Mwari

Mwari ("He who is") is understood to have been the original ancestor of the people, the first person ever to have been created in Guruuswa, the legendary place of origin referred to many times in Shona clan traditions.

As a spirit and a voice speaking from the sky, he led the first groups from Guruuswa to their homes in the country, nyika dzino (these lands), where their descendants live today. This tradition conceives Mwari as a founding father with a care for all the tribes related to him.

This universal relation puts him in a different class from that of the founding fathers of clans, making him so ancient as to place him near the Creator (Chikare) and invest him with divine power.

Traditional beliefs are unclear about the nature of Mwari and his relevance to the origins of the world. People believe that he is in some way ultimately responsible for all that happens.

He knows everything and sees everything, and is ultimately responsible for the weather, the fertility of the land, the wild forests, character traits of men, and so on. Myths or legends about Mwari are rare — certainly less common and less well known than those about lion spirits.

Far removed from the family spirit elders who are intimately concerned with the private affairs of their descendants, the Shona high god is too remote and his interests are too broad for him to concern himself with private individuals and their problems.

He can be ill-tempered and is sometimes believed to cheat his people for no justifiable reason. Nevertheless, in time of extreme emotion, especially at death in the community, people may voice their complaints directly to Mwari; and his name is commonly used as an oath.

It should be noted that the Shona conceive of Mwari as intimately related to major and minor spiritual beings. This conception of the supreme being is far removed from the stark monotheistic idea of God. The high god is believed to be above and more powerful than the lion spirits (mhondoro).

Ultimate dominion over all the country is in the hands of the high god. It is Mwari who provides and owns the wild fruits, game and honey, and who is approached to provide rain and good crops.

These things which belong to him cannot be withheld even from a complete stranger, and the rain he provides falls on all alike. A universal drought that spreads beyond the boundaries of the domains of all lesser spirits is said to be caused by Mwari.

The Shona think of Mwari as above and indifferent to all earthly powers. They would say of a person who is indifferent to the reactions of other people: "Wangova Mwari" (You are now Mwari). They rarely speak about the high god and no attempt is made to communicate with him or to influence his actions either by imprecation or ritual.

Associated primarily with the Rozvi, he did not speak to the people through human mediums but freely from all sorts of things like animals and rocks.

When, like other African deities, Mwari withdrew from the people owing to their intolerable and arrogant behavior, his place was taken by the clan guardian spirits, the mhondoro.

A large aspect of the Mwari religion was this mhondoro cult whose principal mhondoro at Zimbabwe was Chaminuka. The Chaminuka medium resided in the Eastern Enclosure, and traditions say he used to interpret the squawking of the sacred fish eagle, hungwe, on its annual visits to Great Zimbabwe.

The Mwari religion has been headquartered in Matonjeni (Matopos) for the last 500 years. Matonjeni consisted of several shrines of which Njelele is the most known. The Mwari shrines fell, at different times, under the lordship of the Torwa, Rozvi and to a lesser extent, Ndebele state structures. Legend has it that the name comes from ancient migratory njerere birds that signaled the coming of the wet season.

There was a bird, a type of fish eagle, that lived there. If anything bad was going to happen, it would cry all night long. So they called it njerere, and it spoke of things to come. (T. Chigamba)

Nguni invasions in the first half of 19th century toppled the Rozvi, but left the Mwari religious structure intact. After occupation of south western Zimbabwe by the Ndebele, Matonjeni shrines were allowed to continue to operate, but under close surveillance. Mzilikazi was dependent upon the Shona spiritual guardians and as a result, he honoured Mwari whom the Ndebele called Mlimo, with annual gifts.

In the post-Lobengula era the Matonjeni shrines started to exercise political influence in the Ndebele society as well. There were instances that officials of the Mwari religion were consulted on matters of state.

During the 1896 war, Matonjeni shrines filled the political vacuum created by the defeat of Lobengula by using Mwari vanyai (messengers) networks to coordinate the anti-colonial struggle that united both the Shona and Ndebele people.

After the war, the Ndebele leadership continued to send messengers to Mlimo for rain while the Shona consultations slowed down especially after the responsible Government in 1923 when colonisation appeared irreversible.

Another contributing factor was the spread of Christianity which resulted in Mwari being appropriated as a Christian god

Most Zimbabweans are nominal Christians who no longer openly associate with the Mwari religion.

