FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

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umboni kwa atsikana ena kuti nawonso afune kubwera kwa Yesu ndi ku mpingo wake. The instructresses need to emphasize to the initiate that going through this Christian chinamwali establishes her identity as a Chewa girl, and as a Christian. Her changed behaviour should be a testimony to her friends so that they will also desire to come to Jesus, join his church, and go through the Christian chinamwali. Potsiriza peni-peni apempherere namwali kuti Mulungu amuteteze ndi kumuthandiza adzisunge mpaka akalowe m'banja. Wopemphera amusanjike manja namwaliyo pomupempherera. Kudya ndi kumwa onse pamodzi ndi kubalalikana zitseke zonse. Alangizi ndi aphungu amuperekeze namwaliyo kwawo atafundira nsalu kumutu nthawi yakummawa komweko. Nyimbo yake: At the end the initiate should be prayed for so that God protects her and helps her to remain pure until marriage. The one praying should lay hands on the initiate. Eating and drinking together should end the ceremony after which people can disperse. The instructresses and tutors should escort the girl home while singing: 18. Mtetezi wanga Yesu Mtetezi wanga My protector is Jesus My protector Wotsogolera nyimbo adzisintha mawu ndikuikira wena monga 'momboli wanga,' 'mchiritsi wanga,' 'mbuye wanga,' chomwecho akuyenda. Akalandiridwa kunyumba, alangizi apemphererenso mtsikana pamodzi ndi makolo ake, kuyamika Mulungu chifukwa cha nthawi yabwino ndi mwambo wonse umene mtsikana walandira. The leader should be mentioning all that Jesus is, such as 'my saviour,' 'my healer,' 'my lord,' and so on as they walk. At home the instructress should pray with the girl and her parents, thanking God for the good time they had and for the instruction the girl has received. Sabata lotsatira, panthawi yamapemphero payenera kukhala kamwambo womulandira mtsikana ku mpingo. Amfumu aitanidwe kudzaonerera. Potsiriza mapemphero pakhale chiyanjano ndi kumwa thobwa pamodzi kusonyeza umodzi wa anthu a chikhulupiriro chimodzi. The following Sunday, during the worship service there should be a small ceremony to introduce and incorporate the young woman to the wider society. The chief or his representative should be invited to the worship service. A drink of sweet beer should be served at the end of the service to symbolize an act offellowship and the embracing into the corporate body offaith. 135
7.5 CONCLUSION The aim of this liturgy is that the Christian chinamwali be a means of evangelism and discipleship in itself, enabling young women to recognise the Lord through the very event, thus wanting to dedicate their lives to God in holiness, and to wait for a husband in marriage. Through this study one has moved from pre-Christian chinamwali to a Christian chilangizo which is in fact a Christian chinamwali. This too, is part of the religious itinerary ofthe Chewa people. Pre-Christian chinamwali has a socio-religious significance in Chewa society. Its sym bolic meaning is that of death to the old life and re-birth into the new life of adulthood, where the young woman is re-incorporated into the community of the living and the dead. Chinamwali is the transition rite where ancestral customs are passed to younger generations, and this gives the young woman a sense of identity and history. The initial Christian response to the traditional rite was in the form ofa booklet, Bukhu la Alangizi. Through observing three ceremonies, interviews and discussions, the author assessed whether chilangizo is an adequate response to the traditional rite. The study revealed that while the Christian response attempted to respond to chinamwali, it falls far short of meeting the needs ofthe Chewa people. The church does not respond adequately to the issue of puberty as a full ritual of transition and incorporation into community, where the young woman is treated as a whole person. It does not reflect the Chewa sense of identity and history, for while it fulfils technically the categories of a transition rite, in reality chilangizo is far from the dynamism of the traditional rite. Although chilangizo is claimed to be a 'Christian' rite, the biblical teaching is too abstract and depends on literary 'text' rather than allowing Scripture to interpret the chinamwali and all its meanings. The church has also failed to empower the practitioners to develop an effec tive ministry, hence there is much dissonance between theory and practice, which has also resulted in alangizi losing their credibility among both Christians and non-Chris tians. 136
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FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO: THE
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MWACHIDULE Chimangiriro ichi chikuf
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TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION n ABS
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MAPS........................•...
