. The arrival of missionaries during the 1920s had a growing influence on Nyau at the hamlet level, which produced opened upwardly conflict. Though Christian missionaries banned Nyau inwards Chewa communities, the club as well as its do survived nether British colonial dominion through adaptation that included some aspects of Christianity. Presently, it is silent practiced with Chewa members belonging both to a Christian church building as well as the Nyau society. Although some other ethnic groups withdraw hold developed cultural dances, such every bit the Ngoni, Yao as well as Mang'anja, the Nyau' of the Chewa tin live considered the most elaborate of the hugger-mugger societies as well as dances inwards areas around Lake Malawi.
The Nyau beliefs include communication with those who are dead, or their spirits, calling this human activity pemphero lalikulu ("Great Prayer"). Chewa believe inwards the presence of God inwards everyday life, as well as that God is both manful mortal (in the sky) as well as woman mortal (in the earth). Words for God include Chiuta, the bully bow or rainbow inwards the heaven as well as Namalango inwards the earth, similar a womb, where seeds germinate as well as is a source of novel life. The spirit world's symbolism is presented at the Gule Wamkulu ("Big Dance"), which incorporates mwambo ("traditions"), masks, song, trip the calorie-free fantastic as well as rules. Nyau incorporates sophisticated contrary role-playing, proverbs, mimicking as well as satire inwards performances. Primarily the Nyau perform their masked dances at funerals, memorial services as well as initiations (for girls: Chinamwali). Each dancer represents a special grapheme relating to the mask or creature construction he wears. The zilombo ("wild animals") are large constructions that cover the entire trunk as well as mostly stand upwardly for animals, as well as the masks worn over the confront are primarily ancestral spirits. The secrecy behind Nyau incorporates coded language, riddles, metaphor, myths as well as signing. Viewed with suspicion past times outsiders, Nyau has been misunderstood as well as misrepresented past times others, including the Christian church.
Gule Wamkulu Mask, Nyau hugger-mugger club from the Chewa inwards Malawi
Initiation of men into the hugger-mugger club begins with residing inwards a wooded grove, the identify the dead are buried (cemetery) for a calendar week or much longer inwards the past. Particularly inwards Zimbabwe, Nyau members that migrated from Republic of Malaŵi as well as are at in i lawsuit portion of the Shona Culture silent do Nyau rituals as well as handgrip Nyau religious beliefs. They perform dances inwards the suburbs of Mabvuku, Highfield as well as Tafara. They travail to scare away people who wishing to interview them saying "Wavekutamba nemoto unotsva" (you are at in i lawsuit playing with send away you lot volition acquire burnt).
Women as well as children as well as also some men may rush into the houses when a Nyau performer appears. Nyau is the presence of the dead, an encounter with a spirit as well as so associated with fearfulness as well as ritual dread. However, senior women perform inwards the Gule Wamkulu with intricate clapping, singing, dancing as well as chanting, responding to the vocal of the masquerader as well as are unopen to the dancers. During the funeral period, women joke with the Nyau inwards a do called kasinja whilst brewing beer as well as patch staying awake the nighttime earlier a funeral. Men as well as women both acquire into the graveyard grove burials at the terminate of the Nyau funeral performance.
Initiated women attend the Nyau performances freely, though they volition deny noesis of the men wearing masks. The men are actual spirits inwards the ritual, as well as cannot live spoken of every bit men fifty-fifty though women volition recognize their husbands, fathers, blood brother as well as uncles. Identifying the homo wearing a mask is disrespectful to the religion, breaking the instant when the masquerade is the spirit of the dead, much every bit calling Eucharist a biscuit breaks the ritual instant when Christ is close as well as would live considered disrespectful to Christians.
Women are fundamental to Chewa civilization as well as performances
Uninitiated women as well as children, as well as uninitiated men, may live chased past times Nyau performers as well as non-members are discouraged from coming close during funerals. In portion this is to avoid outsiders from existence disrespectful, non agreement the importance of a 'good' burial as well as the significance of the presence of teh dead. In Zambian villages, boys may participate inwards groups called kalumbu who bring together a grouping from every bit immature every bit v or six. However, they must pay a joining fee (often around 2 kwacha inwards 1993) which they heighten past times hunting as well as selling birds, or the fee is paid past times their parents. Upon joining the novices are often beaten with branches earlier learning the discipline. The minimum historic menses of boys or girls joining the Nyau itself is unremarkably around 10 years of age.
Members of Nyau club inwards Zambia
The diversity of masks resembling ancestors is huge as well as ever growing, dissimilar the creature structures. Some mask carvers are professionals patch others are occasional artisans. Over 400 masks which are associated with the Nyau club as well as the Gule wamkulu ritual are exhibited at the Chamare Museum inwards Dedza District, Malawi.
Masks
Nyau masks are constructed of wood as well as straw. as well as are divided into 3 types. The foremost is a feathered cyberspace mask, the 2nd is a wooden mask as well as the 3rd is a large zoomorphic basketry construction that envelops the entire trunk of the dancer. Wearing the latter, dancers tend to plow around as well as around inwards a displace known every bit Nyau yolemba.
