FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

51. Chingondo must have a very significant role for the mkangali ceremony. It is also called chinyama
(big animal). The women speak of 'taking it out from the water' (kubvuula). The real meaning is not
water but 'coming out from the bush'. Chingondo is also what distinguishes mkangali from the other
initiations either for the chief or for the girls.
During the 'mock' ceremonies, the first group of the instructresses showed and explained the make-up to
me. However, with the second group ofthe instructresses, when we reached the chingondo day, they told
me that it was a very secret thing that they could not talk about it. They assured me that I would observe
everything during the actual ceremony, when they would explain the meaning as well. However, it was
unfortunate that I could not observe the actual ritual during the ceremony due to the restrictions as to who
should actually attend.
52. The white and red colours stand for purity and defilement respectively, while black stands for very
dark blood which is very dangerous. The colours show that when a girl is menstruating, she is defiled, she
is in red, and therefore dangerous. After her menses, she is pure, hence the white colour.
53. Many informants added that any piece from the chingondo can be used by traditional medicine men
as activating agent (chizimba) for business people to use in order to attract more customers.
54. They are actually shown that the nyau structures are made ofordinary items such as maize cob husks,
grass, and that it is people who do wear them; they are not real animals.
55. Nowadays, it is possible for the man to meet with the girl first upon payment of some money to ask
her to marry him. The initiate is free to accept or not. In the past the girl had no choice but to accept
whoever man the parents wanted.
56. Not everything concerning married life is explained in full at the girls' initiation ceremony, but is
explained at the marriage ceremony when the young woman and the young man instructed by the
anamkungwi.
57. The elongation ofthe labia minora is a physical act by pulling to make longer without any cutting.
58. The Chewa women use different terms to refer to the practice ofelongating the labia minora such as
kutola nyerere (picking ants), kuphwanya nyini (to break the labia minora), kusewera kuchitsamba (to
play at the big leaf),or kukuna (to pull).
59. The mother should also abstain from sexual activity during every pregnancy of her daughter for at
least seven months until the baby has undergone some rituals to 'make it strong' three to four months
after the birth ofthe baby. However, the daughter also abstains when her mother is away from her home.
In both cases, it is to avoid from suffering from mdulo. See Van Breugel (2001: 181-184; 204-207).
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