Shumba · Lion
Shumba Sipambi is a Shona clan of the Shumba totem, the lion. Its men are greeted as Shumba and Sipambi, and the detembo adds Mugonderwa and calls the clan mwana wechikara, the child of the wild beast. Its women are greeted as Masibanda.
Mazviita Shumba, Maita Sipambi, Yakapamba nedzevamwe,
Vadyi vefazhakamwe Inodyarwa ikamera. Maita matikaha nokuona tsimba,
Kuona munhu vana vanotya, Mukakatirakwasviba, Kumuka ndodzvova, kutsika zvovava,
Mutakuranhawo kuno munhuhwi, Sipambi, mwana wechikara, Chokanyaira chobva Magare,
Choinda Imbwarume chisina uta. Zvaitwa varidinhire Chigarachibwe, Vari Magare VaMupfurawatya.
Mazviita Mugonderwa, VokwaMusakadongo, veShanje Vari Madzimudzangara,
Vari Sikanadema, Zvaitwa vaTakaindisa naMuzuva, Vari Chaenda vari Ruvhure.
Waita Charumbira Zvigonyati zvangu zvizvi, Haiwa zvaitwa vaNhinhi, Vari Nhinhihuru
Maita saminzwa, Zvaonekwa vari Nyanda.
Your mutupo and its detembo as an image for WhatsApp, your status or a post, carrying the Kwaunobva mark.
The Sipambi detembo opens on the lion itself. It follows the name Sipambi with the line yakapamba nedzevamwe, the one that seized what belonged to others too, and calls the clan mwana wechikara, the child of the wild beast. It pictures a lion whose rising is a roar (kumuka ndodzvova), one that strode out from Magare and went on to Imbwarume without a bow (chisina uta).
The rest of the poem is a roll of names and homes. It greets the clan as Mugonderwa, names Mupfurawatya, Musakadongo, Shanje, Takaindisa and Muzuva, Charumbira and Nhinhi among its people, and hails it at Magare, Chigarachibwe, Madzimudzangara, Sikanadema, Chaenda, Ruvhure and Nhinhihuru. It closes with thanks to those at Nyanda (zvaonekwa vari Nyanda).
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.
Shumba Sipambi mutupo weShumba. Varume vanokudzwa seShumba naSipambi, vakadzi seMasibanda. Detembo ravo rinovadaidza kuti mwana wechikara, yakapamba nedzevamwe, uye rinoti kumuka ndodzvova. Rinovakwazisa vari Magare, Chigarachibwe, Madzimudzangara, Sikanadema, Ruvhure neNyanda. Rinodudzawo Mugonderwa naCharumbira.
The detembo does not define it, but the line that follows the name, yakapamba nedzevamwe, says the lion seized what belonged to others too. No other source here explains the name.
Men are greeted as Shumba and Sipambi, and women as Masibanda. The detembo also calls the clan Mugonderwa and mwana wechikara, the child of the wild beast.
In Masvingo and Chivi, 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 Shumba 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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