Today most Zambians, including the Bemba, wear modern dress. The king of Kola, Mukulumpe, married a woman who belonged to the Crocodile Clan (Abena Ngandu) and had ears like an elephant. Television broadcasts are available for viewing in Zambia, but few people in rural areas can afford to buy a television set. Honey, insects such as caterpillars and grasshoppers, fruits, and wild plants are collected throughout the year. These inequalities can be traced to pre-colonial indigenous traditions, the colonial and post-independence eras. There is never a question for these matriarchal peoples, of a "bride price" reckoned in cattle, as practised by patriarchal African peoples." Religious Practitioners. Hinfelaar, Hugo F. Bemba-Speaking Women of Zambia: A Century of Religious Change, 18921992. Nevertheless, many people in Zambia in general, and among the Bemba in particular, believe that initiation ceremonies are part of their cultural and moral heritage and that such initiation ceremonies should continue, or even be incorporated into the school curriculum. Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cultures. However, the traditional basis of domestic cooperation through female relativesmother and daughter or sistersand ties between mother and children are still strong. HISTORICALLY, initiation ceremonies that entail the rites of passage of girls into womanhood were largely associated with marriage. Some of these ancestral spirits (mipashi ) are considered benign; others, called fiwa, are more dangerous. Kaunda had been barred from running in these elections and his United National Independence Party (UNIP) boycotted them; the elections were also deemed neither fair nor free by non-governmental organizations and international observers. But the Bemba vary their diet by hunting small game, fishing, and gathering wild fruits. Subsistence agriculture makes an important contribution to livelihood since employment levels are low and wages and pensions are below the subsistence level. Before the decline of the copper mines in the 1980s, most income was derived from urban remittances. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. All clans have joking opposites. Biblical stories and proverbs are popular. Its considered to be only through her connection with the earth that he also becomes a part of it and bears the name of the land as his official title, which gives the chiefs wife a central position, reflected in a folk saying about village chiefs and other authorities: "The Queen is King!". Bonn, 1999. Disease is a major problem for Bemba society. The first recorded contact between Portuguese traders and Bemba chiefs took place in 1831, when another expedition to Mwata Kazembe under A. C. P. Garnitto encountered Bemba chiefs expanding to the south. This is regarded as connecting women to the earth as both produce life and nourishment. Under Mwanawasa's leadership, Chiluba was arrested and charged with several counts of embezzlement and corruption, crimes he was said to have committed during his tenure in office as president of Zambia. (A ritual thats also appears among a lot of other matriarchal peoples around the world and for example not at least the Aino people in Japan! Traditionally, marriage payments in the form of goods from the groom's family to the bride's family were small and insignificant. Bemba support for UNIP declined after the brutal repression of the popular Lumpa Church and the perception that the one-party regime discriminated against the Bemba and favored easterners. As in matriarchal societies in Africa and everywhere else, the paramount also in Bemba religion is the worship of the ancestors; and especially so the First Grandmother; the ancestress who began the clan or lineage and founded the original clan village, together with her brothers, as long as her memory is kept alive. Most of the languages belong to the Bantu language family. The University of Zambia has a capacity of about 4,000 students, and admission into the university is highly competitive. The absence of men in rural areas has caused problems in food production, the economic standing of women and children, marriage, and family life. The name Bemba comes directly from this chief's last name. Karpfinger, Beth. Originally published in English in 1960. As the population has increased, the system is beginning to break down and vegetation is chopped down before it has fully regenerated. The Bemba are known for a shifting form of agriculture termed chitemene, in which the branches of trees are cut and burned to supply the nutrients needed to cultivate millet and maize. (The Bemba citimukulu may be seen as conforming to James G. Frazer's model of a "divine king.") The legend probably refers to a migration of Luba or Lunda chiefs that occurred before 1700. After a quarrel, the White people sailed away to get rich in Europe. . Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. Precolonial prophets such as Bwembya claimed to derive their prophecies from the ancestral spirits of kings. ETHNONYMS: Lunda, Southern Lunda It is estimated that of the 11.3 million people in Zambia, 32% (or 3,600,000 people) are Bemba or Bemba-speaking, 18% (2,034,000) are Maravi, 15% (1,695,000) are Tonga, 8% (904,000) are Barotze, and the remainder are ethnic groups such as the Mambwe, Tumbuka, and Northwestern peoples. Rites representing the duties of the girl as cook, gardener, hostess, and mother are carried out. Since the Bemba are a matrilineal society (with descent through the mother), large payments in money or goods by the bride's family are not required at the time of marriage. The name translates to "ceremony of the Mize" which is the name of the headquarters of the Luvale and is . . guides you could enjoy now is chisungu a girls initiation ceremony among the bemba of zambia below. Ethnographic Survey of Africa: East Central Africa: Part 2. Most clans have a partner clan whose members they can marry. Shaking hands is the normal way of greeting, particularly among members of the same age set. Close kinship terms are subject to declension, for example, mayo (my mother), noko (thy mother), nyina (her mother). get the chisungu a initiation ceremony among the bemba of zambia colleague that we allow here . (October 27, 2022). Chiefs and headmen are not instrumental in the perpetuation of social norms. On this day every year, celebrations are arranged in major cities and throughout the country. In Bemba subsistence society women do the weeding, sowing, and harvesting. Once they were well established in their present habitat, the Bemba organized themselves into an expansive but loosely united state under a paramount chief, known as Chitimukulu (the Great Tree), and subchiefs belonging to the royal Crocodile clan. Encyclopedia of Religion. During the ceremony, the Chitimukulu (Chief) is carried on a throne made of a paper mache crocodile. Another source: Photo by Jessica Hilltout. The cutting of the trees is solely a man's job; the women and children collect the chopped branches and pile them into heaps which are then burnt. Maize and cassava are exported to urban areas. Identification. Commercial Activities. Their leader determined when the bakabilo should strangle the paramount chief. It is estimated that 16.5% of Zambia's population is HIV positive. In urban areas President Chiluba is considered a Bemba even though he comes from Luapula Province and is not a member of the core Bemba group. Maxwell, Kevin B. Bemba: Myth and Ritual: The Impact of Literacy on an Oral Culture. It is estimated that of the eight and one half million people in Zambia, 36 percent (or 3.1 million) are Bemba or speak the Bemba language. In contrast to uncultivated land, there is a strong sense of individual ownership of cultivated fields and produce. To the most important of these chiefdoms the citimukulu appoints his nearest relatives. However, as soon as girls reach puberty, sexual contacts with men are prohibited until marriage. Musicians, especially guitarists and singers, perform in village bars and churches. The Bemba and related groups live in the northeastern high plateau of Zambia. Like other matrilineal clans in Africa, they dont live in clanhouses but in huts arranged together inside a so called "kraal", in an aggregation of huts wich according to Gttner- Abenmdroth reflects a matriarchal social trsadition. "Bemba Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html, PRONUNCIATION: BEM-bahLOCATION: Northeastern ZambiaPOPULATION: 3,600,000 Bemba or Bemba-speakingLANGUAGE: Bemba; EnglishRELIGION: Protestantism; traditional beliefs; Roman Catholicism; African Christianity; IslamRELATED ARTICLES: Vol. In addition, the relationships between sisters in a maternal village are so deeply intertwined with each other and with their duties, that they refuse to follow their husbands to their villages even if the husbands wish it, Not infrequently, the marriage breaks up over these obstacles, and if that happens the woman takes a new husband." Witchcraft purification and detection are still performed by witchfinders (abashinganga), often on behalf of traditional chiefs and councilors. The Bemba recreate their migration to Zambia in the annual Ukusefya Pa Ngwena traditional festival that takes place in Mungwi District. There are many partial and varying oral renditions to this myth. New York, 1984. The name for God is Lesa, although the etymology of the term is unclear. Southern African Development Community. A village headman who is appointed by village elders or by the chief runs each village and mediates conflicts and access to land. The skin of a newly sacrificed bull was wrapped around the body, followed by a special cloth. London: Oxford University Press. When a pregnant woman feels the child moving in her womb, she knows that the mupashi of an ancestor has entered her body. During colonialism chiefs collaborated closely with the colonial officials based at the Boma. A paramount chief, or citimukulu (a title associated with Mukulumpe's sons), ruled the Bemba with the assistance of local chiefs, also of the royal clan, whom he appointed to govern the various districts under Bemba control. They converted many of the peoples of Zambia, including the Bemba, to Christianity. (page 370). Whiteley, Wilfred (1950). Even as late as the 20th century these marriages were considered the ideal unions and 50% of the Bemba still practice this." A tarmac road called the Great North Road runs from the Copperbelt through the plateau region and splits into two roads leading to the Lake Tanganyika port of Mpulungu and the border of Tanzania, respectively. Although the area is well watered, the soils are generally poor and are covered by bush, scrub, and low trees typical of an African savannah environment. 