DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0275
THE WAYAO OF NYASALAND
259
some sweetbeer into a big gourd. These his assistants will carry away, together with a hoe,
to Lupanda, whither the m’michila now goes to remain while brewing goes on for four days.
During their stay at Lupanda, the m’michila and his assistants live on flour and chickens
begged from the mothers of the wali. On the first day nothing is done; on the second day
they begin making the Inyago or figures in relief of animals, etc., to be described later;
Namungumi is made this day. On the third day the other figures are made and on the
fourth day ching’undang’unda. Into the ground where ching’undang’unda is made, some
of the strong beer, known as nganga, which is added to the flour and water mixture on the
fourth day as signified by ku-kolojela, is poured by the raWcAiZa.
When the work at Lupanda is finished, the m’michila carrying his 11 tail ” leads his as-
sistants wearing their feather headdresses back to the chief’s village singing:
“YwyaZoZe ukana kanga akolojele ku musi, mulungu achamao!
“I must go and see beer perhaps they have mixed at the village, ancestors oh dear!
Chilawile chamajusi ngalya sona ningawile sala!”
The going out of a day or two ago if I had not taken tobacco I would have died of hunger!”
Arriving at the village where the brewing is going on, the m’michila takes a cup and
putting his “ tails ” on the ground, he dips into the pot of beer belonging to the leader’s
mother, pours some on his “ tail,” and then drinks some. Then he puts more into a gourd,
together with some medicine, and going up to the chief who sits in his verandah overlooking
the brewing place, he kneels, and first drinking a little himself, he presents the drinking
gourd of beer to the chief who drinks and then returns the cup to the m’michila who finishes
it. Picking up his “ tail,” he then goes straight back to Lupanda while his assistants with
some men nominated by the chief go round choosing pots of beer in turn. The assistants
choose by striking a pot with a medicine-tail. These pots of beer are then put aside to
cool, while moderate drinking begins in the chief’s house. This takes place in the morning
of the day on which the wali will return from Ndag ala to Lupanda, and in the afternoon,
the people from the villages will go out to Lupanda to take part in the return. The
return is made about sunset.
The wali at Ndagala are put into their shelters and the doorways barricaded. At sun-
set or just after, the place is set on fire and the wali have to charge their way through the
back of the shelters. They then form in line, wearing a slip of bark cloth round their loins
and over this, a kind of kilt called magajawisa if made of frilled-out bark-cloth, or majenga
if made of palm leaves. Accompanied by the akamusi, they proceed towards Lupanda, each
carrying a stick of smouldering wood and an unlit torch of bark-cloth.
The burning of the huts at Ndagala has been the sign to the m’michila that the wali
have left; he puts round his waist a bark cloth belt, chamba, and a calico sash round his chest
with the ends hanging down behind and on his head he wears the headdress made of
the feathers of chiunga, the widow-bird. In each hand he carries the tail of gnu or zebra,
held right end up, with the hollow end filled with “ medicine.” Thus arrayed, he goes out
259
some sweetbeer into a big gourd. These his assistants will carry away, together with a hoe,
to Lupanda, whither the m’michila now goes to remain while brewing goes on for four days.
During their stay at Lupanda, the m’michila and his assistants live on flour and chickens
begged from the mothers of the wali. On the first day nothing is done; on the second day
they begin making the Inyago or figures in relief of animals, etc., to be described later;
Namungumi is made this day. On the third day the other figures are made and on the
fourth day ching’undang’unda. Into the ground where ching’undang’unda is made, some
of the strong beer, known as nganga, which is added to the flour and water mixture on the
fourth day as signified by ku-kolojela, is poured by the raWcAiZa.
When the work at Lupanda is finished, the m’michila carrying his 11 tail ” leads his as-
sistants wearing their feather headdresses back to the chief’s village singing:
“YwyaZoZe ukana kanga akolojele ku musi, mulungu achamao!
“I must go and see beer perhaps they have mixed at the village, ancestors oh dear!
Chilawile chamajusi ngalya sona ningawile sala!”
The going out of a day or two ago if I had not taken tobacco I would have died of hunger!”
Arriving at the village where the brewing is going on, the m’michila takes a cup and
putting his “ tails ” on the ground, he dips into the pot of beer belonging to the leader’s
mother, pours some on his “ tail,” and then drinks some. Then he puts more into a gourd,
together with some medicine, and going up to the chief who sits in his verandah overlooking
the brewing place, he kneels, and first drinking a little himself, he presents the drinking
gourd of beer to the chief who drinks and then returns the cup to the m’michila who finishes
it. Picking up his “ tail,” he then goes straight back to Lupanda while his assistants with
some men nominated by the chief go round choosing pots of beer in turn. The assistants
choose by striking a pot with a medicine-tail. These pots of beer are then put aside to
cool, while moderate drinking begins in the chief’s house. This takes place in the morning
of the day on which the wali will return from Ndag ala to Lupanda, and in the afternoon,
the people from the villages will go out to Lupanda to take part in the return. The
return is made about sunset.
The wali at Ndagala are put into their shelters and the doorways barricaded. At sun-
set or just after, the place is set on fire and the wali have to charge their way through the
back of the shelters. They then form in line, wearing a slip of bark cloth round their loins
and over this, a kind of kilt called magajawisa if made of frilled-out bark-cloth, or majenga
if made of palm leaves. Accompanied by the akamusi, they proceed towards Lupanda, each
carrying a stick of smouldering wood and an unlit torch of bark-cloth.
The burning of the huts at Ndagala has been the sign to the m’michila that the wali
have left; he puts round his waist a bark cloth belt, chamba, and a calico sash round his chest
with the ends hanging down behind and on his head he wears the headdress made of
the feathers of chiunga, the widow-bird. In each hand he carries the tail of gnu or zebra,
held right end up, with the hollow end filled with “ medicine.” Thus arrayed, he goes out