FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

The Chingondo (Headcrown) Ritual
We missed the preparation ofthe headcrown but I observed it during one ofthe mock
ceremonies. Two or three anamkungwi collect good quality soil (the type used to
mould clay pots). Hiding the soil in a piece ofcloth they bring it to the mtengo (tree).
They also bring red brick, white maize flour, and charcoal. Each element is made into
fine paste. The thick mud paste is moulded like a hat or helmet on the girl's head.
Then the animal figure is moulded onto the hat. The leading girl wears a sculpture of
an elephant, while the rest of the initiates wear chinyau (cattle-like carving). They
paint the crown with white paste, so that no one recognizes it to be clay. Then they
decorate it with black and red dots. The whole structure is called chingondo. The
girls are also decorated on the face, the neck, the chest, the lower abdomen, and the
upper arms, with white dots (kulocha-locha). They then wait for the crowns to dry
before going to the bwalo to perform. When ready, the initiates, tutors, instructresses
and the rest ofthe women line up and walk to the ground.
In some cases, the tutors carry the girls on their shoulders just before entering the
ground while singing and dance for a while before setting them down. At this
ceremony, they entered the ground all just walking and singing and were not put on
the shoulders.
68. Ayeli, yeli
Uyo apande kumeta
Akhumbira nyama.
69. Chingondole maye!
Khuda nzanga de
Chakuyenela de,
Khuda nzanga
Akutheka chingondo
Yeli (name),
The one who will not be initiated
Will admire the animal
The headcrown, Mmmm!
You my friend
It has fitted you well
You my friend
They have prepared chingondo
After singing, they stood at the ground for more than ten minutes. There was a high
level of noise, and the drumming and the singing were not correlating well. In the
midst of the noise from the onlookers, many of whom were children, the girls and
their tutors started moving and dancing slowly in front ofthe chiefs. Then they went
round the tree and moved away from the ground. With the initiates kneeling, the
tutors tied and covered the initiates' heads with a head towel, thus hiding the crown,
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