Beta · Termite
Beta Wabata is a Shona clan of the Beta totem, the flying termite (ishwa). Its men are greeted as Wabata and Dhliwayo, and its women as MaDhliwayo. Its detembo is almost wholly a roll of praise names, among them Rufura, Mamberere, Mauruka, Majeketera, Mazivanguva and Madzivire.
Wabata, Dhliwayo, Rufura,
Mamberere, Mauruka, VaChimapwere,
VaMutiwakopa, Mutukuti wedanda, Majeketera,
Manjuru, Mazivanguva, Maita Matsindira,
Diutiu rangu riri, Madzivire, Musikana anenge ishwa,
Inodyiwa nemanhenga ose. Maita Beta, Maita ishwa yangu yiyi,
Dzikarinda hadzidyiwi, Aiwa zvaonekwa Wabata.
Your mutupo and its detembo as an image for WhatsApp, your status or a post, carrying the Kwaunobva mark.
The Wabata detembo is short and made almost entirely of names. It opens on Wabata and Dhliwayo and runs through Rufura, Mamberere, Mauruka, VaChimapwere, VaMutiwakopa, Majeketera, Manjuru, Mazivanguva, Matsindira and Madzivire, and it names no places.
Only near the end does it turn to the termite. It likens a girl to a flying termite, which every winged creature eats (inodyiwa nemanhenga ose), thanks the clan as Beta and as 'my own ishwa', says that those that keep watch are not eaten (dzikarinda hadzidyiwi), and closes on Wabata.
Those who carry a totem do not eat its animal. Some families keep away from one part of it only, such as the heart, and the old belief holds that a person who breaks the rule loses their teeth.
The praise names are for every day, not only for ceremonies: a person is greeted by them, thanked with them, and a wife praises her husband with his.
Beta Wabata mutupo weBeta, ishwa. Varume vanokudzwa seWabata naDhliwayo, vakadzi seMaDhliwayo. Detembo ravo rinonyanya kuva mazita okurumbidza akaita saRufura, Mamberere, Mauruka, Majeketera naMazivanguva. Rinofananidza musikana neishwa inodyiwa nemanhenga ose. Rinopera richiti dzikarinda hadzidyiwi, aiwa zvaonekwa Wabata.
Both keep the flying termite as their totem and are greeted as Dhliwayo. The Mitupo collection prints them as separate poems: the Ishwa detembo names places such as Chimanimani, Mbire and Makoni and thanks the termites for rain, while the Wabata detembo is mostly a list of praise names and names no places.
Men are greeted as Wabata and Dhliwayo, and women as MaDhliwayo. The detembo also gives Rufura, Mamberere, Mauruka, Chimapwere, Mutiwakopa, Majeketera, Manjuru, Mazivanguva, Matsindira and Madzivire.
Traditionally, people of the same mutupo and chidawo do not marry: they are counted as one family. Between different Beta clans some families allow it, often after a ceremony that cuts the kinship (kucheka ukama).
Pick your totem and clan once. The app greets you by your praise name after that.
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