IN the last episode of our discussion on African spirituality, we began to examine the various ways in which restitution is paid to appease the ngozi spirits.We have already made reference to the practice where a family affected by ngozi may approach a n’anga, an African doctor or medical expert for the kutsipika ritual. Another version of this practice is ‘kurasirira’.
In situations where the whole clan or extended family are not united to address the ngozi spirit, the affected individual approaches a n’anga for help to banish the spirit from troubling his immediate family.
In his book Mhuri yeZimbabwe, Book1, T N Munhumutema outlines some of the ways in which ngozi spirits are appeased. In this article we shall make reference to some of the procedures that he details regarding appeasement of ngozi spirits.
Let us begin with the a case where the wrong doer’s family is unable or unwilling to meet the terms of the ngozi spirit and opts to throw the spirit into the bush as it were, ‘kurasirira’.
The n’anga conducts rituals using various African medicines to ‘tie up’ the spirit to a live chicken, goat, sheep or cattle which is then sent off into the bush (kurasirira). The family is given medicines that essentially ‘repel’ the ngozi should it attempt to return. Only those who have been so treated are protected, meaning that the ngozi can still go to other extended or clan members to seek redress. This is why the African people say the best way to settle a ngozi problem is to pay restitution.
Here we continue to look at various ways in which restitution is paid for ngozi cases. The n’anga will act as the intermediary between the ngozi spirit and its living family members and the culprit family.
The first step as we have indicated earlier is for the n’anga to call the spirit so it can identify itself by name and family, explain how it was wronged and by whom specifically. The spirit will then indicate how it wants restitution to be paid.
We must emphasize here that there are different types of ngozi spirits varying depending on the severity of the cases or crimes committed. The nature and amount of restitution will also vary accordingly.
In cases where the ngozi is that of a married woman whose personal belongings were either destroyed or retained forcibly by the husband, restitution is through payment of a cattle referred to either as mombe yemidziyo (utensils) and mombe yematura (granaries).
In cases where the ngozi is a wife who was accused of being a witch (kunangwahuroyi), restitution is in the form of a cow, mombe yesukamukanwa, (cow for cleaning a ‘foul’ mouth). The cow is slaughtered, not retained as breeding stock in the family pen, otherwise all daughters will continue to be accused of being witches wherever they get married. In all cases where a cow is paid as restitution, a goat is first paid to pave way for the payment of the main item of restitution, the cow. The goat is called ‘munongedzo’ literally ‘that which is used to show’.
If the ngozi is that of a son-in-law, restitution is a wife and ten cattle and the munongedzo goat. The family receiving the restitution will brew beer for the receiving ceremony where the people from both family sides will laugh and rejoice to show that normal relations have been restored.
Where the ngozi arises from death in an accident, the person committing culpable homicide must brew beer and organise a mourning ceremony. He may be required to pay a cow as punishment for having failed to mourn the deceased. The key requirement is that the culprit be seen to mourn the deceased since there was no deliberate commission of murder.
In the case of ngozi resulting from murder, restitution is in the form of a human being and ten head of cattle. The woman is expected to go to the family of the murder victim to bear children to replace the murdered person.
Restitution for ngozi spirits of servants (varanda) and adopted persons of unknown parentage (nhapwa) can be problematic as often their families are unknown and their spirits are unable to provide information for their location. Most such cases date from the pre-colonial period and unless the ngozi spirit possesses a medium and provides details about family name and clan, it is difficult to know who to pay restitution to.
However, some n’angas may perform the ‘kurasisrira’ or ‘kutsipika’ rituals to provide some relief to affected families. The relief may last for decades if not lifetimes.
Another method of settling varanda and nhapwa ngozi spirits is to officially confer the name (if known) of the person who is a ngozi on one of the family children. That child is also given cattle (dangaremombe).The child who is given the name of the servant (muranda) is no longer a member of the family.
If the ngozi is from an adopted but unknown female person, a female child is conferred with the name. She is then given all the property of the deceased nhapwa woman. She assumes the status of any other grandmother in the family and ceases to torment the clan.
Only very senior ancestral spirits, midzimumikuruyenyika, also known asMakombweenyika, can perform ceremonies to finalise restitution cases for ‘varanda’ and ‘nhapwa’ ngozi spirits.
Where a ngozi spirit of the parent targets a child, restitution is by way of ‘kutandabotso’where the erring party put on rags and covers the body with ashes. S/he goes around the villages telling the public the wrongs committed against the parents. The public laughs and hurls insults and ridicule on the erring child but gives him various grains which are subsequently used to brew beer for a cleansing ceremony. Relatives do not eat or drink any of the food at a kutandabotso ceremony.
These ceremonies and rituals to appease ngozi spirits may be contrasted with the temporary and very individual relief from exorcising of ‘so-called demon spirits’ by Christian pastors and so-called prophets.
The African spiritual view is that the whole family are responsible for the crime committed by their relative because they are intricately bound together in body and spirit. Each family member is indeed their brother’s keeper. In a way the ngozi spirit phenomenon helps to bind families, forcing everyone to look out and warn against bad behaviour by all family members because collective punishment is visited on all.
We must emphasize that whether rich or poor, one cannot escape the wrath of a ngozi spirit. It seeks justice from beyond the grave, from all family or clan members even extending to the children of the sons-in-law. It is the spiritual dimension of African justice system.
We shall continue to explore African spirituality in future episodes.