The oracle at Matonjeni has shown itself antagonistic to Christianity, both to mission churches and to the new independent churches, on the grounds that they turn people away from ancestor worship.

Clearly many of the population have rejected the cult in favor of the new religions. Nevertheless the remote high god of the central and northern Shona is becoming more accessible as the Mwari of the Christian missionaries and as the Mwari of the oracles in the Matopo hills.

A big assembly was called at Zimbabwe every two or three years. These meetings took place after harvesting time and lasted for three days. A priest assisted by two virgins officiated at the offering of a sacrifice of cattle.

He would enter what is now called the temple at Zimbabwe while two virgins clothed in black held plates containing water. The conical tower would open mysteriously as the priest approached.

After he had emerged from the tower, six black cattle would be killed by suffocation, their mouths and nostrils being packed with dry manure. The carcases of these cattle would be left out in the veld. If it was found the next morning that they had been eaten by beasts of prey, especially lions, it would be taken as a sign that the sacrifice had been accepted.

The meat of these animals was then roasted without breaking any of their bones. At the mountain the trumpets (hwamanda) would sound, the clapping of hands (kuuchira) would be heard, indicating that the sacrifice had indeed been accepted. No officiating priest was permitted to take any intoxicating drink (doro).

According to tradition, the Acropolis was formerly considered to be the abode of madzimudzangara. On certain days the lowing of cattle and the crowing of cocks would be heard there at dawn.

Mwari was no longer worshipped at Great Zimbabwe after the Europeans settled in the country.

HOLY DAYS

Mwari is greatly concerned with the keeping of certain holy days, called chisi, days on which people should not work the soil in any way. Formerly the holy day of Mwari seems to have been the eighth day of the month, called chisi chisere. A well-known Shona proverb runs: "warima norusere" (You have farmed on the eighth day). The figurative meaning of the proverb is: "You have done something which is not permissible and which will get you into trouble."

It appears that usually these days were originally connected with phases of the moon, and later became associated with a particular day of the week (the day varying from area to area). Even among commercial farmers, these days are often still observed, families using chisi to perform weekly tasks which do not involve work on the fields.

People sometimes have urgent ploughing done by children, explaining that since children do not know the customs it does not matter if they break them. Under the influence of economic demands or of Christianity or of both these, many Shona now ignore chisi, more or less openly, observing only Sunday as a rest day.

According to Shona religious beliefs, Mwari would chastise those who opposed his will in various ways. He might strike at them by sending war, pestilence, lightning, drought or locusts. He might also withdraw himself so that those who sought his help in times of national calamity, as they were used to in the past, would not be able to reach him.

It does not seem as if the Shona believed in punishment for misconduct in life after death. They believed that the human soul or spirit did not die with the body. In a certain sense they held the father would continue to live in his son, but they also believed in a separate existence of the human spirit after death.

SHONA NAMES OF GOD
A study of the Shona names of God will prove most illuminating in getting at the content of the Shona idea of God.

Mwari - This is now the most common name for the high god, spread by Christian missionaries from the cult in southern Shona country and explicitly associated by many with Christianity. There might be a relationship between Mwari and Muwari (The Strong One) of the Congo. Muali also means sower. In Manicaland the words "Mwari" and "Mhandara" may be used interchangeably. This Manyika use of the word "Mwari" is similar to the use of "Muwali" (a grown up girl) in Malawi. The people of the Zambezi also refer to god as "Muwali". So the Shona also think of Mwari as the god of fertility. He is being petitioned even to this day at Matonjeni for the fertility of crops and barren women.

Soko - Voice, Word

Sororenzou - The Head of the Elephant

Nyadenga - This name is derived from the prefix "nya" and the noun "denga." Nya is used to indicate a possessor or someone to whom special honor is due. Denga means sky or firmament. Nyadenga, therefore, means: "The Great One of the Sky."

Wokumusoro - This name means: "The One Above." It describes the supreme being as the god of the sky, the controller of the forces of nature in heaven and on earth. Formerly the word god was translated as Wedenga (The One from the Sky) in the Karanga New Testament. Another name bearing out the same idea is Gore (The One Amongst the Clouds).

