Shona witch doctor

A small group of Shona speaking migrants of the late 1800s also live in Zambia, in the Zambezi valley, in Chieftainess Chiawa's area.

The Shona were traditionally agricultural growing beans, peanuts, corn, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.

Clans

The five principal clans are:

• Karanga
• Zezuru
• Manyika
• Ndau
• Korekore

Politics

Robert Mugabe is Zezuru. The Karanga provided the bulk of the fighting forces and military leaders who fought in ZANLA in the Bush War. ZANLA was essentially Shona in composition, while the rival group ZIPRA was drawn from the Ndebele ethnic group, which is separate from, although related to, the Shona.

Language and identity

Most Zimbabweans identify themselves as either belonging to the amaNdebele or maShona ethnic group. Dialect groups are nowadays almost irrelevant because 'standard' Shona is spoken throughout Zimbabwe. Dialects only help to identify which town or village a person is from (e.g. a person claiming to be a Manyika would be from Eastern Zimbabwe, ie. towns like Mutare). The above differences in dialects developed during the dispersion of tribes across the country over a long time. The influx of immigrants, into the country from bordering countries, has obviously contributed to the variety.

The Shona people of today are a scattered group of tribes, which are made of several clans; each clan has a very strong sense of unity. In fact, most Shona people identify first with their own clans and then with the entire Shona people.

Totems

People of the same clan use a common set of totems. People of the same totem are the descendants of one common ancestor (the founder of that totem). Shona people recognize this totem unity even across tribal boundary lines. This identification by totem has very important ramifications at traditional ceremonies such as the burial ceremony.

A person with a different totem cannot initiate burial of the deceased. A person of the same totem even when coming from a different tribe, can initiate burial of the deceased. For example a Ndebele of the Mpofu totem can initiate burial of a Shona of the Mhofu totem and that is perfectly acceptable in Shona tradition. But a Shona of a different totem cannot perform the ritual functions required to initiate burial of the deceased.

If a person initiates the burial of a person of a different totem, he runs the risk of being asked to pay a fine to the family of the deceased. Such fines traditionally were paid with cattle or goats but nowadays substantial amounts of money can be asked for.

Similarly Shona chiefs are required to be able to recite the history of their totem group right from the initial founder before they can be sworn in as chiefs.

See also

• Mbira Dzevadzimu
• Shona music
• Shona language
• Bantu languages
• Zimbabwe
• Great Zimbabwe
• Gokomere

External links

• ''Nhaka yevaShona: A detailed history and culture of the Shona people of Zimbabwe'', Knowledge Chikuse, June 13, 2007.

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