Madimikira| 28 idioms from the 1968 novel ‘Tambaoga Mwanangu’

After reading China manenji hachifambisi I wrote on idioms (madimikira) that the writer, Mordikai A. Hamutyinei, used in the story. I decided to do the same while reading Tambaoga mwanangu. Tambaoga mwanangu is a Shona novel written by Giles Kuimba, and was first published in 1968. Set in ancient times, it is a story about … Read more

Polygamy in traditional Shona society, as told in ‘Tambaoga Mwanangu’

A polygamous family I’ve just started reading ‘Tambaoga Mwanangu.’ This is a story about how an eighteen year old boy, Tambaoga, went about trying to solve the mystery of the murder of his father VaMupakaviri, the king. I haven’t gotten to the end, but I’m sure he succeeded. Tambaoga came from a polygamous family. The … Read more

The Tembo-Shumba Samaita clan

1. Their totem changed from tembo to shumba Tembo-Shumba (‘Zebra-Lion’) is the totem of the present day Mutasa people. The Mutasa people were not always known as such. The dynasty’s totem was changed from tembo to shumba, and the dynasty’s title was changed from Chikanga to Mutasa. In ancient times, rulership was passed down a family, forming a … Read more