FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:
FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO: FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:
name of a person or his title to denote respect (Mangoche 1990:18). The Chewa of Lilongwe sometimes add the prefix '0' to names or titles ofpeople instead ofthe prefix 'a'. A general title of 'abambo' (father, or equivalent ofMr) is added to address an eld erly male while 'amayi' (mother, or equivalent of Mrs) is used for elderly female. It is also common to call people by their titles such as 'abusa' (pastor[s]); 'amayi busa' (pastor's wife); 'anamkungwi' (traditional instructress[es]); or 'alangizi' (the church instructress[es]) when addressing the person. Thus the Chewa people are courteous and have a 'sense of protocol' (Mangoche 1990:21). Most of these titles will frequently appear in this study. 2.4 SOCIAL ORGANISATION The Chewa are matrilineal and trace their descent from an ancestress. The social struc ture of the Chewa people begins at the family level. Several family units are ruled by a chief, called the village headman. The machembere (elderly women) and the mandoda (elderly men) of the village are an influential force in choosing and advising a chief. Usually a man of good character is chosen as a chief. On a rare note one is chosen because he is a mfiti (witch) because people fear that akutha anthu (he will finish people by bewitching them because he is jealous). A Group village headman is chosen to head a group ofmore than ten village headmen. The office of traditional authority is a senior position for a chief with a larger area ofjurisdiction. At present there are twelve Tradi tional Authorities (TA) in Lilongwe district - Chadza, Mazengera, Kalumbu, Kalumba, Tsabango, Maliri, Khongoni (female), Kalolo, Chimutu, Chitikula, Chiseka, and Masula (see Map B).13 The general title for all the chiefs is amfumu (chief). The chiefs are both political and spiritual leaders oftheir communities. Apart from the traditional hierarchi cal structure of the chiefs, there is also a hierarchy related to power among the Chewa chiefs. Thus those who have undergone mkangali initiation are regarded as senior for they possess more mystical power than the non-mkangali chiefs. Included in the eldership group is the leader ofthe nyau institution called wakunjira (lit. 'from the path') and anamkungwi, the female leader and instructress of initiation rites. 17
Usually the chief chooses two anamkungwi, who are supposed to be his close relatives, especially the first who is probably his sister. The position and role ofanamkungwi is very significant in Chewa society. This position can be traced from the religious and political powers held by Makewana during the proto-Chewa period discussed below. The anamkungwi are regarded as the custodians of the traditional customs. Their role during chinamwali is to impart those customs to the younger generations. Thus chinamwali is the means through which the young initi ates are linked to the ancestors, thereby giving the initiates identity and a sense of his tory. Because most of the customs centre around the harmony of family life, the ana mkungwi's counsel is given to the girls on their puberty; to couples as they enter into marriage, during the first pregnancy, when the baby is born, and during kutenga mwana (lit. 'taking the child') ritual about six weeks after the birth of the first baby. Similarly, anamkungwi give counsel to the chiefduring his installation, during his second stage of initiation, and during his mkangali initiation ceremony. The significance of anamkungwi leads us to trace the history of the position of women in Chewa traditional society. This is significant to our understanding of the concern of the Malawian Christian women about 'instructing their girls' about the facts of life. According to different traditions which Phiri (1997) and Schoffeleers (1978) have cited in their works, 'female personages' or 'spirit wives' feature in the religious and political organisations of the so-called proto-Chewa from the 14 th century. The most prominent female personage was Makewana whose roles included being a prophetess serving at a rain shrine and performing ritual intercourse at the shrine to mark the end of the initia tion ceremony for girls. According to Phiri (1997:31), this is the highest religious posi tion to be held by a woman in Chewa society. Anamkungwi are now responsible for ini tiation rites. Phiri (1997:32-35) continues to show that, as in other matrilineal societies, the Chewa woman was significant within the family system as she was regarded as the 'root ofthe lineage [tsinde].' Being the root of a lineage accorded the woman high status because she was looked at as a 'sacred vessel of life,' responsible for the perpetuation of the 18
- Page 1: FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO: THE
- Page 4 and 5: MWACHIDULE Chimangiriro ichi chikuf
- Page 6 and 7: TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION n ABS
- Page 8 and 9: MAPS........................•...
