Let's Talk African History: Zimbabwe

[Warthog]

OK fellows, I'm back with another 'Let's Talk African History' thread.
This is all about the area known today as Zimbabwe. Seriously guys, I thought you guys would've made a thread about this topic already?.............................
Anyway, I've always found Zimbabwe's cultures and history fascinating. From their stone works to their trade routes (they also played a major part in the Indian Ocean trade), to their warrior prowess (trust me they weren't to be underestimated).
Zimbabwe's history is filled with impressive kingdoms, empires, polities etc.

So let's discuss, post some stuff about Zimbabwe's history and what not.

I'll kick things off with the obvious:
The Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe Bird

The stone-carved Zimbabwe Bird is the national emblem of Zimbabwe, appearing on the national flags and coats of arms of both Zimbabwe and Rhodesia, as well as on banknotes and coins (first on Rhodesian pound and then Rhodesian dollar). It probably represents the bateleur eagle or the African fish eagle. The bird's design is derived from a number of soapstone sculptures found in the ruins of the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe

Origins
The original carved birds are from the ruined city of Great Zimbabwe, which was built by ancestors of the Shona, starting in the 11th century and inhabited for over 300 years. The ruins, after which modern Zimbabwe was named, cover some 730 hectares (1,800 acres) and are the largest ancient stone construction in sub-Saharan Africa. Among its notable elements are the soapstone bird sculptures, about 40 centimetres (16 inches) tall and standing on columns more than 90 cm (3 ft) tall, which were originally installed on walls and monoliths within the city. They are unique to Great Zimbabwe; nothing like them has been discovered elsewhere.

Various explanations have been advanced to explain the symbolic meaning of the birds. One suggestion is that each bird was erected in turn to represent a new king, but this would have required improbably long reigns. More probably, the Zimbabwe birds represent sacred or totemic animals of the Shona – the bateleur eagle (Shona: chapungu), which was held to be a messenger from Mwari (God) and the ancestors, or the fish eagle (hungwe) which it has been suggested was the original totem of the Shona

Bateleur Eagle/Chapungu

African Fish Eagle/Hungwe

 

[Warthog]

@Diasporan Royalty @Poitier @Dip @IllmaticDelta

 

[Bawon Samedi]

@Diasporan Royalty @Poitier @Dip @IllmaticDelta

I'll add something when I get home.

 

[Poitier]

SHONA TOTEMS

In Zimbabwe, totems (mitupo) have been in use among the Shona people ever since the initial stages of their culture. The Shona use totems to identify the different clans that historically made up the ancient civilizations of the dynasties that ruled over them in the city of Great Zimbabwe, which was once the centre of the sprawling Munhumutapa Empire. Clans, which consist of a group of related kinsmen and women who trace their descent from a common founding ancestor, form the core of every Shona chiefdom. Totemic symbols chosen by these clans are primarily associated with animal names. The purposes of a totem are: 1) to guard against incestuous behavior, 2) to reinforce the social identity of the clan, and, 3) to provide praise to someone through recited poetry. In contemporary Shona society there are at least 25 identifiable totems with more than 60 principal names (zvidawo). Every Shona clan is identified by a particular totem (specified by the term mitupo) and principal praise name (chidawo). The principal praise name in this case is used to distinguish people who share the same totem but are from different clans. For example, clans that share the same totem Shumba (lion) will identify their different clansmanship by using a particular praise name like Murambwe, or Nyamuziwa. The foundations of the totems are inspired in rhymes that reference the history of the totem.

Totems are usually animals and body parts. Examples of animals totems include Shiri/Hungwe (Fish Eagle), Mhofu/Mhofu Yemukono/Musiyamwa (Eland), Mbizi/Tembo (Zebra), Shumba (Lion), Mbeva/Hwesa/Katerere (Mouse), Soko (Monkey), Nzou (Elephant), Ngwena (crocodile), and Dziva (Hippo). Examples of body part totems include Gumbo (leg), Moyo (heart), and Bepe (lung). These were further broken down into gender related names. For example, Zebra group would break into Madhuve for the females and Dhuve or Mazvimbakupa for the males.

Generally Zimbabweans believe in God (Mwari/Musikavanu), but they also believe their lives are controlled by the ancestral spirits (vadzimu/amadlozi). Vadzimu is the spirit of your ancestors – when a person dies, his spirit wanders until he is given permission to come back and protect his children. Only a full grown person who has children can become an effective mudzimu.

Totems identify the different clans, and it is generally believed that people of that clan will portray attributes of the totem. If your totem is Shumba (Lion) for instance, your attributes will be hunting, you will most likely be powerful, sexy, fearless. But you may also be selfish, cunning, and proud – most men I know of the Shumba totem are sexual predators and are prone to abuse of power.