They are representations of a large diversity of characters, including wild fauna such every bit antelope, lions as well as hyenas. With names such every bit Bwindi, Chibano, as well as Wakana, the masks portray a diversity of traits as well as types such every bit the philanderer, a helpless epileptic, lust, greed, foolishness, vanity, infertility, sorcery, as well as ambition.; fifty-fifty a helicopter. As i Nyau fellow member explains the masks as well as performance represents all of humanity as well as all of the spirit world.
There are a diversity of mask types, some of which include:]
Bwana wokwera pa ndege/pa galimoto (Mister inwards a plane/in a car) is representing a "white" person. This mask shows how those who already had coin as well as powerfulness inwards their lifetime, volition hold this fifty-fifty when they withdraw hold passed inwards the ancestral world.
Chabwera kumanda (the i who came dorsum from the grave) is a grapheme who misreads people as well as resembles an ancestor who hunts people inwards their dreams inwards monastic tell to acquire attending as well as offerings (e.g. beer, meat, etc.). While his dance, Chabwera kumanda chases people around which underlines his evil character.
Kasinja or Kamchacha is the messenger of of import ancestors. He sometimes partly plays some form of moderator as well as tells which mask or creature is coming next to perform its dance.
Kondola which originated every bit Msakambewa ("Mouse Hunter"), as well as so changed into To Ndola (a homo inwards a copper mining town), as well as and so changed again, to Chizonono (someone afflicted with gonorrhea), is an illustration of a mask that has undergone transformation because of changing pressures as well as societal influences.
Maliya (eventually from Mary) represents a form hearted woman mortal ancestor. This dancer volition sing as well as trip the calorie-free fantastic together with the people.
Mfiti (witch) is wearing a really nasty mask as well as has inwards full general a really demolished as well as shaggy appearance. The outer shape resembles its evil character, since witches are believed to kill people with their juju.
Simoni (eventually from Saint Peter) wears a cherry-red mask, resembling an Englishman with sunburn. Therefore he is farther wearing a suit made of rags. This grapheme mightiness live a caricature on the English linguistic communication colonialists
The initiation ritual for girls is called cinamwali as well as during this ritual a miss who has reached the historic menses of puberty is secluded inwards a solid for a for sure menses of fourth dimension as well as is taught the manners as well as accomplishments required of an adult woman. She is also warned non to break to men whatever of the things she volition acquire inwards the ceremony. The content of the teachings, presented mostly through songs as well as dancing, tin live classified into ii types: instruction inwards womanly manners as well as practical instruction inwards sexual practice as well as childbearing
Ceremonies
Gulewamkulu festivals withdraw identify when in that location is less agricultural activity so that villagers withdraw hold adequate fourth dimension to laid for as well as phase the performances. In addition, after harvest the people withdraw hold plenty nutrient for the festival. Some of the harvested maize is used to brew beer for the participants who include invited guests from surrounding villages.The sales of their agricultural products also ensure that the villagers withdraw hold enough
coin for sponsoring the nyau activities. Some of the coin is used to hire drums, purchase additional cloths for masks, as well as give cash rewards (kusupa) to gulewamkulu dancers.
Gulewamkulu (Great Dance) of Chewa people,Malawi
Gulewamkulu, literally translated every bit „big dance‟ or „great dance‟, is likely the most pop trip the calorie-free fantastic inwards Malawi. It is a Chewa ritual trip the calorie-free fantastic that emanates from boys‟ initiation ceremony. Masked dancers of different types, shapes, as well as forms trip the calorie-free fantastic to drums as well as manus clapping accompanying songs that are often characterized past times words of wisdom, instruction, as well as storytelling, sometimes using coded language. The
gulewamkulu characters are regarded every bit ancestral spirits (mizimu) that come upwardly to bring together with the world of the living, as well as inwards the procedure acquire out instructions that volition atomic number 82 to successful co-existence. They are also regarded every bit beasts or wild fauna (vilombo) that would impairment anyone who does non withdraw hear of the instructions given. The initiation camps are unremarkably within or really unopen to a graveyard where these ancestral spirits “live.” In modern Malawi, the gulewamkulu perform at festivals, political rallies, installation ceremonies, as well as at funerals of Chewa chiefs as well as members of the gulewamkulu society.
According to Chewa oral tradition, gulewamkulu was initially performed past times women inwards relation to girls‟ initiation into womanhood, as well as their incorporation into the adult society. (Schechner, 1985:36). Later on, gulewamkulu changed inwards reach as well as objectives. It at in i lawsuit plays a major role inwards both manful mortal as well as woman mortal initiation. In strict modern gulewamkulu societies all the characters are male. They sometimes depict woman mortal behaviour past times precisely dressing similar women. However, inwards moderate gulewamkulu societies, performers may include both
women as well as men.
The performers have on masks to conceal their identity, as well as to simulate for sure persons as well as wild fauna or beasts. The identity of each grapheme is thus kept a secret, as well as the characters are regarded every bit a reincarnation of dead ancestors that come upwardly dorsum to dwell temporarily amid the living. Each mask bears the call of the grapheme or personality it portrays. The masks include both carved confront masks as well as basketry
(burlap) masks inwards price of their physical appearance. Some „masks‟ are precisely caput covers (chisudzo) made from different types of materials including birds‟ feathers as well as creature skins depending on the portion of the grapheme existence portrayed.
