O level Notes : FRS - Indigenous Religion - Rites of passage in Indigenous Religion

The word Indigenous refers to anything that is native to a particular geographical region. This includes people, cultures, languages or species of plants or animals. Indigenous Religion then can be defined as the primal, tribal or native beliefs, rituals and values that originated in and are still practised in a certain geographical region which emphasizes a holistic context in the indigenous people's way of life. A rite of passage is defined as a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, the transition from childhood to adulthood, marriage and death. It is a traditional ceremony that is carried out by a family, particular group or within a society. Rites of passage are grouped into pre and post, meaning those celebrated before and after the rituals. 

There are five major initiation rites which are fundamental to human growth and development. These rites were originally established by African ancestors while they were living in order to link the individual to the community and the community to the spiritual world. Rites of passage are a natural and essential part of a community, as are arms and legs are natural and essential extension of the human body. To be taken note of is that these rites are critical to individual and community development and should not be taken for granted that people grow automatically into responsible adults. 

Pregnancy Rites

In Indigenous Religion, a lot of rituals precede birth and immediately after birth. The rituals however vary from place to place and even within the same community. Pregnancy is the first indication that a new child is on the way. Therefore, the ritual of birth begins with the pregnancy of the mother. The birth of a child is greeted with joy in Indigenous Religion. Even the desire to have many children especially sons are a sign of pride, wealth and prestige. So when a woman is pregnant, she rejoices with her husband and the immediate family.

Necessary precautions are taken to ensure normal gestation and delivery. These precautions include both medical and spiritual attention. Sacrifice of thanks is made to the supreme God, or the family gods or ancestors. Prayers are offered for the health of the mother and her baby. The pregnant woman must observe certain taboos and regulations in order to protect her self and the child from evil. Some of these taboos include sitting on a doorstep which is believed to block the baby's 'way'. She avoids certain foods for fear that these foods would interfere with her and the child’s health and safety or could cause misfortune for either of them after birth. 

Among the Shona, the Ndebele and the Venda people, the expectant mother is forbidden to eat fat, beans and meat of animals killed with poisoned arrows during the last three months of pregnancy. However, she may eat a special kind of earth found on anthill. A pregnant woman or the husband, or the parents or relatives from time to time consult indigenous doctors to know if there are obstacles on the way of the expectant mother.  

Birth Rites

The rite of birth is one of the major initiation rites. Two months before the baby is born, (in the case of first pregnancies) the expecting mother is taken to her home where she is expected to give birth. This practice is however practiced by a few societies. The process is called Masungiro or Kusungira or yikucola in Shona and Ndebele respectively. The process is done ceremonially and people gather while the ritual takes place. The husband accompanies the wife with a goat and he is the one who will slaughter and some parts of the meat are prepared for the ritual and presented to the parents of the wife. After the ritual, the wife is left with her parents. This is done because it is believed that the first pregnancy is delicate and there is need for strict supervision and monitoring by the mother. The expecting woman is given herbs to prepare the way for the coming baby. Practices connected with the actual birth vary considerably throughout the country. 

In some other parts of Zimbabwe, birth generally takes place in the house of the expectant mother or in the house of her parents. In few cases, it takes place in a special house constructed for the purpose, either inside or outside the village. In most areas, some elderly women act as midwives, though this is generally done by native or local specialists. As a rule, men and people in a state of impurity such as menstruation are forbidden to be present in the house where delivery is taking place. 

The reason for this is that the child would be ashamed to be born. Among the Shona and the Ndebele, if the birth is taking long, it may be ascribed to various causes. Sin on the part of the woman, adultery or theft are common accusations of a delayed birth. If the mother confesses, the child may now be born. Witchcraft or sorcery may be looked upon as the causes of prolonged labour resulting in still birth. 

After the baby is born many well-wishers always visit the home of the child's parents to greet them and in most cases present gifts. The woman is treated specially for a period of 3 months. She has to confine herself in her home for these three months. This confinement is necessary to enable the nursing mother to take proper care of the baby. Another reason is that some elderly women are not allowed to see the new baby until after three months. The nursing mother is not allowed to cook during the 3 months. She has to be served. She is given special food, in most cases pounded food. It should be noted that this tradition is no longer strictly observed as a result of the Western way of life.

The child naming rites

Nearly all African names have a meaning. The naming of children is therefore an important occasion which is often marked by ceremonies in many societies. Some names mark the occasion of the child's birth. For example, if the birth occurs during the rainy season, the child would be given a name which means “Rain” or water; if the mother is on a journey at the time, the child might be called Chenzira (born when the mother was on a journey). A naming ceremony takes place a few days after the birth. The parents of the child invite friends, relatives and well- wishers to the ceremony. The child receives a personal name which marks its ritual entry into the family. Prayers are offered and libations poured on the ground for the ancestors or Mother Earth. Visitors and guests bring presents to the parent's child. Some names describe the personality of the individual or his character, or some key events in his or her life. In Zimbabwe, among the Shona and Ndebele, there is no special ceremony for naming their children. This is done by the father a few days after birth. Names given to children in Indigenous Religion have meaning and some are associated with future events and experiences. 

