Symbolism in Indigenous Religion

Concepts: 1. Identifying symbols in I.R.

2. Examining symbols in I.R.

2. Examining the significance of symbols.

 According to C.G Jung, “The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than
the greatest of all things”.
 A symbol is something, (an idea, a sign a ritual art or a behavioural pattern) that
stands as a means of communicating an inner essence.
 Symbols in I.R, includes images, icons, objects, traditional clothes which have sacred
connotations. They are objects that believers or followers worship or venerate and
pray to. These symbols are sacred and have sacred or symbolic significance or
meanings.
 Symbols are objects that serve as symbols of the faith. These objects are often
inspiring to the religion's followers and may be used by them to focus their prayer or
announce their faith, such as if worn as jewellery. 
 Symbols are words, gestures, pictures, or objects that carry a particular meaning
which is only recognized by those who share a particular culture. New symbols easily
develop, old ones disappear. Symbols from one particular group are regularly copied
by others. This is why symbols represent the outermost layer of a culture
 Symbols and iconography are vehicles to express a tribe’s spirituality and
philosophy.
 Symbols represent different characters and characteristics & adorn many things
ranging from clothing to pottery. Due to the profound nature of these symbols, they
are sometimes seen tattooed onto people’s skin.

1. Symbolic animals
 The totem animals are a vital symbols of indigenous life. Different indigenous clans
have specific relationships with individual animals, they are not allowed to eat the
meat of their specific animal and each totem animal is a sacred symbol.

 When a traveller saw a baboon or baboons seated or walking it signified that there was no
problem. The traveller would travel happily and safely. It meant the ancestors had blessed
the journey, but if one saw one baboon seated with its palm on cheek looking sad/
unhappy it meant the journey was unsafe and the ancestors of the land would be advising
the traveller to go back.

 a sign that the guardians of the land (vekunyikadzimu) will be touring around the land as
an assurance of the security of the land and its people. Likewise, the lion was not
supposed to be harmed as that would attract severe suffering for either the offender or the
whole Shona community or even both.

Symbolism and the natural environment

 The sacred stones and statues are believed to store the souls of sacred spirits
and are symbols of both religious and political power.
 The sun is one of the most important indigenous symbols and regarded as female
due to its life giving powers. It is a symbols of hope and new beginning.
 Trees & forests are symbolic among the Shona communities. The belief in
ancestral spirits living in tree branches is also implied in death rituals. In the
bringing back home the ancestor ritual some Shona use the branches of certain
big trees. They symbolically drag the branch from the deceased’s grave to the
homestead. The most commonly used branches are those of
muhacha/muchakata (Parinari curatellifolia) and mutuwa (Kirkia acuminate)
trees.
 Some trees with religious significance are mubvumira (Kirkia acuminate) used to
ritually mark the establishment of a new homestead, and muzeze (Peltiforum
africanum) whose branches are used for ritual purification after burial. In his
research Mukamuri found that the following trees also have religious
 significance. Fruit trees such as mushavi and muonde meeting places for rain-
asking ritual (mutoro/mukwerere).
 The family spirits hover round the village of their families, but the mhondoro live
in the forest in special lions, perhaps in the sacred muhacha tree, or even in the
heavens above. Ceremonies for the tutelary spirits, mhondoro, are held in an
enclosure (ruchanga) surrounding the sacred muchacha tree or in a specially
made wooden structure which resembles a hut (dendemaro). Such gatherings
emphasize the proximity of the worshippers to nature and to the trees, the grass,
the soil and the rocks. Their environment forms a background to their religion.

Symbolic Attire

 The wearing of a black dress by a widow in some parts of Africa is symbolic of

bereavement.
 Ceremonial costumes, for e.g. the Sacred black & white costume (machira-
makungwe) are worn by spirit mediums and n’angas during consultation by believers
in I.R.
 The baTonga special dresses with different colours, printed symbols of fish,
nyaminyami and elephants are worn during the Kuomboka ceremony (October &
November). They are used to praise political heroes, to commemorate historical
events and to assert social identities.
 Those possessed by the alien spirits can also put on ‘magagada’, beads (chuma), &
bangles at special ceremonies or when conducting rituals.
 Some of the vessels are used by the witchdoctors for storing medicines and charms
for example sacred lots, ngundu, wooden plate (mbiya), pfuko and mukombe.

