FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

vation and interviewing. The methodology adopted is therefore both phenomenological
and descriptive as well as analytical and interpretive.
Participant observation. People do not function in an abstract context. Theology is
lived. In order to meaningfully come to terms with the life experiences of the Chewa
people I sought to come as close to the actual performance of chinamwali ritual as pos­
sible. Chinamwali, among the Chewa people, is associated with the secret society called
gule wamkulu or nyau, which come under the jurisdiction of a chief, and since no unini­
tiated person is allowed in, a chief granted me permission to attend one five-day chi­
namwali ceremony. Similarly, since no information concerning their activities can be
unwisely divulged, I was able to observe 'mock' rituals and talk directly to the ana­
mkungwi (the traditional instructresses for initiation rites) through their chiefs. While I
was waiting for the real chinamwali ceremony which was to be performed towards the
end of the year during the month of September, and in order to gain a general under­
standing of the ritual, I observed three 'mock' ceremonies in the area of Traditional
Authority (TA) Chadza with three different groups of anamkungwi from three villages;
one 'mock' rite in the western part of Lilongwe in TA Kalolo area, and another one in
the eastern part in TA Chimutu area. However the main area of my research was in the
south ofLilongwe in TA Chadza around Nathenje area.
In order to thoroughly research chilangizo, I visited vanous Baptist churches and,
through the pastor and his wife, I arranged and planned with the alangizi when I would
attend a chilangizo ceremony. Although I planned to participate in five congregational
chilangizo ceremonies, I finally participated only in three of them - two in rural
Lilongwe at Chimenya and Mphindo churches; and one in the urban Lilongwe at Mte­
ndere Baptist church. Many alangizi mentioned that they were not holding chilangizo
since many mothers do not report to the church when their daughter matures. Since I
had requested for a ceremony, some instructresses at Chimenya and Mphindo encour­
aged some of the parents to let their daughter be instructed 'because the alangizi from
headquarters have come to see what we do.'
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