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TellZim News > Blog > Uncategorized > Beyond our understanding: Myths and taboos to safeguard cultural heritage
Uncategorized

Beyond our understanding: Myths and taboos to safeguard cultural heritage

TellZimNews
Last updated: July 16, 2021 2:04 am
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Elizabeth
Duve Dziva
Many a times, we have
heard or read about mysterious stories surrounding cultural heritage property
which usually send shivers down our spines or rather cause goose bumps.
Gustav Mahler once said
tradition is not the worship of ashes but the preservation of the fire.
Discussing such topics stir
up various feelings in many as the topic evokes different imaginations in
people. Most of the stories are usually dismissed as ‘superstitions’ but funny
as it may sound, such things really happen just like extraordinary Biblical
stories like that of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus and many others.
In our context, these
are called myths and taboos which are very vital in the conservation and preservation
of cultural property and they are a source of spiritual guidance.
A myth is folklore or
unusual narrative or story which usually involves some supernatural figures and
a taboo is an unspecified prohibition on something, usually against speech or behavior
based on a cultural intellect that is too sacred for ordinary people. Taboos
and myths are basically meant to protect humans and their environment.
In Zimbabwe, there is
cultural and natural heritage like forests, mountains, rivers, caves, tunnels,
trees are safeguarded by myths and taboos. The heritage also includes manmade
ruins and property left behind by our predecessors.
NDAMBAKURIMWA,
RAMBAKURIMWA AND RAMBAKUTEMWA
One such sacred natural
heritage is the Ndambakurimwa forest in Domboshava. As the name suggests, the
forest could not be cleared for agricultural purposes. The commonly accepted
myth is that if one tried to clear the land, they would wake up tomorrow to
find all the cleared trees back in their original place and if one went with an
axe intending to cut the trees, the axe would suddenly disappear.
Almost the same myth is
also about the Rambakurimwa forest in Mberengwa and the Rambakutemwa forest in
Chivi.  An unexplainable myth is told
about the zoomorphic pot (pfuko yaNevanji) whose replica is presently housed at
the Great Zimbabwe Museum in Masvingo.
It is generally
believed that it was a moving pot in which the king’s gold was kept. If other
people tried to put their hands into the pot, they would find their hand cut,
go insane or suddenly find their heads clear shaven.
NYANGA
There is also Mount Nyanga,
the highest mountain in Zimbabwe which is generally believed that careless talk
or environmental pollution like relieving oneself on the mountain would see the
offender vanishing without a trace. History has it that a number of people have
disappeared without trace in that mountain, the latest being a tourist in
Jnauary 2014.
According to the oral
history of locals in the area, two white girls (tourists) once vanished in the
mountains and a helicopter search party was engaged. They could see the girls
from the helicopter but upon getting down to the ground, all they could hear
was their playful laughter indicating that they were really enjoying themselves.
CHINHOYI
Almost a similar story
is told about the Chinhoyi cave where negative comments and environmental
pollution resulted in disappearance. It is generally believed that an attempt
to throw a stone past the sunlit pool will result in the stone being thrown
back to the sender.
NYAMINYAMI
There is also the
legend of the Nyaminyami river god at Kariba which, when angered by the
people’s misbehavior, would cause severe flooding in the basin. Others
attribute the flooding which happened in the 1950 and the loss of lives during
construction of the Kariba Dam to the river god who apparently had been angered
at being separated by the dam wall from ‘his wife’ who lived down stream. Disasters
attributed to the river god happened on February 15, 1950 and December 25, 1955,
January 1958.
NEMESO
There is also the
Nemeso myth which accounts for the origins of Harurwa in Masvingo. The myth has
it that abuse of the nutritious insects provoked the spirit of Nemeso resulting
in natural disasters. There are some forests in which misbehavior resulted in
loss of memory (chadzimira) whereby one immediately loses their sense of
direction and time resulting in endless walks around the area. When in that
condition, one does not get tired nor feel any physical pain to an extent that
an individual can walk for as many kilometers as can be imagined without realising
it.
CONCLUSION
Due to cultural
diversity and dynamics of time, tradition can be questioned and it is very
important to break the traditions that serve as restraints to the happiness,
freedom and development of the human race.
Over and above,
safeguarding our culture, heritage and traditions is priceless. Our heritage is
a link to our past and a bridge to the future. We are bound to them those who
went before us as our successors are bound to us, though we cannot look into
their eyes nor hear their voices; we should honour their history which is also
ours. We should cherish the tradition they left behind and pass it over, we
should tell their story as it was told through generations immemorial. Above
all we should remember them as we wish to be remembered and that is only
possible if we avoid carrying the everlasting blame and curse of bringing to
extinction what we never invented.
Elizabeth Duve Dziva is
an Archaeological and cultural heritage practitioner, the views in this article
are solely those of the author in her own capacity and do not necessarily
represent the views of any organization. Email: du***********@gm***.com

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