Courtship and marriage symbols

 In the baTonga culture symbols also play a large part in courtship procedures &
expressions of love. Young female baTonga wear beads inscribed with symbols given
to them by their suitors. These symbols are usually symbols of love and are offered
as love tokens.
  Other symbol-inscribed beads may not be love tokens and may in fact be cautionary
symbols given to the girl by her family to protect her from unwanted attention

The Man’s Weapons

 The man’s objects that symbolise manhood include:

A) Gano-small axe
b) Pfumo-small spear
b) Tsvimbo- knobkerrie or walking stick
c) Bows and arrows

 These are the symbolise manhood in Shona culture. They are symbols of the tribe’s
fertility which is passed on to every individual by the ancestors. Most traditional
Shona men keep these objects hidden in their bedrooms, they are not for public
exhibition they can only be used on rituals like inheritance, or in defense of the
family in case of an attack at home.
 These objects have a patriarchal and symbolic energy that is synonymous with
manhood. Symbolic meanings of each object;

a) Axe -traditionally used in close combat symbolises the man’s role in close
protection of his family. There is an axe for daily use and the one for ceremonial
occasions. Gano or humbwa is a cutting tool that was used for hunting & war. The
axes used during cultural festivals or religious ceremonies are known as tsomho or
dancing axes amongst the Korekore people of north-eastern Zimbabwe.
b) Pfumo-a hunting instrument also used for warfare symbolic of the man’s role as a
breadwinner and a hunter for the family.
c) Tsvimbo-A sceptre of authority symbol of patriarchy and honour associated with
the institution of manhood.

 These combination objects carry on them a patriarchal and imparted energy closely
associated with manhood.
 Spiritual rods. According to H. Ellert walking sticks & staffs (Tsvimbo/intonga) are
considered as symbols are considered as symbols of power and authority. In both
Ndebele and Shona cultures Tsvimbo has long been representative of both secular
and spiritual authority. If it belongs to a dead ancestor, the spirit medium uses it in
calling forth the spirit to speak & guide the living.

Symbolic swords (bakatwa)

 Bakatwa or knife is a general Shona term for a type of sword found in

Mashonaland and Manicaland provinces. Swords are a symbol of authority,
manhood and a defensive weapon.

Symbolic hoes

 Hoes save a symbolic purpose among the indigenous communities like the
baTonga. Miniature hoes called ‘Katemokavamwali’ were used as important
symbols during rites of passage such as female initiations called Chinamwali in
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
 Katemokavamwali literally means the hoe of the female initiate. Katemo is a hoe,
vamwali is of (va) women (mwali) or female initiate.
 Katemokavamwali is also a dance at boys Mukanda ceremonies. Blades of these
hoes were curved from wood or forged by ironsmiths.

The Woman’s wedding jars

In the local communities the bride and her relatives takes with them the wedding
jars on their way to the other tribe. These jars must be new ones; they are
symbolic expression of the bride’s virginity as well as of her future role among
the alien tribe. All jars are symbols of womanhood but each different specific jar
has also its own specific symbolism.
 These jars include ‘rongo’ (medium sized) in which the wife prepares warm water
for her husband every morning. NB. Research on symbolic meaning of jars.

The woman’s baskets

Different kinds of baskets are also symbolic in the indigenous religion. Each type
of a basket symbolises a certain state of a woman’s maturity. The largest of the
baskets is called ‘dengu’ followed by others, ‘dengwana’, ‘nhangwana’, ‘shandiro;
and ‘rusero’.

