The sacrifices now made are to the spirits of departed chiefs, and are offered on the suggestion of witch-doctors, who receive fees for their advice, and who, to make money, declare that the spirit of some dead chief or relative is angry and must be appeased. Some portion of the meat was taken to the spot supposed to be haunted by the spirit, and the rest is eaten by those present, the bones being sometimes burnt or thrown into a river; but recently they have been left about the spot. Sacrifices were usually offered to secure success in any venture to be undertaken, or to obtain good harvests. Till recently they practised a similar rite to that known in Mosaic times, and in this instance also the animal was not killed, but was led out on to the veld and purposely lost. If found it was not killed. The natives are aware that this rite was once observed by their people, but state it is not practised now.
The Makalanga undoubtedly believe in the immortality of the soul, but they have very vague ideas as to a future life beyond a thorough faith in the transmigration of souls. They do not conceive the existence of a Creator or Supreme Being, their highest conception being M’uali, a spirit, who can make their crops a failure and their herds sick, and to this spirit they offer sacrifices. The M’uali, judging by native account, is not in any way an ennobling spirit, and they are constantly in dread of him. The witch-doctors in order to acquire wealth for themselves interpret the wishes of the M’uali in the light of their own purposes and interests.
With regard to burials the customs, even among the Makalanga, vary considerably. In some instances the bodies are laid lengthwise and on the left side facing the north. This seems to have been the original custom of these people, but it is not now a general one. Burial in a sitting position is very commonly met with. On the Acropolis, during the preservation work (1902–3), about fifty Makalanga graves were found, and the remains in a score of instances were removed. Practically all were in a sitting position, only three having been buried lengthways. These were discovered in entrances and passages, the bodies having been laid on the surface, soil and stones, taken from the nearest wall, placed round and over them. None of these were very old, and most were Mogabe’s people. Their bark hunting-nets, assegais, pots, and other personal belongings, were placed on the top of the grave, and not inside with the corpse.
The Baduma, who live in Gutu’s country, and also the Barotse, still embalm or, rather, dry the bodies of their chiefs, and also the dead of certain families, though generally the bodies are buried lengthways on their right side, facing the sun. The body is placed in the hut on a bier made of poles near a large fire, and continually turned, any blisters which may appear being carefully broken, until the body is dry. Then it is wrapped up in a blanket and hung from the roof. Annual sacrifices are made to the spirits, and the bodies are regularly visited and kept in order by a person appointed for that work. The rain-makers, who live on the Sabi, also dry their dead.
The manufactures of the Makalanga are fast declining. In very rare instances may be found villages where bark and cotton are still woven. Limbo from the stores is so cheap and attractive looking that it has practically driven out the local article, and the clay whorls used in spinning cotton are now discarded. Their once famous iron and copper smelting industries almost disappeared on the advent of cheap and substantial tools. At one time every village had its blacksmith and its furnaces and forges, but during the last few years iron-working has become far less general. Derembghe, near Mr. Nolan’s farm, in the Victoria district, is the only representative of the old industry. Pottery is still made, but at Chikwanda, near Arowi and east of Zimbabwe, the people make pottery of a superior quality. This is also the case at Mazuwa’s, in Nini district.
The people are essentially a race of agriculturists and cattle breeders, and dislike working in mines. Though they are most industrious in their own plantations, yet they will not work for a white man for more than a month or two in a year, preferring to spend the rest of the year in absolute idleness. Many are adepts in brass or copper wire-work, with which they adorn their sticks and weapons. They are also very skilful in wood-carving, basket-making, and in tanning and preparing skins.
The Makalanga of this district are certainly above the average type of natives in the possession of both intellectual and physical qualifications. Light skins, Semitic noses, fine features, with an absence of high cheek-bones, small, well-shaped hands—are frequent features met with among them. The men, who wear but insignificant aprons, are well proportioned, are as straight as an arrow, and have athletic figures. Large turquoise-blue beads of glass form the neck ornament of men, women, and children in this district, and these contrast effectively with the colour and polish of their skins. Both men and women frequently wear a narrow band of pink and white beads round their heads. Brass bangles are worn on wrists, arms, legs, and ankles, the women and girls wearing these in great profusion.
Women are bare to the low hips, and wear a short skin skirt reaching almost to the knees. This is most generally adorned with chevron pattern of pink and white beads. Their stomachs are covered with two sets of lines worked into the flesh, one set under each breast. This pattern is very general here, and is identical with the “breast and furrow” pattern found not only on the fronts of the clay furnaces, pillows, drums, and granaries, but on the ancient relics and sacred emblems (phalli) discovered in the ruins. Bent and other writers believe that these flesh-markings are a survival of the occult idea of Fertility. There are generally about thirty rows of these lines or cicatrices, and their regularity is most surprising.
The men are practically bare-skinned, and have their waists, shoulders, and sometimes each side of their foreheads, marked with a row of bars in threes, thus: /|\ /|\, and these closely resemble the sign of Light as seen in the Welsh bardic symbol. These, many natives state, are luck signs, and they would not be without them, for with them on their skin they believe they shall always be healthy and strong and have many wives and children. Other natives state that the flesh-markings on the men’s bodies are but ornaments to attract the attentions of women, while others assert they only bear the marks because it is a custom. Each male has a forelock, some of these being erect and others pendent, the latter being usually threaded with pink and white beads. These often reach below the eyes. They are very proud of their forelocks, and will spend most of their spare time in trying to pull them out longer.
