Shona and Ndebele Religions
From: http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/post/zimbabwe/religion/arntsen1.html
Hilde Arntsen, Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication,
University of Oslo
In Shona and Ndebele religions, God, or the Supreme Being, is seen
as the creator and sustainer of the universe in much the same manner
as within Christianity. Shona Mwari (literally "He who is"),
or Ndebele uMlimu are both believed to be active in the everyday
lives of people, and even in politics. The more widely encompassing
realm of the religious sphere compared to Western societies, as
indicated by the central governing principle of traditional beliefs
and practices, indicate that Pat Robertson's inclusion of politics
into religious practices, or religious practices for political purposes
is by no means unknown in this area. In general, people communicate
with Mwari through the vadzimu (Shona), or amadhlozi (Ndebele).
These are the deceased ancestors. The vadzimu are believed to constitute
an invisible community within the community of the living, always
around their descendants, caring for them and participating in their
joys and sorrows (Moyo, 1988: 199). Spirit mediums communicate with
the vadzimu on behalf of the people.
In Shona religion, in addition to the guarding characteristics
of the vadzimu, there are also avenging or evil spirits, ngozi,
and witches who communicate with them. The ngozi are, briefly, the
spirits of deceased individuals who were greatly wronged, neglected
by a spouse, murdered, or otherwise neglected, and they attack through
sudden death of several members of the same family, or through ill
people who fail to respond to treatment. Bucher (1980) and others
stress the fear with which the ngozi are surrounded, in opposition
to the guarding role of the vadzimu.
Communication between the living and the dead is taken care of
by the spirit mediums who are vital parts of Shona culture and religion.
The role of the spirit mediums and their communication with and
appeasement of the ancestors were considered by many, missionaries
and colonialists in particular, to be ancestor worship. However,
the spirit mediums were instead acting as intermediaries between
Mwari/uMlimu and the living, carrying messages, prayers and thanks
from the human being to God. Where ancestors are subject to appeasement
by human beings, it is believed that God is appeased as well. It
must be noted, however, that it is not the ancestors themselves,
the vadzimu, who are worshipped, but rather God through them. In
the words of one of my sources, the sprit mediums "intercede
between you and the ancestral spirits. The ancestral spirits will
intercede who will carry it forward to God, because we also believe
in God."
African traditional religions have a strong foothold in contemporary
Zimbabwe as an integral part of the everyday lives of many Zimbabweans.
Religion, in this view, constitutes an element within culture, as
religion is seen as a way of life. The religious influence goes
beyond what can be termed religious in a narrow (or Western) sense:
it is seen to be evident in cultures, the literature, politics,
medicine and so on. In practice, Christianity is being mixed with
traditional religious beliefs and practices.
References
Moyo, A. 1988: "Religion and Political Thought in Independent
Zimbabwe", in C. Hallencreutz and A. Moyo. Church and State
in Zimbabwe. Gweru: Mambo Press, 1988.
|
