| Overview
of the Culture and Religious beliefs of the Ndebele Tribe |
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| Amadlozi had a
hierarchy of their own just like their living relations.
Each Zansi lineage and family had its own amadlozi
and the most senior member of the family acted as the
high priest. However amadlozi’s powers were
limited to issues to do with their own relatives. Only
the king’s amadlozi exercised national
guardianship.
The most important rites associated with family
ancestral spirits were the Ukuhlanziswa
(cleansing) and Ukubuyisa (bringing home)
ceremonies. The Zansi believed that death brought bad
bad omen to the nearest living relatives of the deceased
and such an omen could be passed on to neighbors, so it
was necessary for the family to be cleansed soon after
burying the deceased.
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When a year had elapsed, the deceased spirit, which had
been roaming around homelessly, manifested itself to the
family in the form of a snake, dreams or sickness to one
of the relatives. The family would then respond with a
bringing home ceremony where the most senior of the
relatives officiated. An ox was sacrificed during the
ceremony.
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The priest prayed to the spirit, now called idlozi,
and the ox’s meat was left over night for the idlozi to eat. In the morning, a feast would be held to eat the
meat and drink beer brewed for the ceremony, people
feasted as guests to the spirit and after the ceremony,
the idlozi joined the other ancestral spirits and
became an object of worship.
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| In general the Zansi lived their lives under the
guidance of amadlozi and no dangerous action was
taken with asking for protection and luck from the
ancestors. Such supplication was done through the offering
of an ox and a prayer to the ancestors. A similar fashion
of ancestral worship prevailed at national level only that
it was done on a grander and more elaborate scale. |
| The most important religious
festival was the annual Inxwala festival. Here
the king prayed and sacrificed as many as fifty oxen to
his amadlozi for national prosperity, welfare and
victory over enemies. In time of drought, the king also
led in rain making ceremonies conducted as the royal
graveyards. These ceremonies were known as Ukucela
Imvula emakhosini. |
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| If you feel this is not an
accurate account and you have a more accurate one, or
you have a clarification , you can submit
your version of the account here |
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| Other
documents related to this Profile |
| Changes in
the Ndebele (Matabele) religion |
| Mzilikazi,
the Ndebele and Christianity religion |
| Ndebele
Religious beliefs |
| Ndebele
Social structure |
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