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1. INTRODUCTION Ntchembere yanzeru,
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My motivation, therefore, in the st
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In her work, Women, Presbyterianism
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This study covers female initiation
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vation and interviewing. The method
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church leaders, both men and women,
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Scriptures in order to understand w
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2. THE 'RELIGIOUS ITINERARY'? OF TH
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name of a person or his title to de
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lineage, and the whole community. F
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cross boundaries), and ziwanda ('ev
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ciation and 'celebration ofthe powe
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3. THE EMERGENCE OF THE SOUTHERN BA
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(2001:12) points out, three things
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tongues. Hilary Mijoga (1998:31) no
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2002). The two groups continued sep
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instrumental in supporting the idea
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On the mission field not all missio
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Autonomy is a term which expresses
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that our likulu is in heaven, and t
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Chewa is that menstrual blood is sa
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girls are 'captured' and put in the
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nity of both the living and the anc
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evil intentions at the initiation c
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Makanja or namkhwanya are masked da
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The first day's activities end with
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Then at the end ofthe song all the
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In the evening the initiates perfon
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While singing the same song above,
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the other being 'cutting' one's thr
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ishing them, especially if any of t
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stand and makes her jump over the s
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has her menses. Ulemu is also manif
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Teaching on the observance of taboo
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importance of the ritual. The prese
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When they are buried in the ground,
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5. CHILANGIZO: A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
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Merely to condemn their rites and g
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Adopting the Christian faith, as Wa
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She mentioned that she did not know
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espectively (with pennission) ofbot
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port the teaching. The instruction
Page 94 and 95: 6.2 CHILANGIZO CEREMONY AT CHIMENYA
Page 96 and 97: elderly people to mill their maize,
Page 98 and 99: women repeated most of what had bee
Page 100 and 101: There are dos and donts!' The whole
Page 102 and 103: Traditional beliefs. Things do chan
Page 104 and 105: such as phada (girls' game ofjumpin
Page 106 and 107: All the three ceremonies show that
Page 108 and 109: Generally, rituals Help people reme
Page 110 and 111: Human life is seen as a unity betwe
Page 112 and 113: The three case studies ofzilangizo
Page 114 and 115: With regard to the teaching content
Page 116 and 117: The booklet does not give instructi
Page 118 and 119: nences too great a strain as well a
Page 120 and 121: 7. CONCLUSION: TOWARDS A CHRISTIAN
Page 122 and 123: The Scriptures say a great deal abo
Page 124 and 125: it is the mother who is normally ac
Page 126: about the fact that 'chikondi chang
Page 129 and 130: married couples as well, it would a
Page 131 and 132: social' (Oduyoye 1992:9). Through d
Page 133 and 134: seclusion until the chinamwali cere
Page 135 and 136: Please note that singing, dancing,
Page 137 and 138: The meaning is that this is the cou
Page 139 and 140: 9. Ndinu mudanlenga inetu eee! Muda
Page 141 and 142: Onse azibvina akugwira thupi lawo n
Page 143: tion and gift-giving time. While al
Page 147 and 148: Chapter two 7. See Howell, A (2001)
Page 149 and 150: also be either a Christian or a non
Page 151 and 152: 51. Chingondo must have a very sign
Page 153 and 154: Chapter six 67. Although the pastor
Page 155 and 156: SOURCES CONSULTED 1. Primary source
Page 157 and 158: --- 1995. Christianity in Africa: T
Page 159 and 160: The National Atlas ofMalawi, 1983.
Page 161 and 162: DeGabriele, J 1999. When pills don'
Page 163 and 164: GLOSSARY OF CHEWA WORDS· Abambo Ab
Page 165: Mkuzi M1andu Mmeto Mnjeza Mpalo str
Page 169 and 170: PLATE 3 Chingondo - On the Head of
Page 171 and 172: PLATES Chilangizo at Mphindo Baptis
Page 173 and 174: chiefs house so that we could light
Page 175 and 176: going round the village they would
Page 177 and 178: all join in ululating and take the
Page 179 and 180: girls, covered all round with cloth
Page 181 and 182: 9. Mkanda de, mkanda wa mkamwa Ndat
Page 183 and 184: I left for the ground when a messag
Page 185 and 186: The girls danced for a while and th
Page 187 and 188: , Many infonnants called mkangali t
Page 189 and 190: Meaning: This is the time to be cou
Page 191 and 192: would punish her in different ways,
Page 193 and 194: Akakwatana. When in marriage. A dra
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58. Ndamvera kwathu, yaya Mwana wan
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The Chingondo (Headcrown) Ritual We
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frightening them, or punishing them
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dancing team. After dancing for a w
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They are however, reminded that aft
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APPENDIX D (Translated with permiss
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for a while from norrnallife and pu
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Gwiritsani ntchito ndime zalembedwa
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Ndi udindo wa alangizi kukonza maph
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Machembere ayenera kumawafupa atsik
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Anthu onse nkuseka. Ndipo anamkungw
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Amayiwo ayenera kusonyeza ntchito y
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Adzichitira ulemu nyumba ya Mulungu
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