If your totem is monkey, you will probably be a very jumpy, unstable person – moving from place to place and rarely settling. You will also probably be untruthful, changing your story with your changing circumstances. If your totem is Zebra, you will probably be smart, proud, maybe a loner as well – not keen to associate with all and sundry.

After independence in Zimbabwe we made the effort to tell our story as a nation, and this is a good and important thing. However, parts of our story pay allegiance to vadzimu, crediting them with liberating us from the colonial oppressors during the Chimurenga war, and daily asking them to watch over us. Even in our churches we have members who pray to God on Sunday and pray to vadzimu the rest of the time.

 

[Warthog]

SHONA TOTEMS

In Zimbabwe, totems (mitupo) have been in use among the Shona people ever since the initial stages of their culture. The Shona use totems to identify the different clans that historically made up the ancient civilizations of the dynasties that ruled over them in the city of Great Zimbabwe, which was once the centre of the sprawling Munhumutapa Empire. Clans, which consist of a group of related kinsmen and women who trace their descent from a common founding ancestor, form the core of every Shona chiefdom. Totemic symbols chosen by these clans are primarily associated with animal names. The purposes of a totem are: 1) to guard against incestuous behavior, 2) to reinforce the social identity of the clan, and, 3) to provide praise to someone through recited poetry. In contemporary Shona society there are at least 25 identifiable totems with more than 60 principal names (zvidawo). Every Shona clan is identified by a particular totem (specified by the term mitupo) and principal praise name (chidawo). The principal praise name in this case is used to distinguish people who share the same totem but are from different clans. For example, clans that share the same totem Shumba (lion) will identify their different clansmanship by using a particular praise name like Murambwe, or Nyamuziwa. The foundations of the totems are inspired in rhymes that reference the history of the totem.

Totems are usually animals and body parts. Examples of animals totems include Shiri/Hungwe (Fish Eagle), Mhofu/Mhofu Yemukono/Musiyamwa (Eland), Mbizi/Tembo (Zebra), Shumba (Lion), Mbeva/Hwesa/Katerere (Mouse), Soko (Monkey), Nzou (Elephant), Ngwena (crocodile), and Dziva (Hippo). Examples of body part totems include Gumbo (leg), Moyo (heart), and Bepe (lung). These were further broken down into gender related names. For example, Zebra group would break into Madhuve for the females and Dhuve or Mazvimbakupa for the males.

Generally Zimbabweans believe in God (Mwari/Musikavanu), but they also believe their lives are controlled by the ancestral spirits (vadzimu/amadlozi). Vadzimu is the spirit of your ancestors – when a person dies, his spirit wanders until he is given permission to come back and protect his children. Only a full grown person who has children can become an effective mudzimu.

Totems identify the different clans, and it is generally believed that people of that clan will portray attributes of the totem. If your totem is Shumba (Lion) for instance, your attributes will be hunting, you will most likely be powerful, sexy, fearless. But you may also be selfish, cunning, and proud – most men I know of the Shumba totem are sexual predators and are prone to abuse of power.

If your totem is monkey, you will probably be a very jumpy, unstable person – moving from place to place and rarely settling. You will also probably be untruthful, changing your story with your changing circumstances. If your totem is Zebra, you will probably be smart, proud, maybe a loner as well – not keen to associate with all and sundry.

After independence in Zimbabwe we made the effort to tell our story as a nation, and this is a good and important thing. However, parts of our story pay allegiance to vadzimu, crediting them with liberating us from the colonial oppressors during the Chimurenga war, and daily asking them to watch over us. Even in our churches we have members who pray to God on Sunday and pray to vadzimu the rest of the time.

Great info!

 

[Warthog]

The Kingdom of Mapungubwe

The Kingdom of Mapungubwe (1075–1220) was a pre-colonial state in Southern Africa located at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers, south of Great Zimbabwe. The name is derived from either Venda or Shona. The name may mean "Hill of Jackals". The kingdom was the first stage in a development that would culminate in the creation of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe in the 13th century, and with gold trading links to Rhapta and Kilwa Kisiwani on the African east coast. The Kingdom of Mapungubwe lasted about 80 years, and at its height its population was about 5000 people. The Mapungubwe Collection is a museum collection of artifacts found at the archaeological site and is housed in the Mapungubwe Museum in Pretoria.

This archaeological site can be attributed to the Bukalanga Kingdom, which comprises the Bakalanga people from northeast Botswana, the Karanga from Western Zimbabwe, the Vha Venda in the northeast of South Africa. They were the first Bantu to cross the Limpopo River to the south, and established their kingdom where the Shashe and Limpopo conjoined (Sha-limpo).

