Shava · Eland
Shava Mwendamberi is a Shona clan of the Shava totem, the eland (mhofu). Its men are greeted as Mhofu and Mhofu yemukono, and its women as Chihera or Shava. The clan is thanked as Mwendamberi, the one who goes in front.
Maita Shava, Mwendamberi. Maita vokwaGwenzi rakaviga mambo, VeChitemberere.
Maita Mvurayadzongwa Matangakunwa Shava yangu yiyi, Vari shure vanomwa mabvongwe,
Varimberi vachinwa tsvene, Nyahunzvi, Shava yangu yiyi, Zvaitwa vari Tsonzo,
Vana vaChikono chengwe VokwaZongororo kunava, Ariona ati rakafa,
Zvaitwa veChitemberere, Vaera mhofu, VokwaMazurukuwanda, kurimugukwa,
Maita VaKarimudunhu uchizvinwzira. Zvaitwa VaShava vana vaChivero, Aiwa zvaonekwa Mendamberi.
Your mutupo and its detembo as an image for WhatsApp, your status or a post, carrying the Kwaunobva mark.
The detembo greets the clan as Shava Mwendamberi and as the people of the bush that hid the king (gwenzi rakaviga mambo) and of Chitemberere. It calls them Mvurayadzongwa and Matangakunwa, the first to drink, and its next lines carry the sense of Mwendamberi: those at the back drink muddied water, those in front drink it clean (vari shure vanomwa mabvongwe, varimberi vachinwa tsvene).
It names them the children of Chikono and of Chivero, greets them at Tsonzo and Nyahunzvi, and calls them vaera mhofu, those who keep the eland as their totem. It closes 'Aiwa zvaonekwa Mendamberi'.
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.
Shava Mwendamberi mutupo weshava, mhofu. Varume vanokudzwa seMhofu naMhofu yemukono, vakadzi seChihera naShava. Detembo ravo rinovadaidza kuti vokwaGwenzi rakaviga mambo, veChitemberere, vana vaChivero. Rinoti vari mberi vanonwa mvura tsvene, vari shure vachinwa mabvongwe. Rinovati vaera mhofu.
The eland (mhofu). The Wikipedia article on the Shona lists Mhofu, Mhofu Yemukono and Musiyamwa as names of the eland totem, and the Mwendamberi detembo calls the clan vaera mhofu.
The one who goes in front. The detembo draws it out: those in front drink clean water, those behind drink it muddied.
Men are greeted as Mhofu or Mhofu yemukono, and women as Chihera or Shava. The detembo also calls the clan Mvurayadzongwa, Matangakunwa and the children of Chivero.
In Chegutu, though families carrying it live all over Zimbabwe and beyond.
Traditionally, people of the same mutupo and chidawo do not marry: they are counted as one family. Between different Shava 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.
Made in Zimbabwe by Invalcre (Pvt) Limited. Free, and they work offline.
Provisional Test ZimbabweZimbabwe VID test and Highway Code
DanhoZIMSEC O and A Level past papers
BhaibheriThe Shona Bible and its hymnals
DenheZimbabwe's public record