Gulewamkulu is a generic request the performance or the (secret) society, patch vilombo (singular, chilombo) or gule (dance) is a generic request all the mask characters. The club is also referred to every bit the nyau. Traditionally, the term nyau refers to all basketry masks such every bit the ng‟ombe (the cow), the njovu (the elephant) or the chilembwe (the “antelope”). In this case, the championship chilombo is relegated to the other, bipedal‟ characters. In modern Malawi, the price nyau as well as gulewamkulu are used interchangeably. These ii price every bit good every bit the term gule are used inwards this chapter to hateful the same thing – the dance, the dancers, or the society/cult.
Nyau at the 2012 Kulamba Chewa Festival, Katete.
In conclusion, the term nyau refers to a scheme of hugger-mugger club religious worship also nicknamed, Mpingo wa Aroni‟ (Aaron‟s Church – named after the Biblical Aaron the high priest) with its item rituals as well as devotion to ancestral spirits. The cult as well as the trip the calorie-free fantastic inwards nyau are so intertwined that they are hardly separated from each other. However, oral tradition suggests that the trip the calorie-free fantastic came foremost as well as developed into a cult. (Kuthemba-Mwale, 1977:26).
Other Chewa Dance/music
In Chewa communities, a specific style of drumming may live used for similar or related dances. For instance, the gulewamkulu drums are also performed for them njedza, kazukuta, chisamba, or chinamwali cha mkangali dances since they withdraw hold several things inwards mutual with the gulewamkulu: they portion every bit transitional dances into adulthood or are precisely related to adult life, as well as are performed or monitored only past times senior members of the society.
The mnjedza is performed past times hamlet heads as well as chiefs, both manful mortal as well as female, precisely earlier a gulewamkulu performance. The trip the calorie-free fantastic is a drape raiser (kalambula bwalo) for the gulewamkulu performance. Chiefs as well as hamlet heads are custodians of the gulewamkulu tradition, as well as withdraw hold the responsibleness to denote all gulewamkulu performances on the lastly hateful solar daytime of every festival through the dancing of mnjedza. While all the dancers are community leaders, they are also mostly advanced inwards age.
The kazukuta is a trip the calorie-free fantastic of mature men as well as women. These people are unremarkably household unit of measurement or household heads, whose hamlet roles include existence chiefs‟ advisors, medicine men, counsellors, as well as specialists inwards such community roles every bit grave digging, drum making, or music making. This grouping of elderly men as well as women run into inwards various forums to verbalize over electrical flow issues. The meetings tin either live formal or informal. One such
informal setting is a beer party.
muchinji-kulamba
When these men as well as women withdraw hold drunkard to their satisfaction, they often trip the calorie-free fantastic the kazukuta whose movements are similar to those of the gulewamkulu. These similar trip the calorie-free fantastic movements are a reflection of the dancers‟ adulthood achievement through the gulewamkulu as well as other forms of initiation. It is through the kazukuta that these men as well as women merge as well as are gratuitous to comment on society‟s sacred issues as well as perform
together an otherwise ritually prohibitive „dance‟ – the gulewamkulu inwards disguise.
The chinamwali cha mkangali is the observance of woman mortal transition rites. Both men as well as women folk discovery together the passing of girls through this initiation do with the participation of the gulewamkulu. What is gulewamkulu to the manful mortal community is „chinamwali‟ to the woman mortal community. Both initiations withdraw hold their ain advisors called the namkungwi. These are responsible for instructing initiates on morality as well as adult life. Male as well as woman mortal namkungwis unremarkably run into as well as programme initiation ceremonies for the adolescent boys as well as girls inwards a item year. They as well as so run into the hamlet caput for his authorization as well as input. This collaboration is necessary to foreclose a clash of programmes as well as promote proper coordination of the ii initiations.
While the chinamwali is unremarkably the full general term for woman mortal adolescent initiation, the chisamba is performed every bit an initiation trip the calorie-free fantastic for women who withdraw hold their foremost conception. All the woman mortal initiation „dances‟ are accompanied past times drumming. Men play the same gulewamkulu drums during the closing ceremonies of all the
chinamwali events. In addition, every „senior‟ chinamwali ceremony is graced past times special gulewamkulu performances. As a revolutionary move, women decided to exclude manful mortal as well as the gulewamkulu involvement inwards woman mortal initiation rites. H5N1 similar trip the calorie-free fantastic called njelelo was introduced whereby women themselves have on masks as well as display a form of „female gulewamkulu‟ performance.
Weddings as well as inter-village festivals render some other context for the performance of amusement dances of the chimtali as well as mganda. In addition, youthful dances such every bit the gwanyasa are performed during schoolhouse festivals inwards the contemporary Chewa setting.
Chewa King Gawa Undi as well as his indunas
Functions of gulewamkulu
The various gulewamkulu characters play different roles inwards the dance, as well as their actions contribute to the overall portion of the performance. The gulewamkulu performance has a number of functions including educational, psychological, social, as well as aesthetic(Kamlongera, 1992:39-40). Educationally, the performance is instructive, thereby making continuous utilization of the gulewamkulu characters to acquire symbols of item human behaviour, whose parallels are obvious to the society. This is achieved through songs that are particularly composed to address electrical flow issues.