Runji - This Shona word means a needle. The full name in this case is: Runji rusingapfumi nguo, rwaivetera kupfuma pasi, which means, "the needle which does not sew cloth but has to sew beneath." This name is used for god as revealing himself in lightning: a needle which does not sew cloth but unites heaven and earth.

Chipindikure - The word is derived from kupindikura (to turn upside-down). God is the one who can turn things upside-down, that is, he can completely change things.

Chiroza-mauya - This name is derived from the noun chiroza, which again comes from the verb kuroza (to destroy completely), and mauya, also zviuya (a good thing or person). The name describes god as the one who has power to destroy completely good things and persons, and of course, also bad ones.

Chiraza-mauya - The derivation here is: chiraza from kuraza (to provide or bless) and mauya (a good thing or person). The full name is: Chiraza mavi namauya. Mavi means a bad thing or person. The name describes god as the one who provides for good and bad. The Shona believe that god could also be the author of evil.

Musiki - This name designates the supreme being as the creator. It is derived from the verb kusika, which can be translated "to create." The basic meaning of this verb is to make fire by rubbing two pieces of wood together. Thus the Shona also speak of "kusika moto" (to make fire). The Shona idea of creation seems to be that of producing something new by using something which existed before. Furthermore, the name Musiki reminds us of a god of fire. The Shona believe that god reveals his presence through fire. He is present in the shooting star, the flash of lightning or a fire on some sacred mountain. Such fires were supposed not to have been lit by human agency. The idea of god as the god of fire is, of course, common to all religions.

Muumbi - This name describes god as the moulder or fashioner of things.

Musikavanhu - The word is derived from Musiki (Creator) and vanhu (people). It means, therefore: the creator of human beings. The Shona know god not only as the creator of man but also as the creator of all living creatures, but they can only describe vaguely how this creation took place. At various places certain markings on outcrops of rock are supposed to be the tracks made by men and animals at the time of creation when these rocks were still soft.

Dzivaguru - This name is derived from dziva (a pool) and guru (big). It means the big pool. It also describes god as the giver of rain. Another version of the name is Chidziva chopo (the little pool which is always there, that is, the pool which never gets dry).

Matangakugara - This name is derived from the verbs kutanga (to begin) and kugara (to exist). It means the One who existed in the beginning.

Muwanikwa - This name is derived from the verb kuwanikwa (to be found). It describes god as the one who was just found to exist. This name and also the previous one indicate that the Shona did conceive of god as an eternal being.

Sekuru, Mbuya - These words are commonly used for maternal uncle, aunt, grandfather or grandmother. But they are also used sometimes instead of Mwari. This practice is somewhat similar to the Jewish custom of substituting Adonai for Jahweh in the Old Testament. Whereas the Jew, however, never ventured to take the name of Jahweh on his lips, the Shona speak of Mwari, Sekuru and Mbuya interchangeably. One of the oldest Shona tribes, the VaHera, sometimes substitute Mbuya for Mwari, when they refer specially to his powers of creation and fertility. In the Masvingo district the sabbath of Mwari is spoken of as chitatu chambuya (the third day of Mbuya).

Mupavose - means the one who gives to all. It is derived from the verb kupa (to give) and vose (everybody). When there is an earthquake, a loud peal of thunder or a flash of lightning the Shona take it as a sign that Mwari has passed by. They may then make the following exclamations, clapping hands in reverence: Mbire! Shoko! Mupavose! Dziva! After this, the Shona might call out: "Tachinyei?" (What have we sinned?) The fact that god reveals himself in thunder, lightning, etc., is considered by the Shona to be an indication of his displeasure. These exclamations may, however, only be an expression of reverence for the divine presence.

VaMarumbi and VaNyachava - These names are used for a spirit which has emanated from Mwari. It supposedly causes the gentle rain to fall. The rain sent by Mwari himself is usually accompanied by gusts of wind, thunder and lightning.

From our study of the names of god used by the Shona we can learn a lot about their conceptions of the supreme being. We note that they know him as the creator, supreme above men and the forces of nature. He is the source of all life, the giver of fertility and rain. He does not exist in only one locality.

He has existed before creation. He is very powerful but is far removed from men and concerns himself mainly with the welfare of the tribe. He reveals his presence through awe-inspiring physical phenomena and through fire and is held in reverence.

He blesses or destroys both good and bad. To the Shona, moreover, god is a spirit and is closely related to other spirits.