FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

going round the village they would go to make noise at the girls' house, where they
would throw some leaves and/or ashes into the house at the girls. They would try to
force open the door while the girls would scream and hold the door from inside. The
zirombo would also make fire by the door and blow the smoke into the house; or they
may burn tobacco leaves, or hot chillies in order to choke the girls. When the
aphungu see that it is too much for the girls, they redeem them by giving the zirombo
some money. Then the zirombo stop harassing the girls but continue to dance. I was
told that many times the young nyau dancers (zirombo) get drunk before performing;
therefore they can be quite rough and cruel. Ifany woman is found outside, the young
men 'capture' her and send her to the men's initiation place (dambwe) where she is
initiated into the men's rite. Many informants said that if a woman is initiated at the
men's rite, she undergoes untold sexual ordeals.
The informant then indicated that the day's activities ended with anamkungwi
preparing food for the zirombo late at night.
DAY TWO: TSIKU LOPHIKITSA MOWA (THE BEER RE-BOILING DAY)
Early in the morning I heard women singing after they had cleaned the rubbish left by
the zirombo:
Bwera, bwera, udzamuone Popi
Ali m 'bwalomu!
Come, come and see the Puppy
He is in the ground!
In the meantime, my informant told me that the women would be drawing water very
early in the morning because the zirombo would be staying at the water place, hence
no one could draw water. I could see women carrying water containers on their heads
and pouring into larger containers, while others were relighting the fires for boiling
the beer.
While the beer was being reboiled as it was approaching noon, I heard remarks such
as 'It means things are not well! The structures have not yet been completed!' This
meant that the water place remained open for the zirombo did not go to the water
place. They were still weaving the structures at the dambwe.
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