Symbolic Plates

the daughter in law is expected to bring some eating utensils i.e wooden plates
which are also symbolic. The wooden plate or ‘ndiro’ was a symbol of tribal
fertility among the Kalanga. The special ‘gunere’ plate has various symbolic
meanings.
The head of the family has his own set of plates, the so-called ‘gunere’, he is the
most important upholder of the family’s fertility. It means real fertility comes
from the man, he gives the seeds to his wife hence begets children for the tribe.
‘gunere’ means authority hence its only for man. If a woman offered food to a
stranger in a ‘gunere’ she would be taken to court and accused of adultery. A
man’s gunere is buried with him so that he can maintain his children’s fertility
even after death.

The Hut or the Kitchen symbols

The earthen bench along the wall of the in every kitchen where jars and pots are
kept. This bench is a place of honour in the house, it is the family altar. Its raised
position symbolises the greatness & dignity of the ancestral spirits. Since the
ancestors are higher than anyone else they are honoured at the highest place in
the house.

 Among the Kalanga people the bench is also an expression of the husband’s authority & of
his right to have any wives. The bench or rukuva for the Kalanga is a symbol of the grave of
 the ancestral spirits. There one prays and makes sacrificial offerings to them. The jars (hari)
on the bench represent the whole represent the whole tribe and the unity of the family.
 If prayers are to be made to the family spirit (mudzimu) these are said before the
ruhuva (potshelf) In the main hut (imba) of the family. They are very much a family
affair with the family spirits close at hand in the home.

Music or songs

Music instruments in the indigenous cultures are symbolic and reveals people's
spiritual beliefs, their modes of expression, patterns of communication and forms of
entertainment, in as much as their present day popular music reveals a lot about the
people's present lives and past experiences.
Through songs, a daughter-in-law would express her bitterness against a horrible
mother-in-law, a bitter wife against a greedy husband, and the whole community
would protest against an unjust chief, hence there is a tradition of Shona protest
songs." There were songs to praise, urge, ridicule and reprimand. Most
communication strategies in the pre-literate and oral African societies were musical
in one way or another

Traditional musical instruments with a symbolic value

 Musical instruments are the tools for teaching the indigenous spirituality to their

followers. These items are often passed down from generation to generation for
example trumpets (hwamanda), thumb piano (mbira)hosho, drums (ngoma) are
used at biras & rainmaking ceremonies. The ngoma-buntimbe ceremonial drums are
only played at special ceremonies such as funerals of chiefs, spirit mediums and
other special ceremonies.
 Mbira – Henrick Ellert states that mbira dzavadzimu were used during spiritual and
religious ceremonies when n’anga and masvikiro spirit mediums call upon vadzimu to
intercede on their behalf with the Supreme being in times of strife or famine

 the mbira has spiritual embodiment and is performed at many different

ceremonies, including rain-making ceremonies, weddings, working parties,
ceremonies for appeasing of the ancestral spirits, ceremonies for installing new chiefs,
 and death ceremonies, including the guva ceremony in which a departed person's
spirit is welcomed back into the community a year after their death.
 Solomon Murungu points out, that the keys thus personify the presence of ancestral
spirits directly on the instrument. The sound board, made from a special kind of
tree, mubvamaropa, represents a source of shelter and fuel, basic necessities in
everyday Shona life. The resonator gourd or deze, into which the mbira is mounted
and propped as a second level amplifier is a special type of dried squash, called
Nhangatanga or the first squash, which is a source of food. It is also used as a water
container, dende. In its smaller form and dried, the nhangatanga squash is used as a
drinking gourd, mukombe. The instrument thus symbolizes the basic elements of
everyday life in Shona.
 Pembe or pito (whistle) were blown for communication purposes e.g. at a funeral.

Nhekwe or snuff containers

 Snuff is used when an elder member kneels and offer prayers to the ancestors as an
offering to the spirits. Ordinary snuff is called bute or mudhombo and the one used
by spirit mediums is called chambwa.
 Snuff is used for medicinal purposes or is also taken by herbalists or n’angas during
consultations and by the spirit mediums when calling upon ancestral spirits.

