FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:
FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO: FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:
elderly people to mill their maize, to fetch water, smear their homes. Nowadays girls refuse to help them.' The meaning of menstruation. Mthethe is the cloth that is used during the menses, and kukula (maturity) means kubvala mthethe (wearing menses linen), although some now use cotton wool. The menses linen. One instructress demonstrated what she termed the old practice of wearing the menses linen, and how to dry one by putting it around the waist, and lamented,'unfortunately, today's girls refuse to use them and instead they use cotton wool and pants.' She explained that pants alone are not enough, especially with heavy flow. They were told to be careful, for the cotton wool may fall down, that would be a shameful thing. Instead, they must have pieces of cloth in addition, which must be kept safely where no one can see them. The menses linen must be changed often, and if too wet, should be thrown into the pit latrine. The menses flow. When seated for long time, 'check yourselfbefore you stand.' People will question whether a girl was really instructed (kodi analangizidwadi?) if she stains her dress with blood. They were advised not to go to school the next morning when menses begins at night. They should also isolate themselves from friends during the first two days ofthe menses for the flow tends to be heavy. They should count dates to make sure that they are prepared. Since they are defiled when menstruating, they should not go near their parents. Chizungu chakuphani (modernity is killing you) these days, for you have no respect for your father, you just pass him by when menstruating, you do not know that you do smell. Kuthawana ndi makolo until mwayeretsedwa! (Keep away from parents until you are sanctified!). Sexual purity. They were warned to be careful and not to engage in sexual activity. They are to be careful with boys, for many of them just want to defile their sexuality 87
They must know that their bodies are temples. They should therefore refrain from all evil. We want you to wed in church, so be careful, do not have sex before. We, the instruc tresses in the Baptist churches are being kunyozedwa (despised) that we do not counsel you well for children are not wedding in church. They were admonished to pay heed to all the words they have heard read from the booklet. Traditional beliefs. One instructress made the following comment but did not explain further: 'In the past, in the Southern Region, there was no putting salt when cooking, but now amadyetsedwa mankhwala' ('they eat a herbal mixture'). Physical fitness. Not much was said on this, except that they should be hard working except on Sundays, which is God's day. They must also respect God's house. These oral instructions took another fifteen minutes. When the two alangizi felt that they had exhausted their counsel, the parents and the other women were called in. The mother was the one who began to talk. (Apparently she was the parent/guardian to all the three girls). Since she was seated at a distance far from the girls, she had to throw her money on to the lap ofthe girls as she spoke, com mending as well as rebuking their behaviour. She requested that they change their behaviour on the things for which she was rebuking them, such as lack of respect to their father. She emphasized to one girl that she should visit her often and she rebuked another girl for laziness. When the mother finished, the grandmothers (two) joined in giving their counsel to the girls and then the rest of the women also said a few words to the girls. One grand mother, putting money on the girls' laps, said that their father was the one who gave them the money commending them that they should continue their good behaviour. The 88
- 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
- Page 76 and 77: Teaching on the observance of taboo
- Page 78 and 79: importance of the ritual. The prese
- Page 80 and 81: When they are buried in the ground,
- Page 82 and 83: 5. CHILANGIZO: A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
- Page 84 and 85: Merely to condemn their rites and g
- Page 86 and 87: Adopting the Christian faith, as Wa
- Page 88 and 89: She mentioned that she did not know
- Page 90 and 91: espectively (with pennission) ofbot
- Page 92 and 93: port the teaching. The instruction
- Page 94 and 95: 6.2 CHILANGIZO CEREMONY AT CHIMENYA
- Page 98 and 99: women repeated most of what had bee
- Page 100 and 101: There are dos and donts!' The whole
- Page 102 and 103: Traditional beliefs. Things do chan
- Page 104 and 105: such as phada (girls' game ofjumpin
- Page 106 and 107: All the three ceremonies show that
- Page 108 and 109: Generally, rituals Help people reme
- Page 110 and 111: Human life is seen as a unity betwe
- Page 112 and 113: The three case studies ofzilangizo
- Page 114 and 115: With regard to the teaching content
- Page 116 and 117: The booklet does not give instructi
- Page 118 and 119: nences too great a strain as well a
- Page 120 and 121: 7. CONCLUSION: TOWARDS A CHRISTIAN
- Page 122 and 123: The Scriptures say a great deal abo
- Page 124 and 125: it is the mother who is normally ac
- Page 126: about the fact that 'chikondi chang
- Page 129 and 130: married couples as well, it would a
- Page 131 and 132: social' (Oduyoye 1992:9). Through d
- Page 133 and 134: seclusion until the chinamwali cere
- Page 135 and 136: Please note that singing, dancing,
- Page 137 and 138: The meaning is that this is the cou
- Page 139 and 140: 9. Ndinu mudanlenga inetu eee! Muda
- Page 141 and 142: Onse azibvina akugwira thupi lawo n
- Page 143 and 144: tion and gift-giving time. While al
- Page 145 and 146: 7.5 CONCLUSION The aim of this litu
They must know that their bodies are temples. They should therefore refrain from all<br />
evil.<br />
We want you to wed in church, so be careful, do not have sex before. We, the instruc<br />
tresses in the Baptist churches are being kunyozedwa (despised) that we do not counsel<br />
you well for children are not wedding in church.<br />
They were admonished to pay heed to all the words they have heard read from the<br />
booklet.<br />
Traditional beliefs. One instructress made the following comment but did not explain<br />
further: 'In the past, in the Southern Region, there was no putting salt when cooking,<br />
but now amadyetsedwa mankhwala' ('they eat a herbal mixture').<br />
Physical fitness. Not much was said on this, except that they should be hard working<br />
except on Sundays, which is God's day. They must also respect God's house.<br />
These oral instructions took another fifteen minutes.<br />
When the two alangizi felt that they had exhausted their counsel, the parents and the<br />
other women were called in. The mother was the one who began to talk. (Apparently<br />
she was the parent/guardian to all the three girls). Since she was seated at a distance far<br />
from the girls, she had to throw her money on to the lap ofthe girls as she spoke, com<br />
mending as well as rebuking their behaviour. She requested that they change their<br />
behaviour on the things for which she was rebuking them, such as lack of respect to<br />
their father. She emphasized to one girl that she should visit her often and she rebuked<br />
another girl for laziness.<br />
When the mother finished, the grandmothers (two) joined in giving their counsel to the<br />
girls and then the rest of the women also said a few words to the girls. One grand<br />
mother, putting money on the girls' laps, said that their father was the one who gave<br />
them the money commending them that they should continue their good behaviour. The<br />
88
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