The Masaula shrine - in Masaula village
The Masaula rain shrine is located in Masaula village half a mile east of Chilipa A n g l i c a n Church. It is a small hut and built under a mtondo tree. According to village headman Masaula this shrine was given to his predecessor by one of the Bimbis whom he cannot recall correctly. The building of the shrine is looked upon as a community activity and one which brings the village headmen in the area together every now and then. The following village headmen Matanda, Kalwindiche, Mpepula, M b u k w i t e , Kapitaapa, Isaac and Salifu are responsible for the building of the shrine. Sexual abstinence is strictly imposed upon the elders chosen to build the shrine in order to ensure its
sanctity. Those who ignore this taboo are said to fall into serious trouble. No one is allowed to bring
building materials from his house for fear that they may be contaminated.
The officiating elder at the shrine is the village headman himself assisted by his sister. Only
57 flour and water are offered at the shrine and not beer.
The Lundu shrine - Linjidzi village Blantyre
The Lundu shrine is located in Linjidzi in chief Lundu's area - Blantyre. It is vari o u s l y known as Njowe shrine and Kumth i r a s e m b e . A c c o r d i n g to
Charles Lundu, the present Lundu paramount chief,
Njowe was the son of the first Lundu. He was valiant in war. He fought all the way donw to Masenjele in Chikwawa area. However, on the way back into the Blantyre area he was killed by the Ngoni at Bwakala in the battlefield. He was buried at Linjidzi. The place where he was buried soon became a centre of religious activities. It began to be k n own as Kumthirasembe (the place of o f f e r i n g ) .
consulting Bimbi causes a small hut to be built under a mtundu tree a few yards away from Njowe's grave. The priestess at the shrine is Nalungawe M'bereka Wanthu,'chief Lundu's sister. In the past when
offering for rain came flour for the offering came from Mpemba to Linjidzi. Village headman Mawole is
responsible for the building of the shrine and looking
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after it.
The Changamire shrine - Changamire village, Mangochi
Another shrine to examine in this analysis is that of Changamire Mdala. Mdala claims that his shrine came to Mangochi area with his ancestors from Kaphirimtiwa and that it was not given to him by any of the Bimbis. In the early period of his village headmanship he used to build his shrine under a mtunganchira tree a few yards opposite the'mosque. P r e s e n t l y , however, the shrine is built quarter a mile away from the mosque under a mtawa tree - (Flacourtia i n d i c a ) .
Although Changamire claims that he did not acquire his rain shrine from Bimbi w h o m he calls
“m p h w a n g a " (nephew) he, n e v e r t h e l e s s ,Isends people to the mother shrine at Bimbi to enquire about rain. He used to send che-Balala who died sometime in 1981. Changamire does not consult Bimbi regularly but only when drought conditions threaten his area. He last consulted Bimbi in 1981. The officiating elder at the shrine is village headman Changamire himself assisted by his sister. He is a Chewa of the Phiri
59 c l a n .
The Chagunda shrine - Chagunda village
The Chagunda rain shrine, a mvunguti tree - kigelia a e t h i o p i a , stands a few yards from village headman C h a g u n d a 1s house. The village headman himself
is a N g o n i . A pot commonly known as mphika-wa-mvula {a pot for rain calling) is sunk on the ground at the foot of the tree for pouring sacrificial beer.
Traditions recounted to me by Francisco Dickson maintain that the shrine was given to Tsamba-Likagwa Chagunda by Akumbirika Mtsamila II. It is said that Tsamba-
Likagwa Chagunda a Ngoni village headman and Mtsamila n were great friends. Because of this friendship Mtsamila said to Chagunda: "my friend I give you the authority to own mphika-wa-mvula in your area so that all other village headmen in your area can come to you."
Francisco Dickson reckons that more than three hundred people from Mkaweya, Mizona, Nyanga, Chitalo, Hinda-Hinda, Malirabwana, Milambe and Nazale villages gather round Chagunda shrine for prayers for rain when there is a crisis. Chagunda has it that such large numbers of people come to the shrine because everyone is anxious to get rain and everyone knows that without prayer they will go without food. The priest at the shrine is Francisco D i c k s o n . ^
The Chiwejere shrine - M'Denga village
The Chiwejere rain shrine is located in Mwima forest in Mdenga village three miles west of Mwima township along the Zomba-Mangochi road. To the west of the Chiwejere shrine stands Msehhero Hill while to the east is the Ngonde R i v e r . The name of the shrine is derived from a snake-spirit known as Chiwejere and w h i c h , is believed, inhabits the
shrine. Chiwejere is said to have been once a human being of the Chewa tribe. When he died he turned into a black snake and lived in the Mwima forest.
The actual shrine is a msikidzi tree - trichilia e m e t i c a . According to Che-Mbungo the
Chiwejere shrine is used only for praying for rain when Bimbi has told them to do so. The chief official at
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