Shava · eland
Shava is the eland totem. A Shona dictionary calls Shava the praise name of those who keep the mhofu, the eland, and the poems greet the animal as nhuka and Mhofu yomukono. It is kept by the Mazarura, Mhizha, Mufakose, Museyamwa, Mutenhesanwa, Mwendamberi, Nyakudirwa and Vhuramayi clans.
The Shava poems share a vocabulary. They thank the clan as Nhuka, as Mukonde and as Mhukahuru, the great beast, a name a Shona dictionary gives to the clans of the big-bodied animals such as the eland, the elephant and the zebra. Mufakose, Mutenhesanwa and Vhuramavi all call their people the house of Sadzadete, and Chidavarume, Masvinga and Muchenje each turn up in more than one poem. Museyamwa and Mutenhesanwa name Mbiru, and Mufakose and Museyamwa name Nyashanu.
Each then goes its own way. Museyamwa says its people were given wives in the country of the Njanja, and that they shed tears that never reach the ground, since a fallen tear would call for blood to follow it. Mhizha says its clan guarded Dzimbabwe for Mwari. Mufakose tells how Shirichirima took pity on people who had been driven out and brought them back. Mwendamberi explains its name with those in front, who drink the water clean, while those behind drink it muddied, and Vhuramavi calls its people VaSeke and Vhanganyama.
Shava mutupo wevanhu vanoera mhofu, inonziwo nhuka. Madetembo avo anovakudza seNhuka, Mhukahuru naMukonde, uye akawanda anovati vokwaSadzadete. Rimwe nerimwe rine madzitateguru aro: reMuseyamwa rinotaura nezvemisodzi isingadonhi pasi, reMhizha richiti vakadzivirira Dzimbabwe kwaMwari. VaHera vanhu vemutupo weShava.
The eland. The Wikipedia article on the Shona lists Mhofu, Mhofu Yemukono and Musiyamwa as names of the eland totem, and a Shona dictionary calls Shava the praise name of those who keep the mhofu. The same dictionary names nhuka, an animal with a dewlap and a reddish hide, as what the Shava keep. A study note on totems glosses shava simply as an antelope.
Yes. The Wikipedia article on the Shona uses this as its example: only someone of the dead person's own totem may begin the burial, and an Ndebele of the Mpofu totem may begin the burial of a Shona of the Mhofu totem.
A Shona dictionary describes the VaHera as people of the Shava totem, gives MuHera for someone whose praise name is Shava Museyamwa, and gives Nyashanu as a name some of them are called by. The Museyamwa poem greets its clan at uHera.
Shava Mazarura, Shava Mhizha, Shava Mufakose, Shava Museyamwa, Shava Mutenhesanwa, Shava Mwendamberi, Shava Nyakudirwa, Shava Vhuramayi.
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.
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