FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

nity of both the living and the ancestors is involved right from the preparation stage to
the end ofthe ceremony.
The way messages are passed on especially to inform each other about the dates for a
particular activity is also worth mentioning. The anamkungwi pass on a few red grains
ofcorn to each other, at the same time communicating the dates. The red corn is used to
prepare chimera for beer. The rest are informed by a masked nyau dancer called mjere.
The mjere, with a flag in his hands and an axe on his shoulders, runs from village to
village, while singing mwesu, nyama, nyama, mwesu (eat, meat, meat, eat). He either
announces the dates or he delivers letters. It is expected that people will give him
monetary gifts wherever he goes.
It takes about a month to have all the required items ready. Large amounts of money
and resources are needed for mkangali, and although the whole community contributes
towards the event, the chief himself bears most of the cost. It also costs a great amount
of money to have another chief with more powerful magic come and fortify the cere­
mony with herbal mixtures (khundabwi, or ntchiri). Initiation rites are vulnerable occa­
sions where enemies can come and harm the initiates mysteriously. The chief must,
therefore, protect his subjects.
At this particular ceremony the deterrents were planted on the kufulula mowa (the first
beer brewing) day during the morning hours. The chief in charge and the initiate chief
went round planting the deterrents at the strategic places - the ground, the nyau dressing
room, the seclusion house, the initiate's tree, and the main fireplace. One informant
explained that in other areas deterrents are planted the night before by the chief and his
anamkungwi, and sometimes this is done when they are naked. 3l I will briefly describe
the strategic places.
Bwalo (The ground). This is the ground that was appointed by the chief at his kuzulula
ceremony, where all public functions are held, but it is mainly for nyau dances.
Although deterrents were planted during the kuzulula ceremony, it is important that at
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