Few days after the baby is born, the umbilical cord (rukuvhute in Shona) and (yinkaba yomtwana in Ndebele) is cut. It is a belief among the Shona and the Ndebele that the umbilical cord cannot be thrown away, but it is buried in a defined place. Among the Ndebele, the umbilical cord and the placenta are buried right under the floor of the hut where the child was born. This concept is so crucial among the Shona, the Ndebele and the Kalanga because they believe that the umbilical cord connects the person with his or her ancestors and the community at large. This is also the reason why if a Shona dies in a foreign land or in a town, he or she is transported back home where his or her umbilical cord is.

Childhood

The baby is not technically a human being with a soul until he or she loses the first teeth. When that happens, the baby and the mother enter into a new status. The mother will be called amai in Shona and umama in Ndebele and the child become mwana or mucheche in Shona,umtwana in Ndebele and nwana in Venda. The socialisation process commences which will then make the child a responsible and worthy member of the society.

Puberty and initiation rites

The rites of birth and childhood introduce the child to the corporate community, but this is only the introduction. The child is passive and has still a long way to go. He or she must grow out of childhood and enter into adulthood physically, socially and religiously. This is also a change from passive to active membership in the community. Long back in Zimbabwe, the Shona, Ndebele, Ndau and Venda people used to have rites and ceremonies to mark this great change, but nowadays with changes in technology, it is now rare to see any community observing initiation and puberty rites.

The youths were ritually introduced to the art of communal living. The significance of the rites was to introduce the candidates to adult life. In the community they are allowed to share in the full privileges and duties. They enter into the state of responsibility, they inherit new rights and new obligations are expected of them by society.

The initiation rites also prepare young people in matters of sexual life, marriage and procreation and family responsibilities. Modern life and ways of life have trimmed down other customs to minimum, often the performance of circumcision is the sole remaining rites. In most parts of the country, initiation rites, children go through the first stage of initiation rites when they are at a young age. The ceremony takes place in the months of August to October, when it is dry and relatively cool.

The date of the ceremony is usually announced when the day is approaching. All the candidates are gathered together by their parents at home where the ceremony is to take place. Specialist men circumcise the boys; and a special knife is used. During the ceremony, men gather round to watch the boys. The operation is painful, but the children are encouraged to endure it without crying or shouting, and those who managed to go through it bravely are highly praised by the community. Afterwards, there is public rejoicing with dancing, singing, eating, drinking, making libation and food offerings to the living-dead. The circumcision rite symbolizes separation from childhood. The dancing and rejoicing strengthen community solidarity.

It is after this initiation that young people are allowed to join in public dances. Making of offerings and libation to the living-dead emphasizes and renews the link between human beings and the departed. Nowadays owing to modern ways of life, many areas in Zimbabwe do not celebrate circumcision rites. The Venda, Remba or VaRemba and Xangani people are the only indigenous groups which circumcise their boys.

Circumcision was done on mountains, forests or any secluded area. The main initiation boys undergo is called murundu in Venda where boys between the ages of 10 and 20 are circumcised and taught proper behaviour. Today, circumcision is practised by whoever wishes to be, it is no-longer restricted to the indigenous groups cited above only, for example, among the Venda the culture of murundu is dying since most parents prefer their sons circumcised at the hospital or clinic. However, more than 90% vaVenda boys and men are circumcised. The practice is now also done in hospitals and the concept of going out to mountains is fading. In most cases it is done individually with little or no ceremony.

Puberty rites have also suffered the effects of modern changes. Previously among the Shona, the Ndebele, the Nambya, the Ndau and the Venda, ladies of marriageable age would go for 3 months' seclusion. They wear beads round their necks and waists. The end of the 3 months is marked by feasting and dancing. Girls are free to marry after this ceremony. As said earlier, changes are rapidly taking place in Zimbabwe. This is partly because children at that age are going to school and partly because Christian missionaries have attacked and discouraged the practices.

Courtship

There is no uniformity concerning the issue of courtship among the different groups in Zimbabwe. In some cases, a young man desiring a wife would approach the uncle of the girl and this uncle will go to the father on his behalf. Among the Ndau, Korekore and the Ndebele, the young man takes initiative by approaching the girl he wants. He makes known his intentions and if the girl agrees, the young man then offers a token to the girl. If the girl accepts, she will tell the mother who will in turn tell her husband. From there, negotiations of lobola or roora are done. However, due to modernity some girls and boys are no-longer following the procedure, they stay together without the consent of the parents.

Many societies now use elopement as a 'faster' way of getting married. To be taken note of is the fact that there are various ways used by people to get married in Zimbabwe. Among  the  ways  are  elopement  or  kutiza  mukumbo  in  Shona, ukubalekiswa in Ndebele which is the widely practiced way or getting married among the Ndau, Nambiya and the Ndebele. In the ancient days people used to get married with musengabere whereby the man identified a girl he liked and studied their movement whilist they where not aware. After stalking the girl for several times the man would pick up the girl and run with her as fast as he could and then later inform the parents of the girl that he would want to marry her. The girl will be told to accept and roora between the two proceeds.

