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Family

Here are 5 things that make Shona funerals unique

October 29, 2025October 23, 2025 by ZimbOriginal

Mourning or mining? Not so long ago, I attended a rufu (funeral) in an area known for its rich gold deposits, which has made it … Read more

Categories Family, Lifestyle & Social Issues Leave a comment

The forgotten but interesting Shona housewarming ceremony

October 16, 2025October 9, 2025 by ZimbOriginal

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

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5 interesting discoveries from 1,000+ Zimbabweans on their mutupo

October 11, 2025September 25, 2025 by ZimbOriginal

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

Categories Family, Lifestyle & Social Issues Leave a comment

An interesting look at Shona names

September 28, 2025September 4, 2025 by ZimbOriginal

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

Categories Family, Lifestyle & Social Issues 2 Comments

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

June 13, 2025October 31, 2022 by ZimbOriginal

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

Categories Family, Lifestyle & Social Issues 8 Comments

4 mutupo stories that will touch your heart

October 11, 2025June 25, 2022 by ZimbOriginal

Key Takeaways 1. Losing our stories My grandmother is over a hundred years old. Now too old to live alone, she lives with my mother. … Read more

Categories Family, Lifestyle & Social Issues 4 Comments

The Tembo-Shumba Samaita clan

January 30, 2025February 14, 2021 by ZimbOriginal

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

Categories Family, Lifestyle & Social Issues 45 Comments

Mutupo| 6 interesting things you should know about Shona totems, praise names and poetry

March 21, 2025May 19, 2019 by ZimbOriginal

This post was last updated on 11 April 2024. Mutupo, chidao and detembo redzinza The mutupo system is an important source of ancestral and family … Read more

Categories Family, Lifestyle & Social Issues Tags mitupo, totems, zvidawo 62 Comments

Recent Posts

  • An interesting look at what future historians might think about us
  • Here are 5 things that make Shona funerals unique
  • Things you’ll never hear about Shona – and they’ll surprise you!
  • The forgotten but interesting Shona housewarming ceremony
  • 10 interesting pairs of tsumo that will confuse you — and how to make sense of them

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Recent Stories

  • An interesting look at what future historians might think about us October 30, 2025
  • Here are 5 things that make Shona funerals unique October 23, 2025
  • Things you’ll never hear about Shona – and they’ll surprise you! October 16, 2025
  • The forgotten but interesting Shona housewarming ceremony October 9, 2025
  • 10 interesting pairs of tsumo that will confuse you — and how to make sense of them October 2, 2025

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