The Sunday Mail
Jinda Mutinhima
NOVEMBER, inyanga yeMbuzi in Ndebele or mwedzi waMbudzi in Shona, is a sacred month in Zimbabwe. It’s significance has been the subject of debate for years.
There are many different calendars actively used around the world, and all are basically solar, lunar, lunisolar/solilunar.
As the name suggests, a solar calendar is based on the Earth’s rotation around the Sun.
Lunar calendars are based on the rotation of the Moon around Earth and are used mainly for religious purposes; while lunisolar/solilunar calendars combine the two.
Today almost everyone takes the precision of traditional calendars for granted, unaware of the long threads spooling out from clocks and watches backward in time, running through virtually every major revolution in human science, all linked to the measurement of time.
The African traditional calendar is based on the Earth’s rotation around the Moon, making its days shorter.
The basics are that in November people don’t marry, they don’t perform traditional rites and so forth. But what has not been explained is: why is this so? And when does the traditional November start and end?
The traditional month does not follow the modern day calendar but follows the moon. It starts around mid-October or in the final third of October when there is the full moon (mwedzi wagara, in Shona).
It ends round around mid-modern November and this is all determined by the Earth’s movement around the Moon.
According to African tradition, this is the month that the ancestors do not deal with earthly issues but deal with Musiki, God, on various issues tabled before the ancestors during the course of the year.
Traditionalist and African tradition researcher Mr Amego Mukucha says the month of November is when the ancestors meet God. It is measured by the Full Moon (Jeneguru).
“The modern day calendar is behind our traditional calendar so the month of November comes earlier. And it is during this time that the ancestors will be talking to Musiki all the deliberations that they had with people on Earth (pwere) for deliberations. It is the time that issues to do with famine, diseases, or any other issues that people asked for in their prayers are deliberated.
“It is there that the ancestors are given orders to talk to pwere so that they don’t breach the commandments of the land which upsets Musiki,” explains Mr Mukucha.
Another traditionalist, Ms Rufaro Musanhu, says November is sacred because it is this time that the ancestors have their own deliberations. Ms Musanhu says this is the crescent month (mwedzi mutate).
“Our traditional November is measured by the eye, when one looks up to the Moon, looking at its rotation around Earth. It’s very important to observe this month and not carry out any traditional rites because the ancestors will not be in a position to give blessings.
“Thus, for those that force and do these rites during this month, their prayers are not taken to Musiki or risk getting renegade spirits (zvikwambo). This is also the last month of the year in our calendar and therefore the deliberations between the ancestors with Musiki will be on the year ending and prospects for the New Year which starts in December.”
National Museums and Monuments Director (central region) Mr Nobert Nhutsve says the naming of the month “Mbudzi” is significant.
In Shona culture, he says, anything of little significance is called matambanembudzi or kutungana kwembudzi, hence any rites performed during Mbudzi is of no significance (kutungana kwembudzi).
“What is very important is for people to understand the tradition so that they don’t get to perform rites like marrying or doing traditional rituals when already in the month of Mbudzi but will be falsely thinking that they are still in October according to the modern day calendar. It is a time when the ancestors want to be honoured. Mbudzi is the last month on our calendar and the New Year begins in Zvita.”
Mr Wilbert Sadomba in “Using Taboos and Proverbs as Oral Archives of Indigenous Knowledge” notes: “Women are regarded with the sanctity of nature because they possess power of regeneration through their fecundity. This is reflected in a number of values, beliefs and taboos. November is known as the month of the goat (mwedzi wembudzi).
“November marks the period of regeneration of both flora and fauna following the first rains. With abundance of food, herbivores of all kinds start to reproduce and November is the peak period for this process of regeneration.
“This observation led to the development of the taboo that forbids marriage during the month of November. The taboo was developed to avoid accidental killing of pregnant animals for marriage or other ceremonies. The punishment suffered by people who marry in November is unreasonable breakdown of the marriage or some such calamity as failure to have children.”
November is also revered in America among its indigenous peoples. There, November is set aside as the month the month for celebrations.
November is traditionally the time when many American-Indians hold fall harvest and world-renewal ceremonies, pow-wows, dances, and various feasts. The holiday recognises hundreds of tribes and approximately 250 languages, and celebrates American-Indians’ history, tradition and values.
“National American Indian Heritage Month serves as a reminder of the positive effect native peoples have had on the cultural development and growth of the US, as well as the struggles and challenges they have faced. The holding of feasts by the American Indians has relation to the African tradition of feasting after commemorating the month of November,” says one online source.
The next month on the calendar is Zvita, which is the first month of the year but according to the modern calendar is December.
Zvita means “zvita zvevanhu”, meaning the gatherings now allowed for rituals and rites like marrying and appeasing spirits among other things.
This heralds a new year.
