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The Social Organization of the Mashona

Part III

by C. J. K. Latham

The Svikiro

Within the tribe, as has been described in previous pages, there are various spirits or shades of the departed. These are called mudzimu (plural midzimu) and mhondoro. The svikiro is the spirit medium or gobetween of the shades with the living members of the lineage groups. It becomes obvious then, that each lineage within a tribe, each segment, has its own spiritmedium to represent its own particular shades. The svikiro usually represents the sikarudzi, or founder of the lineage. The tribal mhondoro or senior mudzimu is usually the spirit of the tribal founding ancestor musikavanhu or sikarudzi (the "creator of men" or "creator of the tribe").

People become spirit mediums by a process of selection and training. It seems from research that very often the svikiro of an area is an outsider in the initial instance, who has received his training as a svikiro in another district or province. This may be done by becoming attached to a medium as an acolyte (nechombo), where one acquires the skills and arts, and historical knowledge which is so imperative in this occupation.

Anyone may become a svikiro, male or female, and there is no restriction as to age or other qualifications. However, those people most likely to become mediums are those who are most affected by spiritual phenomena and who are by nature sensitive and highly strung; epileptics are often found amongst the ranks of the spirit mediums.

An Introduction to the Functions of the Svikiro

In the last chapter the selection of chiefs and tribal authorities was investigated in some detail and need not be repeated here. Suffice it to say that the svikiro has a very significant role to play in the selection of chiefs.

The svikiro plays a significant part also in the creation and maintenance of the balance between tribal (and even national) solidarity on the one hand and segmentation on the other. Within Shona society lineages are in a perpetual state of segmentation; at the same time the major tribal unit has to maintain its solidarity in order to maintain its tribal identity in opposition to other tribal groups.

The medium plays a significant part in this at the selection ceremonies for chiefs, and at times of national calamity and thanksgiving, when he interprets the wishes of the tribe as a whole.

The medium is also a diviner of social disasters, both national and personal, insomuch as he interprets the wishes, the whims, the fancies and the displeasures of the shades.

The spirit medium is also a tribal prophet, and predicts, through the shades, the shape of things to come.

Different segments of the tribe have their own spirit medium. One will thus find mediums of varying importance within a tribal unit. This has prompted one researcher (Kingsley Garbett) to classify the spirit mediums into custodians of spirit realms embracing huge areas (in some cases as big as administrative provinces), spirit provinces, districts and parishes. These form a very convenient classification; one which is endorsed by my investigations. However, I consider it necessary to create one further tier above that of the Realm: this is the Commonwealth.

There are five main supraspirit Commonwealths and their attendant hierarchies. Each of these control a vast area. They are: The Matopos Mwari/Mlimo; Mutota/Nehanda; Chugumbi/Dzivaguri, Musikavanhu/Chapo and Nevana.

Conduct of the Spirit Medium's Seance

The spirit medium will gather about him a group of people who wish for one reason or another to communicate with the spirit members of the tribe. The ceremony is invariably attended by beer and music.

Perhaps the most interesting and significant feature of a session such as this is the fact that the atmosphere is paradoxically one of mixed awe and familiarity. (This is a feature of all Shona society and is typical, in many ways, of their approach to the chief). Awe is expressed and evident when the spirit medium is pronouncing the words of the ancestors. At the same time very often the audience will express amusement at the antics of the spirit medium. This may be due to the fact that nobody likes a masquerade more than the Shona, and he probably appreciates the fact that an awful lot of what the spirit medium is doing is a show put on for his benefit.

Nevertheless, he firmly believes, and so does the spirit medium, that he is embarking upon a communication with the shades of the departed.

Anyone may attend these seances, except in some cases Europeans. It has been my privilege, however, on many occasions to be admitted to spirit medium ceremonies, and what follows below is a compound of my experiences.

Children, old women, wives, mothers, men of all ranks, gather at the spirit medium's kraal. Much beer is brewed and consumed, and this may go on for several days. Throughout this period the spirit medium remains isolated in a hut with his musicmakers and acolytes. People will come and go, in and out of the hut, children crawling about between their feet, fowls pecking and scratching the dust outside.

Beer is taken into the inmates of the hut, and occasionally food*.

The whole atmosphere pervading the ceremony at this stage is one of mild anticipation, more like a family gathering. Perhaps the nearest parallel that can be drawn to the atmosphere of the crowd is to state that It Is similar to the one experienced by gatherings of Afrikaners at "nagtmaal" a crowd of people gathered together by common bonds of friendship and kinship, out for a certain amount of enjoyment before getting down to the serious business of religious communion.

Throughout this time a band will have been playing. This almost invariably consists of a drum (ngomo), a flute and an "African piano" (mbira) and various other percussion instruments. The music is monotonous and repetitive, accentuated by a persistent and hypnotic beat. It never ceases.

Throughout this period the acolyte (nechombo) will be communicating with the spirit medium, and putting to him the company's questions and in turn repeating to them what the spirit medium has to say. This official has two names in Chishona the one, Nechombo, is the most commonly used. In the Sipolilo district it is also reported that this individual is called the mutapi.*

Ultimately, the spirit medium will go into a full trancelike state and become possessed by the spirit to which he is host. Those spirit mediums who have been closely observed by the writer, have without doubt passed into a form of trance which would appear to be an autohypnosis, derived from a period of prolonged hysteria, accompanied by hyperventilation.

It is now that the spirit medium begins to talk "with tongues", grunt like a lion, whistle and roar, and where the gobetween or acolyte has a significant role to play. The latter, incidentally, may be a young man, who in later years may very well become a medium himself this point needs a great deal more investigation. The acolyte will translate the words (sometimes coherent, at others apparent gibberish) of the shades as communicated to him by the spirit medium. How he does this, and how much imagination is employed how much connivance there is between the two before the session begins can only be guessed.

Suffice it to say that what occurs is accepted and believed by the vast majority of those people who adhere to the Shona form of religion.

When the spirit medium first becomes possessed the crowd will begin to go down on its knees and clap and ululate (uchira or hombera) out of respect for the mudzimu who is communicating with them through the spirit medium. While the mudzimu is using the medium of his body, the spirit medium himself takes on the authority and power of the mudzimu. This transformation is quite significant.

It is by this very transformation also that the spirit medium obtains his political influence within the tribal organisation.

Conclusion

Several things are immediately evident. One is that the power of the spirit medium is far greater than was officially accepted until a few years ago, and significantly this power has been increasing in recent years.*

The power of the spirit medium is both an aid and a hindrance to the chiefly power. Another point of significance is that by and large the spirit mediums are agents of national conservation, for it is upon conservative religion that their authority rests. It is upon the whole system of tribal nationalism, as opposed to "African nationalism", that they are established. They are, in fact, yet another manifestation of the kinship system, providing the link between the living and the deceased members of the various lineage groups.

The svikiro (spirit medium) must not be confused with the ngango (the witch doctor of popular parlance) whose function as herbalist and oracle to overcome illness and disaster is a very different one, employing different techniques and paraphernalia.

1. Pt. I 1973, p. 35-40. II 1974, p. 96-108.

2. It was observed that very little food is ever given to the spirit medium himself.

3. This title has peculiar significance; in other parts of the country mutapi means ruler or chief, and is derived from the verb kutapa to ravage, pillage, etc. which is also thought to be the origin of the title Monomutapo, Munhumutopu, etc.