4 reviews While there have been a number of descriptions and interpretations of boys' initiation rituals, Audrey Richards's classic study of initiation rites among the Bemba remains one of the few studies to deal in detail with the initiation of girls into adult life. They live matrilocally in the mothers extended family, which functions as an economic unit. A. H. Muenya's "The Burial of Chitimukulu Mubanga," African Affairs 46 (1947): 101104, offers an eyewitness account of the burial of a recent citimukulu. . Zambia was colonized (occupied and ruled) by the British in the early 1890s. Ceremonies. The London Missionary Society and the Catholic White Fathers established mission stations on the border of the Bemba polity. Identification. For example, the Lumpa Church, founded by the prophetess Alice Lenshina, spread across Bemba country in the 1950s and was repressed by government in the 1960s. Encyclopedia.com. As the main crops they grew millet, potatoes, beans, and small amounts of other vegetables. . Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Most Bemba are Christians. Copperbelt Province 3. Chicago: Children's Press, 1994. Today most households are characterized by a limited cash flow to cover basic needs. It is a form of social security for those having less access to wealth. For the Bemba, however, Lesa was never a person. During her first menstruation, a girl undergoes an individual purification rite designed to "bring her to the hearth" or "show her the fire," because it is believed that her condition has made her "cold." Abstract This is a descriptive and interpretive account of the CHISUNGU or girls' initiation ceremony among the Bemba of Northern Rhodesia. Western Province References [ edit] ^ "Traditional Ceremonies in Zambia". Published 25 June 1982. Because of the presence of the tsetse fly, large animals such as cattle and goats are not kept. A Subsistence Society Under Pressure: The Bemba of Northern Zambia. In Africa vol. Central Province 2. Arts. By retreating later into the Centrtal African rainforest many Bantu peoples retained the ancient ways.". With the increasing importance of money and goods, payments are becoming of more importance and labor service by the son-in-law is increasingly rare. Marriages can be carried out either under modern statutory law patterned along the British system, or under Bemba customary law. Joking between the Bemba, who are known as baboons (kolwe) for their reputation for eating baboons, and the Ngoni, who are known as rats (kwindi), is an element of social life and a way of overcoming old rivalries, especially in urban areas where Ngoni and Bemba live together. In addition to playing a prominent role in the succession ceremonies of the new chief, the shinwalule performed a variety of rituals associated with rain and the fertility of the land. Normally the girl is already betrothed; the ritual is designed to protect the couple from the dangers associated with their first act of sexual intercourse and to establish the rights of the future husband to engage in sexual relations. On their way to the burial site, the bakabilo sacrificed all the chickens and goats that they encountered. To die in all three languages is kufwa, and a child in all three languages is mwana. Hinfelaar, Hugo F. (1994). Coffee estates in the highlands export high-quality beans. to the next. Due to the poor condition of the soils, the field is abandoned after a few years and new gardens are opened. Zambia Traditional Tribal Ceremonies 2009 Highlights The Ncwala ceremony of the Ngoni people takes place on 28 th February 2009 Kuomboka Ceremony of the Lozi People of Western Province will this year take place between 25 th March - 10 th April 2009 - actual date yet to be announced . In trading centers throughout the Bemba region, beer pubs are a common part of the landscape, where people gather to drink both traditional and bottled beer. For example, the Lumpa Church, founded by the prophetess Alice Lenshina, spread across Bemba country in the 1950s and was repressed by government in the 1960s. After the death of the citimukulu, the bakabilo removed the ritual objects associated with the office and took them to a neighboring village for safekeeping until the succession ceremony took place. Flour from this basket is used in several Bemba religious ceremonies. Subsistence agriculture makes an important contribution to livelihood since employment levels are low and wages and pensions are below the subsistence level. Underpinned by painstaking research carried out by Richards among the Bemba people in northern Zambia in the 1930s, Chisungu focuses on the initiation ceremonies for young Bemba girls. (Audrey Isabel). Bemba and Related Peoples of Northern Rhodesia, 1-32, 70-76. As a result of the traditionally low population density and shifting agricultural practices, uncultivated land or bush (mpanga) had little intrinsic value and was not strongly associated with individual ownership. One of the worst things that could happen to a girl is to bear a child before she has been initiated. They share a similar vocabulary, but for the most part they are not mutually comprehensible (a speaker of one cannot understand another). It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. 