Some people with dignity prefer the process of following all the procedures through a marriage process and pay dowry before staying with the woman. This process in Shona is called kukumbira, bigilidza in Kalanga and ukucela ubuhlobo in Ndebele. Among the Venda, the Domba or the Venda Snake Dance is a Venda pre-marital initiation ceremony where young maidens have to line up along a river and dance like symbolizing the last day in the life of a Venda girl.

Marriage rites

The paying of bride wealth (Lobola)

Marriage is a complex affair. For African people in general and in Zimbabwe in particular, marriage is the focus of existence. Marriage is a duty, a requirement from the corporate society. Failure to get married under normal circumstances means that the person has rejected society and society rejects him or her in return. Marriage and procreation in African communities are a unity; without procreation, marriage is incomplete.

Biologically, both husband and wife are reproduced in their children, thus perpetuating the chain of humanity. In many African societies it is believed that the living-dead are reincarnated in part so that aspects of their personalities or physical characteristics are reborn in their descendants. Everybody therefore must get married and bear children; that is the greatest hope and expectation of the individual for himself and the community for the individual. An unmarried person is regarded as an irresponsible person in the society.

Marriage in Zimbabwe is a social affair. It involves the families of the bride and bridegroom. However, there is a slight difference in how the marriage rites are performed among the Shona, Kalanga, Nambya and the Ndebele among others.

There must be understanding between the two families. Different customs are observed in the matter of finding partners for marriage. In some societies the choice is made by the parents. Like any other custom, marriage is also affected by modernity. Boys and girls could come together even without the consent of their parents. Once the couple have agreed to marry, the parents of both automatically give their approval.

Death rites

A burial ceremony

In Zimbabwean societies, death is not taken lightly; it is believed that death is caused by someone. It is not easily accepted that a person can die without the hand of the enemy. Death of a person is surrounded with suspicions and the living will go to an extent of wanting to know who caused the death. Funeral constituted one of the important rites of passage in life. The African thought regarding death is that it marks a transition from this earthly life to the world of the spirits or ancestors. The rituals surrounding death are complex and vary from place to place. After death the corpse is washed and then dressed in the best clothes.

However, some indigenous groups do not dress the corpse. Usually a befitting coffin is bought especially for persons who are either advanced in age or wealthy. If a small child dies, no coffin is bought and there is little or no ceremony. In that understanding, the Shona (rufu), the Venda (lufu), the Ndau (rufu) and the Ndebele (imfa), people believe that death do not put an end to life; it is only perceived as a transition from one existence to the other. Although the dead are in the unseen world, they still continue to be part of the living community. This belief and understanding explains some of the funeral rites performed for the dead.

Burial

Among the Shona, the Ndau, the Kalanga, the Korekore and the Ndebele, after the person is reported dead what follows is burial. Many objects such as a piece of cloth and rings among others are placed in the coffin so that the dead could make use of these in the other world. A proper funeral is organized for the departed so that his or her spirit may be contended in the world beyond and will not return as a ghost to trouble the family. As soon as the person dies, relatives wash and dress the corpse and a grave is dug. Before the interment, it is customary for the Ndau, the Shona, the Korekore and the Ndebele to find out the cause for the death. How this is done is not understood to the ordinary mind.

At the interment various objects are put in the grave. These are meant for the use by the deceased on his journey to the world beyond. When the body is placed in the grave, prayers may be made asking the deceased's spirit to give blessings to the family. The dead will be wished so many good things. For example, if he was a poor man before his death, he will be instructed to bring riches when the corpse reincarnates. On the other hand, if the deceased was killed by witches or wizards, he will be instructed by the relatives to revenge and to appear in dreams, then the complete rite is hastened. If a married man dies, his widow will be in mourning mood for some months.

However, with modernity, things are changing. Widows are now taking a short period to mourn than the period expected of them. Some of them are even getting married within the mourning period.

Kurova guva or umbuyiso (Bringing back ceremony)

There are rituals which follow after the person is buried. Rituals are fundamental in the lives of Africans and the dead person is referred to as the 'living dead' because it is believed that after death the person starts a new life in the world of the ancestors. One to three months after burial, a ceremony called 'washing the hoes' or mharadzo in Shona is done. This is done so that the survivors 'wash' the tools like hoes and shovels which were used during the burial. Administering of medicine to the children of the deceased is done for protection.

A year or two after the burial of the person, kurova guva or umbuyiso rituals are done to bring back the spirit of the dead back home. This ritual frees the relatives of the deceased from mourning. Either the wife or husband left is allowed to move on with life. An ox is killed and celebration is done as it is believed that after the ceremony, the spirit of the dead will watch over and protect the family. This festive occasion marks the end of all restrictions death had imposed on the survivors and releases the remaining widow or widower to remarry. Property is distributed among the survivors.