The Shona are a group of Bantu people in Zimbabwe and some neighbouring
countries. The main part of them is divided into five major clans and
adjacent to some people of very similar culture and languages. Therefore, there
are various interpretations whom to subsume to the Shona proper and whom
only to the Shona family. Shona regional classification
The Shona people are divided into Western Shonas and Eastern Shonas.
Ethnologue notes that the language of the western Shona is mutually
intelligible with the main dialects of the estern Shona, but counts them
separately. Sure members:Karanga or Southern Shona
Duma Jena
Mhari Ngova
Nyubi Govera
Rozvi, sharing the Karanga dialect Zezuru or Central Shona
Budya Gova
Tande Tavara
Nyongwe Pfunde
Shan Gwe Korekore or Northern Shona
Shawasha Gova
Mbire Tsunga
Kachikwakwa Harava
Nohwe Njanja
Nobvu Kwazwimba
narrow Shona Toko
Hwesa Members or close relatives:
Manyika in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In Desmond Dale's basic Shona dictionary,
also special vocabulary of Manyika dialect is included.
Kalanga, in South-Western Zimbabwe, rather integrated in the Nguni culture,
therefore little identification with the other Shona and Botswana:
Dhalaunda/Batalaote Lilima
Baperi Banyai, speaking Nambya in Zimbabwe and
Botswana, sometimes subsumed to the Western Shona
Ndau in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Their language is only partly intellegible
with the main Shona dialects and comprises some click sounds that do not
occur in standard ChiShona. Language and identity
When the term Shona was invented during the Mfecane in late 19th century,
possibly by the Zulu king Mzilikazi, it was a pejorative for non-Nguni people.
On one hand, it is claimed that there was no consciousness of a common
identity among the tribes and peoples now forming the Shona of today. On the
other hand, the Shona people of Zimbabwe highland always had in common a vivid
memory of the ancient kingdoms, often identified with the Monomotapa state.
The terms "Karanga""Kalaka", now the names of special groups, seem to have
been used for all Shona before the Mfecane.
Dialect groups are important in Shona although there are huge similarities
among the dialects. Although 'standard' Shona is spoken throughout Zimbabwe, the
dialects not only help to identify which town or village a person is from but
also the ethnic group which the person belongs to. Each Shona dialect is
specific to a certain ethnic group, i.e. if one speaks the Manyika dialect, they
are from the Manyika group/tribe and observe certain customs and norms
specific to their group. As such, if one is Zezuru, they speak the Zezuru dialect
and observe those customs and beliefs that are specific to them.
In 1931, during the process of trying to reconcile the dialects into the single
standard Shona, Professor Clement Doke identified six groups, each with
subdivisions: 1. The Korekore or Northern Shona, including Taυara,
Shangwe, Korekore proper, Goυa, Budya, the Korekore of Urungwe, the Korekore of
Sipolilo, Tande, Nyongwe of "Darwin", Pfungwe of Mrewa; 2. The Zezuru group,
including Shawasha, Haraυa, another Goυa, Nohwe, Hera, Njanja, Mbire, Nobvu,
Vakwachikwakwa, Vakwazvimba, Tsunga; 3. The Karanga group, including Duma, Jena,
Mari, Goυera, Nogoυa, Nyubi; 4. The Manyika group, including Hungwe, Manyika
themselves, Teυe, Unyama, Karombe, Nyamuka, Bunji, Domba, Nyatwe, Guta,
Bvumba, Here, Jindwi, Boca; 5. The Ndau group, including Ndau themselves, Tonga,
Garwe, Danda, Shanga; 6. The Kalanga group, including Nyai, Nambzya, Rozvi,
Kalanga proper, Talahundra, Lilima or Humbe, and Peri.
The above differences in dialects developed during the dispersion of
tribes across the country over a long time. The influx of immigrants, into the
country from bordering countries, has obviously contributed to the variety.
Shona culture There are more than ten million people,
who speak a range of related dialects whose standardized form is also known as
Shona. Most researchers point to the ancestors of the Shona as the creators
of Great Zimbabwe, the largest pre-European stone structure in Africa
south of the Equator. The origin of the ruins was once highly debated but has
largely been resolved. = Subsistence =
The Shona were traditionally agricultural. Their crops were sorghum,
yam, beans, bananas, African groundnuts, and, not before the 16th century,
pumpkins. Sorghum and maize are used to prepare the main dish, a thickened
porridge called sadza, and the traditional beer, called hwahwa. The
Shona also keep cattle and goats, in history partly as transhumant herders.
The lifestock had a special importance as a food reserve in times of drought.
Already the precolonial Shona states received a great deal of their revenues
form the export of mining products, especially gold and copper.
= Housing = In their traditional homes, called
musha, they had separate round huts for the special functions, such as kitchen
and lounging around a yard cleared from ground vegetation.