Psychologically, the performance offers an chance to the dancers to express suppressed desires, release emotional tensions, as well as comment on strained relationships. This is achieved through songs directed at attacking the mortal or persons against whom the gulewamkulu grapheme bears a grudge. In this way, the gulewamkulu
performance offers a structural as well as socially legitimate agency for the appear of such tensions, without resulting into disrupted social relationships within the family members (Kamlongera et al, 1992:40). In addition, the gulewamkulu performance offers the audience an chance to meet old friends as well as brand novel acquaintances. The creative minds behind the construction of various masks as well as the fascinating trip the calorie-free fantastic steps of the different gulewamkulu characters also acquire a source of appreciation past times the audience.
Gulewamkulu Organization
The aspect of „time‟ inwards gulewamkulu performances is a critical element. Like inwards many African trip the calorie-free fantastic performances, fourth dimension inwards gulewamkulu tin live described inwards 3 ways –time of the day, i.e., morning, afternoon, or evening; season, i.e., rainy flavor or dry season; as well as „function‟, i.e., funeral, installation ceremony, festival or initiation. Some nyau characters tin only perform inwards the nighttime patch others do perform both during hateful solar daytime as well as inwards the night.
Some nyau characters only perform during funerals or installation ceremonies, patch others perform during celebrations as well as Chewa festivals. Except for funerals, the gulewamkulu activities withdraw identify inwards the dry out season. The dry season is the „fallow period‟ during which in that location is trivial or no piece of occupation inwards the fields to keep villagers busy. In addition, the essential nyau construction materials such as maize sheaths, sisal, as well as dry out grass are readily available inwards the dry out season. The gulewamkulu is organized inwards a hierarchy of the characters. Some characters are bipedal, some are quadrupedal as well as others are non-pedal. The lastly ii nyau categories
form high-level characters according to the gulewamkulu hierarchy. The most senior nyau grapheme is the njovu (elephant). Drumming patterns, drumming mood, as well as the type of the main drum for each grade of the gulewamkulu correspond with the seniority of the characters.
Basketry (burlap) as well as creature structures of njovu, kasiyamaliro, as well as chilembwe perform only during functions that are connected with senior community leaders. These leaders include chiefs as well as gulewamkulu executive
members. Nowadays, these performances are extended to presidential rallies and political meetings organised past times cabinet ministers. Performance of these senior gulewamkulu characters signifies honour as well as authority. Traditionally, the njovu, kasiyamaliro, as well as chilembwe performed during installation ceremonies (kulonga
ufumu), women‟s initiation rites (chinamwali cha chingondo/mkangali), at chiefs‟ and gulewamkulu executive members‟ funerals, as well as during commemorative rites for deceased gulewamkulu members (mpalo).During performances, a number of men often trip the calorie-free fantastic as well as sweep around these „senior‟ gulewamkulu characters, creating a human shield as well as causing a lot of dust, thereby making it hard for the curious oculus to brand out what the „animal‟ looks like.
Since only senior members of the gulewamkulu compose songs for the senior nyau that are suitable for chiefs‟ as well as other community leaders‟ functions, full general rhythmic arrangement of such songs is different from those of the junior gulewamkulu (bipedal characters). Different also is the mood that such songs portray. These songs are composed for specific trip the calorie-free fantastic movements of these nyau. The trip the calorie-free fantastic movements reflect on the honour as well as potency every bit good every bit status of the people for whom these performances are carried out. In addition, different characters withdraw hold different trip the calorie-free fantastic movements inwards monastic tell to portray different moods: some movements depict sorrow, some depict appear of loss, some depict wisdom of elders, as well as others depict a feel of authority. These different movements are also necessitated past times the physical construction of the different characters and the creation of the necessary mood is supported past times the „dampening‟ drum sound.
To ensure compliance of non-society members, the gulewamkulu uses coded language as a way of checking invasion into their society. Use of questions as well as symbols, all describing nyau characters as well as practices at different hierarchy levels, is employed to screen out intruders. The gule or their escorts interrogate whatever suspicious males that they come upwardly across using their coded questions or symbols. When the suspect fails to
answer, he is punished through scourging or forced initiation. Serious impudence towards the nyau club attracts to a greater extent than severe consequences including banishment from the community, or bewitchment past times the gulewamkulu society.
The Gulewamkulu Organization Settings
There are 3 settings for the gulewamkulu organization: the dambwe, the liunde, and the bwalo.
a. The dambwe is the permanent military camp of the gulewamkulu society. It is situated away from the village, often within a graveyard or inwards a secluded identify such every bit a forest. Once declared dambwe, the identify is safeguarded from ordinary people‟s interference. The Chewa tradition respects graveyards, as well as allows uncontrolled increment of natural trees as well as bushes inwards burial places. For i reason, this is done to save trees that are left to dry out as well as afterwards used every bit firewood during funerals, when demand arises. The second reason is that the trees render shade to grave diggers as well as mourners during burial ceremonies. The lastly ground is that the trees as well as bushes are believed to render a „resting place‟ (mthunzi – the shade) for the ancestral spirits. This nature preservation
practice provides a ready solution for the institution as well as protection of the dambwe.
