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Tribe Snapshots Shona |
| Location: |
Zimbabwe,
southern Mozambique |
| Population: |
9 million |
| Language: |
Shona (Bantu) |
| Neighboring Peoples: |
Ndebele, Tonga, Chikunda, Sena, Barwe, Tsonga,
Venda |
| Types of Art: |
Shona are best known for their beautifully adorned
wooden headrests. Most of the art associated with
Shona is either personal or utilitarian. Although
they produce no figurative sculpture, they do
have a rich tradition of metalworking and woodcarving.
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| History: |
The archaeological ruins known as "Great Zimbabwe"
have been radiocarbon dated to approximately 600
A.D. It is believed that the ancestors of modern
day Shona built Great Zimbabwe and hundreds of
other stone walled sites in Zimbabwe. It was not
until the late 19th century that the peoples speaking
several mutually intelligible languages were united
under the Shona name. There are five main language
clusters: Korekore, Zeseru, Manyika, Ndau, and
Karanga. The last of these groups was largely
absorbed by the Ndebele when they moved into western
Zimbabwe in the 1830s. Shona are linguistically
related to the central Bantu and most likely moved
into present day Zimbabwe during the great Bantu
expansion. |
| Economy: |
Shona are primarily agricultural. Their main
crop is maize, but they also grow millet, sorghum,
rice, beans, manioc, peanuts, pumpkins, and sweet
potatoes. They raise some cattle, sheep, and chickens.
Women may supplement their income by selling pottery
and handwoven baskets that serve primarily as
utilitarian objects. Men may work as blacksmiths
or carvers by commission. Although cows are milked,
they are most often used for bride price. Cows
are considered taboo for women, so men must do
all of the milking and herding. Men also do some
hunting and fishing, but neither contribute greatly
to the food supply. Men and women both participate
in farming. |
| Political Systems: |
Traditionally, Shona peoples lived in dispersed
settlements, usually consisting of one or more
elder men and their extended families. Most decisions
were made within the family, although organized
political states were recognized as a source of
centralized power. They were headed by a paramount
chief who inherited his position and power in
the divine manner of a king. He usually resided
in a centralized location and was accompanied
by his court who advised him about most important
decisions. The head chief often received substantial
payment in the form of tributes from his constituency.
|
| Religion: |
Shona peoples believe in two types of spirits.
Shave spirits are most often considered to be
outside or wandering spirits, and vadzimu are
ancestor spirits. Shave spirits are associated
with populations living outside of Shona territory
and may be connected to neighboring peoples, Europeans,
or even animals. These spirits may be either malevolent
or benevolent. Bad spirits are associated with
witchcraft, while good spirits may inspire individual
talents associated with healing, music, or artistic
ability. Vadzimu represent all that is ideal and
moral about a Shona way of life and are usually
associated with recent ancestors or with more
remote culture heroes whose exact genealogy has
been forgotten. They serve to protect society,
but may withdraw this protection if Shona moral
ideals are not respected. |
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