= Arts and crafts = The Shona are known for the high quality
of their stone sculptures. Also traditional pottery is of a high
level. The traditional textile production was
of expensive and of high quality. People preferred to wear skins or imported
tissues. Shona traditional music, in contrast to
European tradition but embedded in other African traditions, tends to constant
melodies and variable rhythms. The most important instrument besides drums is
the mbira. History
The term Shona is as recent as the 1920s.
= Kingdoms = The Kalanga and/or Karanga had, from the
11th century, created empires and states on the Zimbabwe plateau. These states
include the Great Zimbabwe state, the Torwa State, and the Munhumutapa states,
which succeeded the Great Zimbabwe state as well as the Rozvi state, which
succeeded the Torwa State, and which with the Mutapa state existed into the
19th century. The states were based on kingship with certain dynasties being
royals. The major dynasties were the Rozvi of
the Moyo Totem, the Elephant, and the Hungwe dynasties that ruled from Great
Zimbabwe. The Kalanga who speak Tjikalanga are related to the Karanga
possible through common ancestry. Some Shona groups are not very familiar with
the existence of the Kalanaga hence they are frequently not recognised as Shona
today. These groups had an adelphic succession system and this after a long
time caused a number of civil wars which, after the 16th century, were
taken advantage of by the Portuguese. Underneath the king were a number of
chiefs who had sub-chiefs and headmen under them.
= Decay = The kingdoms were destroyed by new
groups moving onto the plateau. The Ndebele destroyed the Chaangamire's
Rozvi state in the 1830s, and the Portuguese slowly eroded the Mutapa
State, which had extended to the coast of Mozambique after the state's success
in providing valued exports for the Swahili, Arab and East Asian traders,
especially in the mining of gold, known by the pre-colonisation miners as
kuchera dyutswa. The British destroyed traditional power in 1890 and colonized
the plateau of Rhodesia. In Mozambique, the Portuguese colonial government
fought the remnants of the Mutapa state until 1902.
Beliefs Nowadays, between 60% and 80% of the
Shona are Christians. Besides that, traditional beliefs are very vivid among
them. Therefore, some people consider the Christian model split as low as 25%.
The most important features are ancestor-worship and totemism.
= Ancestors = According to Shona tradition, after life
does not happen in another world like Christian heaven and hell, but as
another form of existence in the world here and now. The Shona attitude towards
dead ancestors is very similar to that towards living parents and grandparents.
Nevertheless, there is a famous ritual to contact the dead ancestors. It is
called Bira ceremony and often lasts all a night.
= Totems = In Zimbabwe, totems have been in use
among the Shona people since the initial development of their culture. Totems
identify the different clans among the Shona that historically made up the
dynasties of their ancient civilization. Today, up to 25 different totems can be
identified among the Shona, and similar totems exist among other South African
groups, such as the Zulu, the Ndebele, and the Herero.
People of the same clan use a common set of totems. Totems are usually animals
and body parts. Examples include Shiri/Hungwe-Fish Eagle, Mhofu/Mhofu
Yemukono/Musiyamwa - Eland, Mbizi/Tembo - Zebra, Shumba- Lion, MbevaKaterere -
Mouse, Soko- Monkey, Nzou-Elephant or Gumbo Moyo Bepe lung, dziva- Hippo,
crocodile, etc. These were further broken down into gender related names.
For example Zebra group would break into Madhuve for the females and Dhuve or
Mazvimbakupa for the males. People of the same totem are the descendants of
one common ancestor and thus are not allowed to marry or have an intimate
relationship. The totems cross regional groupings and therefore provide a wall
for development of ethnicism among the Shona groups.
Shona chiefs are required to be able to recite the history of their totem group
right from the initial founder before they can be sworn in as chiefs.
Orphans The totem system is a severe problem for
many orphans, especially for dumped babies. People are afraid of being
punished by ghosts, if they violate rules connected with the unknown totem
of a foundling. Therefore, it is very difficult to find adoptive parents for
such children. And if the foundlings have grown up, they have problems to get
married. Burials
The identification by totem has very important ramifications at traditional
ceremonies such as the burial ceremony. A person with a different totem cannot
initiate burial of the deceased. A person of the same totem, even when
coming from a different tribe, can initiate burial of the deceased. For
example a Ndebele of the Mpofu totem can initiate burial of a Shona of the Mhofu
totem and that is perfectly acceptable in Shona tradition. But a Shona of a
different totem cannot perform the ritual functions required to initiate
burial of the deceased. If a person initiates the burial of a
person of a different totem, he runs the risk of being asked to pay a fine to the
family of the deceased. Such fines traditionally were paid with cattle or
goats but nowadays substantial amounts of money can be asked for.
See also References
External links "Shona Translator".
"Shona Dictionary". http:www.britannica.comtopicShona