CHAPTER X.
General.
Clothing.—The Barozi wear for the most part European clothing. The men wear what is known as “seziba” in Sisuto, or “sekupato” in Sirozi. This is made by taking two broad pieces of limbo and by joining them by a narrow piece. The broad piece is draped in front from well below the knees up to the belt over which it passes, the narrow piece turns down inside the belt, is passed between the legs and up the back to the belt under which it goes. Having passed the belt, the other broad piece is turned down from the belt to the back of the legs, hanging over the buttocks.
The women wear skirts made full at the feet and narrowing in to the waist. The wealth of a person is shown by the quantity of limbo worn in the “seziba” or skirt. The women like to wear anything up to eight or nine skirts, one on top of another as a large posterior is considered a great sign of beauty. Small children, after about the second year, wear a small dress over the genital organs, consisting of numerous strings of twisted bark. Further away from trading centres people are found in skins, the men with a skin in front and one behind, and the women with a kilt made of cowhide. Hides are used for blankets, but the European blanket is nearly universal throughout the country.
Personal Ornaments.—Few, if any of these, are of truly native origin. Brass rings are worn, if procurable, and ivory and bone ones. Ivory bracelets on the arms are, however, of native origin. In the old days, chiefs, members of the blood royal, sons-in-law of the Chief, and the wives of the Chief, were the only people who could wear ivory bracelets, but nowadays, anyone who can afford to buy, wears them. Ivory pins for scratching the head were also a royal privilege, but anyone who likes can carry one now. So in former days, the carrying of an eland-tail fly switch was a royal privilege, but this has also lapsed with time and the approach of civilization. Beards are worn by the men, but moustaches are seldom seen. No beard used to be allowed to be longer than the Chief Lewanika’s. Even his son Litia, who had a longer beard than the Chief’s, hid his beard inside his shirt when moving in public. Beads are universally worn.
Tattooing and Painting.—In former times red ochre was very popular as a decoration, especially for the hair but this is never used now. Tattooing is universal. The most common mark is the straight line running from the forehead to the end of the nose. This is done by men and women. The women also tattoo a black circle round each eye above the eyebrow and down to the cheek bone, this looks, when newly made, like the rim of an immense pair of spectacles. Women also cut rows of small gashes along the stomach about level with the navel. These were all supposed to add to beauty, possibly to draw attention to a clean skin. The women also cut a parallelogram of deep gashes above the buttocks right across the back, but this is done solely and simply to give their husbands a good grip on their wives when indulging in the pleasures of matrimony. Unfortunately, this place for a grip is not kept sacred to husbands only. A great deal of gashing is also done for medicinal purposes, which will be mentioned further on.
Religion and Superstitions.—The Barozi worship a god named Nyambi. He is, by repute, very cruel, and for this reason all children are given ugly names with the idea that if Nyambi should pass by and hear anyone calling “Katongwani” (the little hyena), “Kambotwe” (the little frog), “Namasiku” (thing of darkness or night), “Mubu” (mud) &c. &c., he would think a person with such a name as bound to be ugly and not worth killing. Nyambi is supposed to have a wife named Nasilele who is represented by the Evening Star. When the moon wanes, this is said to be from shame because Nasilele being jealous of Nyambi’s attention to a younger wife, is trying to poison Nyambi. The new moon shows that Nasilele has been unsuccessful. Thunder and lightning, which is all classed as rain, is said to be sent from Nyambi. The lightning is supposed to be an enormous spur wing goose. Its wings beating against the earth cause the thunder and lightning, and the damage actually done by lightning is said to be caused by the spur of the goose’s wing. A small table, about eighteen inches high, is erected in every village, and on this are generally placed a small dish of water and a few cobs of mealies or other foodstuffs. This is in case Nyambi should feel hungry or thirsty while passing through the village. The Barozi do not, however, realize a heaven. A dead man’s spirit is either captured by a witch doctor as his servant, or else starts a career of its own—always of evil-doing. The spirits of the dead always work off any old scores that may be outstanding between the deceased and other people. Sickness, bad crops, accidents, bad luck, &c., are all attributed to the malignancy of spirits. To this day, cattle are sent as an offering to the grave of Mwanambinji, who in his day was a great chief, and who becoming scared of his brother, descended with people and cattle into the earth near Sinanga in the Barozi Valley.
A Mankoya Chief and Retinue
Photo by J. Walton, Esq.
Certain people are credited with power to make rain, to give immunity from lions, to cure all sicknesses and many other things, but they will, none of them, stand inspection or examination. All abnormal sights in the heavens, such as the appearance of Halley’s Comet, which was very clearly visible in the Barozi country, are said to be signs of great trouble coming. The death of His Majesty, King Edward VII., was at once received as the misfortune predicted by the appearance of the comet.