Hakata (lots)

 Hakata (lots or divining tablets) traditionally used by Shona king’s sorcerers &
soothsayers to foretell the future. Hakata consists of a basic set of four tablets or
pieces, each with a designated power or value that can be interpreted according to
custom and tradition.
 These four pieces are known as chirume (male), kwami (female), nhokwara (good
luck) and chitokwadzima (bad luck), and in other instances being representative of
manhood or masculinity, motherhood, youth & virginity or purity.

Ceremonial Stool - The BaTonga tribes also sanctifies religious objects and attaches
great symbolism to the ceremonial stool which is kept hidden and closely guarded.
 These stools represent the worship of ancestors, an ideal close to the hearts of the
baTonga. No one may sit on these stools and they have never touched the ground.
These stools come in different sizes and shapes depending on the ceremonial nature of
that particular stool.

Body Markings or mutilation - Symbolism among the baTonga of Northern Zimbabwe

and part of Zambia pierce a hole through the nose and also remove two upper front
teeth as a sign of independence, freedom or emancipation.

The significance of Symbols in the I.R.

Artificial symbols are created by an individual or a group to represent ideas. Such

symbols usually relate to a believer’s own experience. For example, among the
sacred axe (gano) of the Shona people and the stool in among the baTonga
communities.
Communicative symbols are those that are used specifically to communicate
knowledge and information. We are aware that all symbols communicate, hut this
category includes those which are intended purposely to convey concepts, ideas and
emotions.
Ritualistic symbols are used to instruct and indoctrinate the devotees about the
article of their faith and it is mostly liturgical. For example, sacred animals, trees and
religious attire.
Artistic symbols are those that are used for aesthetic purpose. This is a common
feature in most shrines in Africa.
Significance of Symbols as means of Communication - People do not only
communicate their thoughts and feelings or experience to others but also to
themselves, and this is usually done through symbols. Through communication,
symbols could, help to maintain order and coherence and this is achieved largely by
the use of art objects. This in turn could be as a powerful instrument for
indoctrination or as a tool for impressing religious dogma in the minds of the
devotees, thereby making it easy for the leaders to organize their followers in an
orderly manner.
 Symbols also serve as agents of identification. For example, different individuals
who profess the same faith who had not known each other before wearing an
emblem that belongs to particular cult or sect can easily identify each other
belonging to the same faith. In other words, members are identified welded together
by religious symbols.
Symbols of religious art can also be used as means of preserving knowledge of
historical and religious occurrence. When it is said indigenous religion is written
everywhere it is because every traditional Zimbabwe community is replete with
symbols of the religion and those who have ears to hear and eyes to see can notice
them in cultural context.
Symbols, especially those connected with cultural festivals, which re-enact historical
events, are useful instruments for communication to the younger generations
about the sect they belong. This is another means of preserving culture.
Finally, symbols of religious art could help in achieving higher mystical exercise and
spiritual development, such as divination, medication and education. For example, a
diviner who uses water, oil, and hakata during divination, usually develops higher
spiritual intellectual ability to solve human problems.
 Some symbolic signs or features are significant in forth telling and foretelling future
events.
1. if a branch falls while you watch, it communicates the death of a loved one.
2. the presence of certain animals, birds or snakes in the homestead may mean
something.
When this happens the Shona call this shura. Shura means a brief
strange appearance of some rare animal. This signifies something good
or bad, depending on appearance of a particular animal, to happen
in the not so distant future.37 Usually appearances of snakes signify
death in the family seeing a tsvukukuviri snake in your way was a sign of bad omen.
3. meeting a lion, a leopard or a Zimbabwe bird was a direct enciunte with
mhondoro.
4. if the hoe falls from the handle whilst weeding, yu were not to continue
doing work.
5. preparing food or when you are eating then all the food falls to the ground by
mistake was an indication than the ancestors have taken their own share (communal
existence with the spirits.
6. a restless whistling of birds alarmed of imminent danger.