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
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 with my mother. I pay her a visit one Sunday afternoon. We spread a reed mat (rukukwe) outside the house and sit while watching two toddlers as they play. I … Read more
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
This post was last updated on 16 February 2023. Mutupo, chidao and detembo redzinza The mutupo system is an important source of ancestral and family history in Zimbabwe. The Shona are a cultural group native to Zimbabwe that became divided into a number of clans. The clans are represented by the various totems. Today totems, … Read more