Mbona worshipers rainmaking ceremonies bring relief in times of drought, floods and troubles.
Mang'anja are Chewas from the Southern region of Malawi. Chewa or Nyanja people are the largest ethnic group in Malawi with four historical groupings. Even though there is doubt with modern scientists toward rainmaking ceremonies, the practice remains popular. The rainmaker is an important person in the African community, performing rituals and wielding great power.
Rainmaking ceremonies were controlled
by the Mang'anja Mbona Tribe. Mang'anja
Tribe, Mbona worshipers offer sacrifices to their God in times of drought and
troubles. Rain
is essential for life. All living things need water to live. If you control
water you control the very essence of life. The Khulibvi shrine is a symbol of authority, if you were in
control of the shine you controlled the lives of the people who are spiritually united with
the religious shrine.
Mbona
folklore has several versions however two versions are widespread:
Mbona folklore #1
Mbona was not a
legible heir of chief Lundu and therefore he was never supposed to perform rain
ritual dance. The entire legible heir performed the dance but rain did not
fall. The elders of the village suggested that Mbona should perform the ritual
dance and the chief agreed. In the process of Mbona's dance heavy rain felled
and one of chief Lundu's son was killed by the lightening. Chief Lundu was
angry with the death of his son, therefore he sent his men to kill Mbona. Mbona
was killed by Lundu's men at a mountain and his blood turned into a river. Before
he died he ordered the men to construct a shrine on the mountain. Every chief
sent his regular offerings to the shrine to ask for rains.
Mbona folklore #2
Mbona was a renowned
figure with unworldly powers who lived in Malawi during the rise of the Lundu
Kingdom. Mbona is said to have magic powers of bringing rain, creating wells of
water on sandy lands, creating forests where they did not exist and hiding from
enemies by turning into many types of living things. Mbona's uncle Mlauli, who
also had unworldly powers became jealous of his nephew and wanted to kill him.
No matter how hard Mlauli tired, he could not kill Mbona. One day Mbona finally
was ready to die and told Mlauli and his enemies how to kill him; they cut his
throat with a leaf of a tall reed. Mbona's head was cut off by the reed and
placed at Khulubvi now located in the lower Shire Valley in Southern Region of
Malawi.
No matter the
version of the story, the Mang'anja tribe pay tribute to the sacred Shine of
Mbona's head at Khulubvi. The Khulubvi Shrine is a small hut located in the
interior of thick under bush and trees of the Lundu, Malawi. Followers of Mbona
worship at Khulubvi still to this day maintaining the scared ground as their
ancestors did hundreds of years ago.
