The forgotten but interesting Shona housewarming ceremony
Some time ago, a reader reached out with a thoughtful question. Her family had lived in Zimbabwe years ago, and now that her children are … Read more
Lifestyle & Social Issues
5 interesting discoveries from 1,000+ Zimbabweans on their mutupo
Key Takeaways Let me pour my heart out a little here. Back in July 2024, I seriously considered giving up on ZimbOriginal. I had ideas … Read more
An interesting look at Shona names
I attended a kurova guva ceremony just this past month. A mbira crew had been hired to play, and the drummer’s surname was Mangoma. He … Read more
A Shona legend| The Hera chief and a cave
A legend is a traditional story that is believed to be true. Some legends on the origins of the Shona people detail how large societies … 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 … Read more
4 stories on ‘mutupo’ and modern society
1. A breakdown in the transmission of cultural knowledge My grandmother is over a hundred years old. Now too old to live alone, she lives … Read more
The Tembo-Shumba Samaita clan
1. Why Tembo-Shumba? I have come across a number of differing accounts on this clan. In one of them, it is stated that Tembo-Shumba (‘Zebra-Lion’) is … Read more
Goats and the masungiro ritual
Livestock as a form of wealth Sheila buys a goat In 2002 Sheila completed her O’ levels and moved from her rural home to the … Read more
Kudhonza (female genital practice)| When women go to great lengths
A young girl’s story While attending boarding school back in 1989 at a respectable church run institution located outside Harare, Ndaizivei (not real name) was … Read more
Ukama| 5 rules to understand Shona family vocabulary
The Shona trace a person’s descent through the paternal line In Shona society, a person’s descent is traced through the paternal line. This means both … Read more