The ruined cities of Mashonaland: Being a record of excavation and exploration in 1891Bent, J. Theodore (James Theodore)
History
The ruined cities of Mashonaland: Being a record of excavation and exploration in 1891
Bent, J. Theodore (James Theodore)
Extinct cities -- Zimbabwe -- Mashonaland; Great Zimbabwe (Extinct city)
Monteiro and Gamitto, two Portuguese travellers, who went to Cazembe in
1831–32, throw some light on the worship of the lion. They relate how
the negroes near the Zambesi, ‘being Munyaes, subjects of Monomatapa,
revere royal lions of great corpulence as containing the souls of their
ancestors. When the Munyaes discover the lions eating their prey, they
go on their knees at a distance, and creep, clapping their hands and
begging them with humility to remember their slaves, who are hungry,
and that when they were men they were always generous; so that the
lions may retire and the negroes profit by what they leave behind.’
This is again another link connecting these people with the Zambesi and
lands farther north. We were also told a story of how, during the old
’Mtokos’ struggles with the Portuguese, lions had been seen to attack
the enemy, whilst they left the natives alone. Doubtless a faith of
this kind is very conducive to valour, and may account for the
superiority of the men of ’Mtoko over their neighbours.
The two above-quoted Portuguese travellers mention many Zimbabwes on
their route northwards to Cazembe, and in another part of their work
they often make mention of the Monomatapa, especially the Monomatapa of
Chidima, whom they speak of as ‘a much decayed person, but still
respectable.’ His territory commences at Tete and goes on to Zumbo,
‘and when one dies all make civil war, until one gets possession, and
sends to the governor of Tete to confirm his title.’
From what I can make out of the older Portuguese accounts, the district
of Chidima was formerly in the mountains to the north of ’Mtoko’s. This
was the district where the famous silver mines were supposed to be, in
searching for which several Portuguese expeditions came to grief. In
fact, it would appear that ’Mtoko, Mangwendi, Makoni, and the chiefs in
this part of the country are the modern representatives of the
broken-up Monomatapa empire, who, fortunate in the possession of a
rugged and mountainous country, escaped the visitation of the Zulu
hordes, who on their way southwards probably passed by the more open
high plateau of Mashonaland.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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