1: Chewa; Tonga; Zambians. During the colonial era the introduction of the labor migration economy where men were allowed to migrate to mining and large scale plantation agricultural areas left women and old people in rural villages in charge of subsistence agriculture. After colonialism, raiding and local conflict ceased, and political stability in Zambia has contributed to a long era of peace. Gordon, David "Bemba Dogs are usually kept not as pets but for hunting purposes, particularly for small game such as bush pig and duiker (a small antelope). She had three sonsKatongo, Chiti, and Nkoleand a daughter, Chilufya. Quite the contrary do the Bemba people as well as further Central African cultures in common live in an erotic-ecstatic world in which sexual symbolisms penetrate everything. Based on fieldwork conducted at a time when the discipline was dominated by male anthropologists, Chisungu: A Girl's Initiation Ceremony Among the Bemba of Zambia is widely hailed as a classic of anthropology and African and gender studies. ." Didactic songs, including those associated with the girls' ichisungu ceremony, provide guidance for responsibilities toward husband, children, and family. The population density is low. Zambia. Smith, Edwin . The official traditional ceremony is Likumbi Lya Mize, and is one of the most popular traditional festivals in Zambia. The hereditary burier of the citimukulu, who was in charge of the royal burial ground, was known as shinwalule ("lord of the burial ground"). Cassava is poor in nutrients but is easy to grow and can stay underground for a number of years before it is harvested. The chiefs manipulated Bemba religion to enhance their own power. You have remained in right site to start getting this info. This prevent them from accumulate goods, and unlike patriarchal peoples the Bemba have no accumulated wealth, no land or clan house to inherit. Ceremonies. The Bemba word for young woman bakashana also means one who dances. Zambia has been relatively stable during the post-independence era, and inter-ethnic fighting has not been a major problem. Like many peoples of Africa, the Bemba have a rich cultural heritage that is transmitted by word of mouth from one generation The cause of death is believed to be a curse or bewitchment by a jealous friend or family member. The political and Christian establishments in Zambia have condemned homosexuality as unbiblical and against human nature and pointed out that this abnormality has no right to exist in society or ask for support from the government. Her detailed description of the elements of the ritual, and her analysis of it in terms of the culture of matrilineal society, have made this a classic ethnographic and theoretical text. Fighting between ethnic groups has not been a major problem. Rituals are performed to seek assistance from the ancestors and to ensure that their considerable influence over the lives of the living becomes a force for good. (p.371), "So the Bembas social arrangements really consists of a linked network of clans. . [Online] Available http://www.wtgonline.com/country/zm/gen.html, 1998. The Ndembu constitute the southern arm of the ancient empire of the Lunda in the, Voodoo Most girls grow up in Christian families and attend modern schools, which has become a new rite of passage. London: International African Institute. Although rare, these rituals are still performed in certain areas. Thus, wage employment in urban centers is regarded as suitable for men. Conflict between Bemba chiefs and between the Bemba and the Ngoni was frequent. Acces PDF Chisungu A Girls Initiation Ceremony Among The Bemba Of Zambia Chisungu A Girls Initiation Ceremony Among The Bemba Of Zambia The force of hunger in shaping human character and social structure has been largely overlooked. Chiefs and clan elders prayed and offered sacrifices to the spirits at shrines, which were miniature huts housing relics or natural sites such as waterfalls and springs. Village children make their own toys such as cars made from dry cornstalks, scrap materials, and discarded wires as well as other innovative playthings. (October 27, 2022). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life, Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Ewe He also belongs to an exogamous, matrilineal sib (mukoa ), which is important for certain hereditary offices. The citimukulu is assisted by a council consisting of thirty to forty hereditary officials (the bakabilo ), many of royal descent, and each responsible for some special ritual duty kept secret from the ordinary members of the society. This rite of adolescence is intended to teach girls the traditional roles women. Precolonial religious beliefs revolved around the worship of ancestral spirits (imipashi) and nature spirits (ngulu). While there have been a number of descriptions and interpretations of boys' initiation rituals, Audrey Richards' classic study of initiation rites among the Bemba remains one of the few studies to deal in detail with the initiation of girls into adult life. By examining specific rituals from various theoretical viewpoints, they reveal the ultimate and contradictory values to which each society as a whole is attached. the initiation rite is used as a space to construct the health and wellbeing of Bemba married women (Kaunda 2011:29). Social Organization. The major national holiday in Zambia is Independence Day on October 24. LOCATION: Uganda Snakes are thought to be the ones who bring life during pregnancy, and according to Bemba belief little snakes of energy live in all the organs of the body and especially so in the sexual ones. The results of the research is that a . This is an idealized version of Bemba kinship relations that might have existed in the past, yet even this seems unclear. To shed more light on this we will outline another example from this cultural region: On this Website you can get more information about the Bemba social, economical and religious life and history. Kinship Terminology They practice shifting cultivation, growing finger millet (Eleusine corocana ), which is the staple crop in the eastern part of the area, including among the Bemba, and manioc among the western groups. Male activities in rural areas are fewer than female, more spaced out and less repetitive.
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