- Page 10 and 11: 1. INTRODUCTION Ntchembere yanzeru,
- Page 12 and 13: My motivation, therefore, in the st
- Page 14 and 15: In her work, Women, Presbyterianism
- Page 16 and 17: This study covers female initiation
- Page 18 and 19: vation and interviewing. The method
- Page 20 and 21: church leaders, both men and women,
- Page 22 and 23: Scriptures in order to understand w
- Page 24 and 25: 2. THE 'RELIGIOUS ITINERARY'? OF TH
- Page 28 and 29: lineage, and the whole community. F
- Page 30 and 31: cross boundaries), and ziwanda ('ev
- Page 32 and 33: ciation and 'celebration ofthe powe
- Page 34 and 35: 3. THE EMERGENCE OF THE SOUTHERN BA
- Page 36 and 37: (2001:12) points out, three things
- Page 38 and 39: tongues. Hilary Mijoga (1998:31) no
- Page 40 and 41: 2002). The two groups continued sep
- Page 42 and 43: instrumental in supporting the idea
- Page 44 and 45: On the mission field not all missio
- Page 46 and 47: Autonomy is a term which expresses
- Page 48 and 49: that our likulu is in heaven, and t
- Page 50 and 51: Chewa is that menstrual blood is sa
- Page 52 and 53: girls are 'captured' and put in the
- Page 54 and 55: nity of both the living and the anc
- Page 56 and 57: evil intentions at the initiation c
- Page 58 and 59: Makanja or namkhwanya are masked da
- Page 60 and 61: The first day's activities end with
- Page 62 and 63: Then at the end ofthe song all the
- Page 64 and 65: In the evening the initiates perfon
- Page 66 and 67: While singing the same song above,
- Page 68 and 69: the other being 'cutting' one's thr
- Page 70 and 71: ishing them, especially if any of t
- Page 72 and 73: stand and makes her jump over the s
- Page 74 and 75: has her menses. Ulemu is also manif
Usually the chief chooses two anamkungwi, who are supposed to be his close relatives,<br />
especially the first who is probably his sister.<br />
The position and role ofanamkungwi is very significant in Chewa society. This position<br />
can be traced from the religious and political powers held by Makewana during the<br />
proto-Chewa period discussed below. The anamkungwi are regarded as the custodians<br />
of the traditional customs. Their role during chinamwali is to impart those customs to<br />
the younger generations. Thus chinamwali is the means through which the young initi<br />
ates are linked to the ancestors, thereby giving the initiates identity and a sense of his<br />
tory. Because most of the customs centre around the harmony of family life, the ana<br />
mkungwi's counsel is given to the girls on their puberty; to couples as they enter into<br />
marriage, during the first pregnancy, when the baby is born, and during kutenga mwana<br />
(lit. 'taking the child') ritual about six weeks after the birth of the first baby. Similarly,<br />
anamkungwi give counsel to the chiefduring his installation, during his second stage of<br />
initiation, and during his mkangali initiation ceremony.<br />
The significance of anamkungwi leads us to trace the history of the position of women<br />
in Chewa traditional society. This is significant to our understanding of the concern of<br />
the Malawian Christian women about 'instructing their girls' about the facts of life.<br />
According to different traditions which Phiri (1997) and Schoffeleers (1978) have cited<br />
in their works, 'female personages' or 'spirit wives' feature in the religious and political<br />
organisations of the so-called proto-Chewa from the 14 th century. The most prominent<br />
female personage was Makewana whose roles included being a prophetess serving at a<br />
rain shrine and performing ritual intercourse at the shrine to mark the end of the initia<br />
tion ceremony for girls. According to Phiri (1997:31), this is the highest religious posi<br />
tion to be held by a woman in Chewa society. Anamkungwi are now responsible for ini<br />
tiation rites.<br />
Phiri (1997:32-35) continues to show that, as in other matrilineal societies, the Chewa<br />
woman was significant within the family system as she was regarded as the 'root ofthe<br />
lineage [tsinde].' Being the root of a lineage accorded the woman high status because<br />
she was looked at as a 'sacred vessel of life,' responsible for the perpetuation of the<br />
18
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