The next are the functions of the dambwe.
The dambwe acts every bit the boys‟ initiation camp, where the initiates have instructions about adult life. This procedure involves instruction on responsible behaviour, respect for elders, hard work, as well as matrimony life. To encourage many boys to admire initiated life, experiences inwards the dambwe are kept secret. Any initiate revealing gulewamkulu secrets is severely punished. Dambwe life encourages survival of the fittest, every bit members are trained to suffer hardships. Fights as well as other cruel things are mutual amid nyau members. No i is allowed to halt a struggle or study tough dambweexperiences to other members of the community. Instead, initiates are taught to disguise truth by reporting fantasy, such every bit daily feasts at the dambwe with a beef menu. In fact, the kasiyamaliro is referred to every bit „meat‟ or „the animal‟ (nyama) which the initiates share during these sumptuous feasts.
In addition, the dambwe acts every bit a workshop for the construction of the gulewamkulu masks as well as storage of the nyau structures. Handy private masks are kept inwards dancers‟ homes especially inwards boys habitation units (mphala) where traditionally women are non allowed to enter. Since gulewamkulu characters are regarded as spirits, whatever invasion of the dambwe past times both women as well as the uninitiated men would expose the dambwe secrets. Any form of exposure of the gulewamkulu secrets through both carelessness past times members or invasion of the dambwe as well as watching the trip the calorie-free fantastic past times manful mortal non-members is termed “kufwala gule” as well as is considered a very serious criminal offence that attracts hefty fines including death. Hence, the identify should ever live secured. The dambwe also serves every bit a preparation military camp for the gulewamkulu dance. It is here where members learn each other songs, trip the calorie-free fantastic steps, as well as drumming patterns.
The 2nd gulewamkulu performance setting, the liunde, is a temporary camp, or a resting place. During each performance, the nyau acquire out the dambwe as well as military camp inwards a liunde, which is situated unopen to the dancing arena. When the dancing arena is close to the dambwe, in that location is unremarkably no demand for a liunde. All the dancers go to the liunde in full „regalia,‟ as well as utilization the liunde for resting as well as preparation for the bwalo.
The bwalo is the dancing arena, which is a clearing large plenty to handgrip a few dozens of participants. The arena is situated within the hamlet unopen to or away from a grave yard. Most bwalos withdraw hold a large tree nearby that provides shelter for dignitaries during performances. Where natural shade is non available, a temporary v.i.p. construction is constructed. Bwalos are known as well as named after some distinguishing features such as trees. Our research found out that inwards the villages of Khuwi as well as Mpando of T.A. Kalumo inwards Ntchisi, their bwalos are called „Ku Muula‟ as well as „Ku Msekese‟ after the muula as well as msekeke trees that render shade at their respective dancing arenas. Over time these trees withdraw hold acquire symbols of the bwalo.
Performance Context as well as Administration of the Gulewamkulu
The mutual gulewamkulu performances withdraw identify during the Chewa annual thanksgiving festivals. These festivals unremarkably run for i calendar week or ii weeks inwards some Chewa communities. The organisation of the gulewamkulu for populace performances involves the executive, the performers, as well as the audience. The performers include both the dancers as well as the drummers, patch the audience comprises females of whatever age, boys of less than ten years, as well as initiated men. The executive comprises the hamlet caput who is the mwinimzinda (patron), the wakunjira, the tsabwalo, as well as the tsang‟oma.
The patron is the honorary possessor of the gulewamkulu cult as well as is vested with powers of authorizing all performances. The championship mwinimzinda literally agency “city owner.”Chewa hamlet heads are often elevated to the status of mwinimzinda only from the gulewamkulu view indicate when they satisfy for sure conditions. Some of the conditions include seniority amid other neighbouring hamlet heads, having senior men and women who tin conduct initiation rites, as well as showing full general involvement inwards initiation activities through stuff as well as moral support. One mzinda may consist of several neighbouring villages, each having their hamlet head, but falling nether one
gulewamkulu patron. Apart from deciding when as well as where gulewamkulu performances should withdraw identify within his expanse of jurisdiction, the mwinimzinda is also responsible for settling disputes arising during performances.
The wakunjira may live compared to a prime number government minister as well as is unremarkably the patron‟s relative, often a nephew. Wakunjira either agency “spy” or “monitor” or “supervisor.” He is the probable heir to the throne, as well as should withdraw hold hands on preparation every bit far every bit the gulewamkulu management is concerned. The wakunjira ensures protection of
dancers as well as the performance arena from bewitchment resulting from competition between dancers, as well as jealousies from other patrons or members of the audience. He also ensures the polish running of as well as thorough preparations for the performance. The term tsabwalo agency “captain of the arena” or “the possessor of the arena” or simply “one who deals with the arena” and, every bit the call suggests, is responsible for the preparation of the dancing arena. He ensures that the arena (bwalo) is cleared and ready for the performance. He is also responsible for fencing the arena and constructing shelters, if demand be. In addition, he liaises with the wakunjira on the position of the liunde.
