User:Laylakeysor/Shona people

Sculpture
The Shona are known for the high quality of their stone sculptures, which were originally discover in the 1940s and began to gain popularity more recently.The building of these sculptures started in the eleventh century, was popular in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and began to decline during the centuries after.Most of these sculptures are made using sedimentary stone such as soap stone to carve figures of birds or humans however some are made using harder forms of stone including serpentine and even rare forms like verdite. These sculptures are essentially a combination of African folk stories and European influence.In the 1950s Artist in Zimbabwe began carving stone sculptures for for the purpose of selling them to European art lovers. These sculpture quickly gained popularity and were shown and bought by art Museums all over the world.Many of these sculptures show transformations of spirits into animals or animals into spirits.However some are abstract and use only shape in a pleasing or interesting way. Despite these works being called "Shona sculpture" many of the artist are actually from neighboring countries and sculpture made from stone has become a source of national pride in zimbabwe.Many aritst in zimbabwe also make a living by carving wood and stone to sell to tourist.

Music
Shona traditional music, in contrast to European tradition but embedded in other African traditions, tends to have constant melodies and variable rhythms. The most important instruments in this music are the drum(Ngoma) and the mbira. The drums that are played within shona music vary in size and shape depending on the genre of music they are accompanying. The way it which these drums are played depends on both the size of the drum and the type fo music. Typically large drums are with sticks while smaller drums are played using an open palm however, the small drum that is used during Ambhiza is played using both a hand and a stick, this stick is used to rub or scratch the drum to produce a screeching sound.

The mbira is the most famous Zimbabwean instrument and has its own varitions., including the nhare (telephone), Mbira Dzavadzimu (ancestors mbira,) and the nyunga-nyunga mbira.The mbira is played during both religious and secular gatherings, and the different types of mbira have different purposes.The Dzavadzimu mbira has between 22 and 24 keys and is used for invoking the spirits.While the Nyunga-Nyunga mbira only has 15 keys and has become popular in the education sector of zimbabwe where it is taught from primary school all the way up to th university level. Along with the varying classifications of Mbira the shona people also have a variation of names for this instrument including njari, matepe, mbira dzavandau,karimba/nyunganyunga and matepe/madebe dza mhondoro/hero.

The music of the shona people also utilizes many other percussion instruments such as shakers (hosho), Leg rattles (magaga,magalau & amahlayi), and Wooden Clappers (makwa). A few more interesting percussion instruments that are used by the shona people are the chikorodzi which is a notched stick that is played using another stick and the kanyemba which is made by attaching many bamboo strips and filing them with small seeds.

Religion
The main goal of the shona religious practice is balance between mankind and the environment, this is achieved by living live that are respectful of one another and the ancestors.An important part of this practice is a rain ceremony that is practiced by every sub-group of Shona culture.In this ceremony the shona people brew a beer in order to pay respect to their ancestors who will communicate with the high god Mwari in order to bring rain, fertility, and protection from illness to the people.However in order for their ancestral spirits to communicate with the Mwari they most follow moral code. This code forbids incest, murder, eating the meat of their totem animal (Mutupo), and the killing of any out of four different types of snake.If this moral code is followed then the ancestor will ask that the high god reward them. However, if it is not then the people may experience drought, illness, infertility, and death in the family.The beer that is brewed for the ancestors using life sustaining ziviyo(finger millet/rapoko) is a symbol of life that is offered in order to ensure sustenance of life be recieved.This rain ceremony is held annually before crops are planted and takes place at a tree shrine.This shrine goes by multiple names which is used is dependent on the region, in the central and northern region of shona territory the shrine is called rushanga. The shona people living in the southern region refer to their tree shrine as muturo (place of sacrifice).

Gods
The shona religious spirits can be organized in hierarchal manor.Some of these gods are referred to using multiple names and each of them has a specific purpose which is outlined below.

Mwari:

The high god and creator. Also referred to as Nyandenga (Lord of the sky), Musikavanhu (creator of the people), Matangakugara (The first of all beings), Chikara (one who inspires awe), Zame (great spirit), Mbedzi(giver of life/one who give seed), and Mbereka ( He who gives life/birth).Sometime referred to as Ambuya (Grandmother/ women who has had many children) because Mwari is viewed as the origin of fertility.

Gombwe Remvura/Makombe:

Rain spirits: Snake Totem, children of Mwari who give rain and heal the people.

Mhondoro:

Clan spirits, attached to chieftaincy: guardians of the region who foretell the future, intercede for rain and heal the people.Also referred to as lion spirts.

Mudzimu/Vadzimu:

Family spirits who protect, counsel and heal the shona people.

This hierarchy also includes the njuzu and jukiwa which are in charge of healing specifically, the shave(foreign), the Ngozi who handle retribution, and the muroyi who are witch and sorceror spirits.

Transition (living to ancestral)
The transition from a person who is living (Munhu) to that of an ancestral spirit or mudzimu happen throughout the year after a persons death. During this time the spirit is thought to wander and adjust to its new identity before being called back into the circle of the family and becoming a mudzimu.When a persondies and begins their life as a spirit they are called nwaya(air,breath,soul,spirit) and their death is seen as a second birth becuse the nwaya will be on a journey that is completed when it becomes an ancestral spirit or mudzimu. In order for this spirit to become a mudzimu a special ceremony called kurova guva is held exactly one year after the persons death.

Mediums and communication
Once a spirit becomes a mudzimu it chooses someone from its family to be its medium and communicate with the rest of the shona people.Among the Mhebre Dandanda these sprits "come out" to speak in one of three ways. As vadzimu who are male(sekuro) spirits that tend to choose female medium slightly more often than male mediums or as female spirits which tend "come out" more often as n'angas (healers) or njuzu (healing water spirit).

During the rain ceremony of the Mhebre Dandanda there are thirteen dancers who host the vadzimu spirits, and one of the drummers host a final spirit. This spirit is more powerful and sent as a gaurdian the the other spirits. This is a gombwe revura spirit who the mhebre Dandanda call Chinovaranga and is consider as either a spirit who never was a person or a spirit of the original ancestors.

Thier is another spirit thought to be present during these ceremonies a spirit known as makobwe(snake spirits) who are thought to be closest to Mwari and therefore the most powerful of the spirits below him. The people believe they have the ability to heal using only snuff and water as well as the ability to intercede for rain.These spirits are said to be called upon by the mhondoro or clan spirits to ensure the rain will come.