HISTORY AND CUSTOMS OF THE MAKAKANGA. T,6j 



Mwari, when he speaks, usually does so from the Rock, or 

 from a tall tree in the immeu'iate vicinity. He does not use the 

 medium of a living person to express himself. His voice is said 

 to be shrill like that of a woman, and it is stated that the sound 

 appears to descend from above. 



Opinions differ as to whether Mwari ever speaks nowadays, 



■ some claiming that he has not done so since the Rebellion, and 



that the voice that has been heard speaking during the latter 



years is really that of Runji. Others, again, deny that Mwari 



never speaks, stating that he manifests himself every year. 



The priests who wait cmi Mwari are Warozwi of the totem 

 " monkey." but the power tO' act as a Mitiiyal li\i-Mwari. ])riest 

 or messenger of God, is not nowadays confined to any one tribe. 

 It merely depends on whether the man requesting permission t > 

 be enrolled as a priest has been possessed by the Jukica spirit ana 

 accepted by Runji. 



Jiikrca is a species of Siiabi, and though there are many 

 Shabis, Jukzva is the only one that emanates from Mwari. and 

 the man who is ix)ssessed by this spirit is called a Mondoro : he 

 is credited with being able to perform all sorts of extraordinary 

 feats, such as transforming one thing into another, turning tobacco 

 into ashes, or z'ice versa; diving into a pool infested with croco- 

 diles ; remaining under water an immense time, far longer than 

 any ordinary man can possibly do, and — as it is stated — play with 

 the crocodiles without fear or injury from them. 



I may say in passing that Sliabi are the spirits of persons 

 who have diea alone in the bush, and having no one to carry out 

 the usual rites of death, to ensure the spirit passing to its resting- 

 place, it — the SJiabi — is condemned to wander about eternally, 

 and whilst doing so, may enter the body of some living person 

 and make its wishes and requests known through this medium, at 

 a place called Mvumira-wa-Marumbi, so named after the 

 mother of Runji-Uwe, the per.sonal servants or priests of Mwari. 

 There are, of course, a very large number of priests who live 

 scattered throughout the country, who rarely, if ever, go near the 

 place, but communication is kept up between all of them. Women 

 who are dedicated to Mwari are called IVosana or Albonga. 



The Warozwi did not always believe in Mwari, and at one 

 time attempted to throw off all allegiance to him, which brought 

 on the tribe the punishment under which they suffer to this dav. 

 It is said that just after one of their periodical killings of their 

 Mambo Tumbari, the tribe went to the Ditnibo-rc-Mwari. or 

 Rock of God, to consult the oracle. Intoxicated by the excite- 

 ment of dancing and the beer they bad consumetl, one of their 

 number began a song to the effect that " Since we have killed 

 Tumbari, why should we not doi the same to Mwari? " Presentlv 

 all took up the song; and after a time, as nothing untoward 

 occurred, they ceased dancing, and agreed that they should treat 

 Mwari as they had 'treated their late Mambo, Tumbari — i.e., by 

 burning him alive. They all scattered into the bush in search of 

 firewood, and piled it up until it completely covered the " Rock ;"' 