The lastly fellow member of the gulewamkulu executive commission is the tsang‟oma. The term stands for i who is responsible for the drums (ng‟oma). His duties include gathering drums for the performance, ensuring expert status of the drums, tuning the drums, and ensuring that the drummers are rewarded as well as taken attention of. He is also entrusted with hiring of extra drums. . Contemporary practices withdraw hold quite different administrative laid ups basically due to the fact that the nyau is a progressive cult as well as so it easily entertains both evolutionary as well as revolutionary elements inwards monastic tell to respond to contemporary demands. For example, the contemporary championship for the leader of the dambwe, locally referred to every bit „wamkulu wa kumadzi‟ (This appear agency “the caput of the H2O source.” The dambwe is also referred to every bit a puddle or water source (kumadzi) because it is imposed that all the gule are non man-made but they are „fished‟ out of this mysterious puddle found at the dambwe) is “pilisipolo” (principal) or “bishopu” (bishop) according to the expanse where this research was conducted. The nyau patron is no longer ever a hamlet head. He may live i of the hamlet elders who is appointed through a defined scheme of the nyau society, or who inherits this role from a deceased or retired relation – the nyau cult is nowadays regarded every bit an independent „village.‟ Such nyau patrons are referred to every bit wamzinda (of the mzinda or responsible for the mzinda) as well as non the mwinimzinda or mnuwake mzinda (the possessor of the mzinda) as was traditionally the case.
Gulewamkulu Drumming
The gulewamkulu trip the calorie-free fantastic uses vi drums. The dancer needs all the drums, but specifically dances to i drum, which nevertheless depends on the other v drums for the drumming to live complete. Informants reported that in that location are 3 basic gulewamkulu drums which may successfully live used inwards whatever performance. The remaining 3 precisely assist to consolidate or „harmonize‟ the 3 major drums. The drumming pattern, style, as well as tempi reverberate on the grapheme of a item mask. Kerr (1998:26) quotes Blackmun as well as Schoffeleers on the gulewamkulu drumming tempo that corresponds to undesirable characteristics personified past times a gulewamkulu
mask called tamutamu every bit follows:
This dancer is accompanied past times a tardily heavy beat out on the drums every bit he takes long, lurching strides, leaning as well as bumping into others on his way. This heavy character is reflected past times the creative mortal inwards his handling of the mask peculiarly that of the oral fissure ….an expression of open-mouthed, drunken stupor."The vi drums of the gulewamkulu seem to live symbolic every bit the number vi is also consistently used inwards the gulewamkulu when interrogating non-initiates. For example, a common gulewamkulu enquiry asks how many spots a guinea fowl has. The reply is six. This number represents the different types of materials used to build a basketry mask of ng‟ombe (ox), or mkwala, or cholemba. Of course, the initiate is taught what those vi types of materials are called inwards their coded linguistic communication as well as nosotros volition non nowadays them hither for ethical reasons.
The vi gulewamkulu drums are mjidiko, kamkumbe, mpanje, gunda, mbalule, as well as ndewele. The drums are named according to their portion inwards the nyau performance. While basic drumming patterns are maintained for all gulewamkulu performances, different gule trip the calorie-free fantastic to different drumming beat combinations. Different areas withdraw hold different names for the vi gulewamkulu drums. The differences come upwardly basically from rhythmic descriptions of each drum. Alternative names given to each drum are included inwards the next descriptions, meanings, as well as functions of the different gulewamkulu drums:
Mjidiko
This drum is used to render the foundational beat as well as laid the tempo for the dance. It is played every bit a atomic number 82 drum earlier whatever other drum joins in. Its call is derived from its function – kujidika (to laid the pace). The mjidiko is also known every bit the mbitembite, mbandambanda, or tiyatiya. The 3 alternative names are onomatopoeic expressions describing the drum‟s rhythm.
Kamkumbe
This is a back upwardly drum to the mjidiko. Its portion is to „echo‟ the atomic number 82 drum (kupolokozana) inwards a form of conversation. Its call comes from its rhythmic nature of „unearthing‟ – kukumba or burrowing – kukolowola; hence its alternative call of mkowolo. This drum unearths a typical Chewa trip the calorie-free fantastic beat of “chili kumunda
nchambewu” or “kali kumunda nkambewu.” It is also known every bit the miningo (inviting drum/announcing drum).
Mpanje
The basic nyau trip the calorie-free fantastic beat is punctuated past times the mpanje drum. Whereas the mjidiko and the kankumbe are non treated every bit „drums‟ (ng‟oma) every bit such, but rather every bit the, kapelegede‟ (escort or keeping company), the mpanje is the foremost recognizable „drum‟before the entry of the other „drums.‟ The mpanje rhythms alternate to provide rhythmic variations that are foundational to a item trip the calorie-free fantastic step. This is inwards contrast with the mjidiko as well as the kamkumbe static rhythms. Another request the mpanje is the mtiwiso – a tool used to press a soft surface – likely coming from its careful determination of the nyau „delicate‟ trip the calorie-free fantastic steps.