A video (be warned the info isn't perfect)

Mapungubwe

 

[Warthog]

After the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe dissolved 2 polities were formed in its place.
Let's discuss the more well known of the 2, first:
The Mutapa Kingdom/Empire/Mwenemutapa

The Kingdom of Mutapa – sometimes referred to as the Mutapa Empire, Mwenemutara, (Shona: Mwene we Mutapa or more commonly and modern "Munhumutapa"; Portuguese: Monomotapa) – was a Kalanga kingdom which stretched from the Zambezi through the Limpopo rivers to the Indian Ocean in southern Africa, in what are the modern states of Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana and stretching well into modern Zambia. Its founders are descendants of the builders who constructed Great Zimbabwe

^^^ I modified part of the statement.

At times the state was so powerful that they even managed to extract tribute and tax the pork chops (Portuguese)!

List of Mutapa Monarchs

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Yea... My bad for taking so long to reply. Anyways, what I like about Great Zimbabwe so much is not just because it had a connection to the Swahili Coast cities(even controlling some ports), but also the fact that it had a monopoly on gold in the Indian Ocean trade(which was among the most important in history). Which is hardly if ever talked about. More importantly what I like the most is that it reminds me of the fictional African nation Wakanda. Great Zimbabwe debunks many myths about Southern Africa and yet its history is mostly neglected even by so called Africanist. Anyways...

Archaeologists beginning in the 1902 began the rediscovery of southern African gold mining in and around the Great Zimbabwe region. They found thousands of gold mines dug to an astonishing depth of 150 feet. The archaeologists estimated that the southern Africans dug 43,250,000 tons of ore. According to Professor Finch, this produces 700 tons of pure gold which equals $7.5 billion at 1998 gold prices.

Walker, Robin. Blacks and Science Volume Two: West and East African Contributions to Science and Technology AND Intellectual Life and Legacy of Timbuktu. London: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013. Print.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Also I know Wikipedia isn't a good source, but I found that people of Great Zimbabwe had control over the Swahilis in a certain town.

Formally, Sofala continued to belong to the Kingdom of Monomatapa, the Swahili community paying tribute for permission to reside and trade there. The Sultan of Kilwa only had jurisdiction on the Swahili residents, and his governor was more akin to a consul than a ruler. The city retained a great degree of autonomy, and could be quite prickly should the Sultan of Kilwa try to interfere in their affairs. Sofala was easily the most dominant coastal city south of Kilwa itself.

Sofala - Wikipedia

 

[Warthog]

Yea... My bad for taking so long to reply. Anyways, what I like about Great Zimbabwe so much is not just because it had a connection to the Swahili Coast cities(even controlling some ports), but also the fact that it had a monopoly on gold in the Indian Ocean trade(which was among the most important in history).

I think it was either Great Zimbabwe or Mutapa kingdom that controlled some of the Swahili ports!? Either way they were basically the same.

Which is hardly if ever talked about. More importantly what I like the most is that it reminds me of the fictional African nation Wakanda. Great Zimbabwe debunks many myths about Southern Africa and yet its history is mostly neglected even by so called Africanist.

I see some similarities with Wakanda.....................But not much!

Anyways...

Archaeologists beginning in the 1902 began the rediscovery of southern African gold mining in and around the Great Zimbabwe region. They found thousands of gold mines dug to an astonishing depth of 150 feet. The archaeologists estimated that the southern Africans dug 43,250,000 tons of ore. According to Professor Finch, this produces 700 tons of pure gold which equals $7.5 billion at 1998 gold prices.

Walker, Robin. Blacks and Science Volume Two: West and East African Contributions to Science and Technology AND Intellectual Life and Legacy of Timbuktu. London: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013. Print.

God damn!

 

[Bawon Samedi]

I see some similarities with Wakanda.....................But not much!

Everything about Great Zimbabwe/Mutapa shows similarities with Wakanda. Only difference is... The former is medieval era and does not have much Egyptian influence as Wakanda. Other than that they are quite the same. And Wakanda is East African while Great Zimbabwe is Southern.

 

[Warthog]

Everything about Great Zimbabwe/Mutapa shows similarities with Wakanda. Only difference is... The former is medieval era and does not have much Egyptian influence as Wakanda. Other than that they are quite the same. And Wakanda is East African while Great Zimbabwe is Southern.

I've always seen Wakanda as an amalgam of different pre-colonial African polities and cultures. Even before the movie. I'm going to see the movie soon! LOL

 

[Bawon Samedi]

I've always seen Wakanda as an amalgam of different pre-colonial African polities and cultures. Even before the movie. I'm going to see the movie soon! LOL

I see Zimbabwe as the closest.

 

[jackson35]

great idea for a thread. find a better source then wiki.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Some images...