FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

While singing the same song above, the women demonstrate a husband making sexual
advances to his wife who is lying down. The wife refuses because she is either having
her period, the mother is away, or because a child is sick. The husband insists until he
succeeds and has sexual relations with her. The teaching is that the couple must abstain
from sexual activity whenever the wife is having her menses, if a child is sick, or if the
wife's mother is away.47 Sometimes when a chief is away from the village, all the cou­
ples in the village abstain from sexual activity.48
The normal sexual activity between a married couple is demonstrated in a similar man­
ner, a pair of women first, then a pair consisting of a woman and an initiate. While
softly singing the songs below, and standing facing each other, the wife holds and
caresses the husband's private parts (a folded piece of cloth was used to demonstrate).
Then the husband sits with his legs outstretched, while the wife kneels and dances by
shaking her waist. Eventually, they both lie down, one on top of the other. What the
women demonstrate at this time is the shaking oftheir waists during the sexual activity,
especially the one lying down on her back. All the other women sing loudly, while
clapping their hands and others ululating, thus waking up those who might be dozing
off. The room becomes filled with dust as the couples move whilst acting. Although no
explanation is given, the action implies that a wife should not lie still during the sexual
act. She should shake her waist to assist the husband in the act.
Then,
Tiye tiye
Sewera naye
Anzanu atere, atere, atere, atere
Akakwatana.
Go ahead, go ahead
Play with him
Your friends do this, this, this
When in marriage.
At the end ofthe demonstration all the women actors dust themselves offwhile the ini­
tiates are forbidden to do so for fear that some evil people may use the dust to harm the
girls.
Finally, and while singing the above second song, the women demonstrate how a wife
cleans the husband's private parts after sexual activity. While the husband is still lying
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