Gunda
The gunda is responsible for keeping a steady beat out precisely every bit the human foot drum inwards jazz drumming. The steady beat out is necessary for the successful surgery of the mpanje whose beat keeps changing throughout the performance. The gunda drum is often the same every bit the i used for the chimtali as well as mganda performances also known every bit thephulankhali. It is mostly a circular double-headed drum, although a „make shift‟ cylindrical drum may live used every bit the gunda. The gunda actor sits on the drum frame and beats the drum either with bare hands or with a beater (chibulilo). The best description for the gunda is „bass drum‟ (Kwilimbe, 2 July 2008)
Mbalule
The mbalule is the key drum for most gulewamkulu bi-pedal characters. It is the loudest drum whose portion is to accompany bi-pedal gulewamkulu singing. Its name comes from the Chichewa discussion „kuwalula‟ (to call aloud/to broadcast/to scream, as in uncontrolled singing). The mbalule actor screams with the drum while playing apparently discordant rhythms that tin only live appreciated past times an insider. Nevertheless, disregarding the logical progression of the song, the dancer coordinates well with the rather illogical mbalule rhythm. This drum signifies the essence of the gulewamkulu drumming. Due to its „noisy‟ as well as projected sound, the drum is also
referred to every bit the songa, important „the tip.‟
Ndewele
This is the original drum. Unlike the mbalule, this drum is used for the accompaniment of basketry (burlap) or bestial grapheme (nyau) performances. As senior dancers inwards the gulewamkulu the nyau characters are specifically accompanied past times the authoritativendewele drum. The ndewele is sometimes used inwards identify of or simultaneously with the mpanje. Because most basketry characters do non necessarily trip the calorie-free fantastic due to their
authority status, but precisely displace or jostle around (ndawala), the ndewele beat is rather „dull‟ as well as monotonous. Our research established that some Chewa areas utilization the names ndewele as well as mpanje interchangeably. The term ndewele stands for a hollow or mellow audio patch mpanje connotes „drum for elders or the large man.‟
Zambia: Kulamba Ceremony - the Chewa's Cultural Pilgrimage
BY ANDREW LUNGU,
The annual Kulamba traditional ceremony of the Chewa speaking people is precisely i of such traditional ceremonies that portray the country's rich cultural miscellany heritage.
Every lastly Sabbatum inwards the calendar month of August, the Chewa speaking people from Zambia, Republic of Malaŵi as well as Mozambique combined throng their headquarters at Mkaika palace to unity with their ancestors to commemorate their rich cultural inheritance of paying homage to Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi.
This year's Kulamba traditional ceremony takes places on August 25, at the usual venue at Mkaika on the out-skirts of the remote Katete district.
It is estimated that Kalonga Gawa Undi presides over unopen to eleven Million subjects scattered inwards the 3 countries that also formed the Zambia, Republic of Malaŵi as well as Mozambique Growth Triangle (ZMM-GT).
It is for this ground that ceremony is held.
The annual lawsuit bringing together the Chewa speaking people scattered inwards the vast part that encompasses most 137 Chewa chiefdoms inwards Malawi, 33 inwards Mozambique as well as 42 inwards Zambia.
Every year, these chiefs together with their folks defy their colonial master's artificial boundaries when the magnitude of people converge at Mkaika to celebrate their rich as well as various cultural heritage.
The " Kulamba " which is a typical Chewa dialect important "paying homage " has been cerebrated since fourth dimension inwards memorial.
During this colour-ful traditional ceremony, All Chewa subordinate chiefs inwards Zambia, Republic of Malaŵi as well as Mozambique unremarkably converge at Mkaika palace to pay their tributes to Kalonga Gawa Undi.
The ancient traditional ceremony is also an lawsuit of cheers giving to the Almighty God for the expert harvest.
Besides that, the annual lawsuit also provides a platform for the initiation ceremony of the immature girls who withdraw hold come upwardly of historic menses to showcase their dancing skills.
The adolescent girls who are popularly known every bit 'Anamwali' unremarkably trip the calorie-free fantastic exposing their eye-catching sudden bare breasts at the main arena.
The immature girls showcase their typical African waist wriggling dancing skills much to the please of the gathering.
Prior to the event, pubescent girls are confined to an exclusive identify where they spent fourth dimension existence taught skills as well as responsibilities of woman-hood.
THE CHEWA THRONE HIERACHY
Unlike the Ngoni speaking people who follow the patriarchy system, The Chewa speaking people do the matriarchy lineage system.
They strongly believe that it's only a adult woman who knows the truthful biological manful mortal parent as well as heir to the throne.
Therefore, only the sons to the sis of Paramount Kalonga could ascend to the throne inwards an lawsuit that the electrical flow Paramount Chief dies.
Nyau dancers at Malawi
The pinnacle of the royal hierarchy rests on His Royal Highness Kalonga Gawa Undi with his traditional woman parent popularly known every bit "amayi Nyangu" assuming the 2nd royal position.
According to the Chewa historians, the discussion "Kalonga" agency the i who installs subordinate chiefs patch "Gawa" is the i who gives dry ground as well as "Undi' is the i who protects the subordinate.
Unfortunately, this year's lawsuit takes identify at the fourth dimension when some Chiefs nether the Nsenga Royal Establishment withdraw hold distanced themselves from the Chewa royal hierarchy that alone rests on Kalonga Gawa Undi.
Senior Chief Leumbe of the Nsenga speaking people lastly calendar month issued a declaration alert that the Paramount Chief Kalaonga Gawa Undi non to impose his potency over the Nsenga people.
