Soko · Monkey
Soko Nehumba is a Shona clan of the Soko totem, the monkey. The clan is thanked as Nehumba; its men are greeted as Soko, and its women as Soko, Mwenewazvo or MaNcube. Its detembo calls the clan the child of Chigutiro and the rainmakers.
Evoi Soko, Nehumba, Mwana waChigutiro,
Mukonde wangu yuyu, Mushonga namawere, Madyamhani angu yaya,
Vanayisi vemvura, Vari kumakore, Mugaradzakasungwa,
Matakurambuva, Tupuno parutivi, Tufuta twangu munyasi,
Tumhiripiri pakarepo, Kamugoti kangu pakatire, Pamusha ndopandarinda,
Maita VaChirongo, Mufambandichigomera, Aiwa zvaonekwa,
Soko yangu yiyi, Vanorara parefu.
Your mutupo and its detembo as an image for WhatsApp, your status or a post, carrying the Kwaunobva mark.
The Nehumba detembo opens 'Evoi Soko, Nehumba' and names the clan the child of Chigutiro. It calls them vanayisi vemvura, the rainmakers, who are up among the clouds (vari kumakore).
The middle of the poem lists small household things, a little fat, chillies, a small cooking stick, each in its place, and says the homestead is where the speaker keeps watch (pamusha ndopandarinda). It closes on VaChirongo and Mufambandichigomera, and on the clan as those who sleep up high (vanorara parefu).
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.
Soko Nehumba mutupo wesoko. Varume vanokudzwa seSoko, vakadzi seSoko, Mwenewazvo naMaNcube. Detembo ravo rinovadaidza kuti mwana waChigutiro, uye vanayisi vemvura vari kumakore. Rinopera richiti Soko yangu yiyi, vanorara parefu.
The monkey. Soko, also written shoko, is listed among the animal totems by both the Wikipedia article on the Shona and a study note on totems.
It calls the clan vanayisi vemvura, the rainmakers, who are up among the clouds. The poem says no more than that, and the other sources used here add nothing.
Men are greeted as Soko, and women as Soko, Mwenewazvo or MaNcube. The detembo also calls the clan Nehumba, the child of Chigutiro, VaChirongo and Mufambandichigomera.
Traditionally, people of the same mutupo and chidawo do not marry: they are counted as one family. Between different Soko 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