Senior Chief Luembe was unsettled with the remarks past times the Paramount Kalonga during the burial of Chief Ndake that all Nsenga chiefs fell nether Senior Chief Kalindawalo who also falls nether him.
Not until now, Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi used to preside over the installing of some Nsenga Chiefs.
It is yet to live seen whether; these brewing ethic wrangles would withdraw hold whatever negative effect on the organisation of the Kulamba traditional ceremony which also used to comprehend the Nsenga ethnic groups.
Chewa Nyau club initiate wearing feathered headdress
HISTORY OF THE CEREMONY
The ceremony has been commemorated since fourth dimension immemorial.
However, it was banned past times the colonial masters inwards 1934 who had labelled it to live barbaric or anti- Christians.
But the belatedly Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi Chivunga revived the ceremony inwards 1984.
Since as well as so the ceremony has grown to attract both local as well as unusual tourism that converge to lookout adult man the ancient ceremony that depict the indigenous cultural heritage of the Chewa speaking of the 3 countries.
In 2007,the ceremony was graced past times 3 heads of province namely the Late President Levy Mwanawasa, Mozambican President Armando Guebuza including his Malawian President the belatedly Mbingu Wa Mutharika.
The entrance of paramount main Kalonga Gawa Undi into the arena signifies the start of the ceremony.
Traditional fanatics from across the province including other Chewa's from neighboring Republic of Malaŵi as well as Mozambique are entertained to a ray of a diversity of dances.
THE NYAU DANCES
The Nyau dancers also popularly known every bit the" Gule Wamukulu "among the locals, it is the most celebrated trip the calorie-free fantastic amid the Chewa people.
The Nyau dancers are sometimes also referred to every bit "Chilombo" (animal), singular as well as "Vilombo" (animals), plural inwards the Chewa parlance.
These masked manful mortal dancers are shrouded inwards secrecy as well as believed to emanate from dead spirits. There are a lot of Nyau dances that present instance their fine art at the different ceremonies..
These Nyau dancers come upwardly inwards varieties as well as are performed during different rituals such every bit ceremonial as well as funeral gatherings.
Some of the Nyau dancers have on masks as well as are a reflection of human demeanor inwards truthful life. The people tin tell the type of Nyau entertaining them through its apparel or mask. Some Nyau dancers are frightening patch others are funny inwards appearance.
The type of the trip the calorie-free fantastic depends to a larger extent on the nature of the occasion. More than xxx different Nyau dances are performed at a unmarried festival with each dancer adorned inwards a different mask inwards an array of colors. They make from Gologolo, Kang'wing'wi as well as Makanja,.
Apart from the multiplicity of the Nyau dancers, some other masculine trip the calorie-free fantastic called "Mganda" is also performed at the annual ritual.
The colorful energetic drill trip the calorie-free fantastic is performed past times the Chewa-Tumbuka speaking from Lundazi district who also pays homage to Kalonga Gawa Undi.
The women folk also perform their ain dances such every bit the Chinamwali as well as Chimtali.
Publicity chairperson Chikuta Mbewe bragged that the ceremony that has grown to live known every bit the 3 national lawsuit has continued to attract people from the Chewa speaking people from the 3 neighboring countries who percentage a lot inwards common.
Nyau mask dancer
CLIMAX OF THE CEREMONY
The climax of the ceremony starts with the grand entry of Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi into "Zimbabwe" the main arena of the ceremony.
His royal Highness ,who is unremarkably clad inwards a white robe surrounded past times other chiefs inwards cherry-red as well as xanthous regalia are escorted into "Zimbabwe" past times a horde of Women praise singers popularly known every bit "Mbumba Za Gawa "literally important sisters of Paramount Kalonga Gawa Undi.
But earlier the jubilant entourage escorts Kalonga to his throne at "Gwalada" he makes a brief halt over into a traditionally makeshift hut called "Kasusu" within the proximity of the arena where he pays homage to his traditional woman parent "Mama Nyangu" earlier assuming his throne.
At his throne, he is surrounded past times his induna clad inwards xanthous traditional attire.
Within the precincts the "Gwalada" is an embed Lion, a symbol his authority.
Two huge elephant horns are also erected beside his royal badge signify the wealth of his throne.
After Kalonga Gawa Undi takes his royal seat inwards the "Gwalada", his subordinate chiefs withdraw turns inwards presenting the annual reports from the respective Chiefdoms.
The presentation of reports past times the traditional rulers from 3 countries is punctuated past times a diversity of dances much to the amusement of the gallant crowd.
After the representation of the annual report, each chiefdom is given fourth dimension to displayed their trip the calorie-free fantastic to His royal highness including invited dignitaries to the function.
Former Malawian Vice President Justin Mawerezi who is also the main advisor to Kalonga Gawa Undi presents the official spoken communication of paramount Kalonga Gawa Undi at the ceremony.
All roads inwards eastern province are today expected to atomic number 82 to Mkaika palace inwards the out-skirst of Katete District which is also the headquarters of the Chewa speaking people from Zambia, Republic of Malaŵi as well as Mozambique.
Nyau dancer
Paramount Chief of the Chewa people Kalonga Gawa Undi talking to President Banda during the Kulamba Kubwalo Traditional Ceremony of the Chewa People
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