DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0303
THE WAYAO OF NYASALAND
287
This has led to the word being translated as Bright’s disease (Hetherwick). No symptoms
referable to the pudenda are included under this disease. Mwera (Chin. Kagundu): hy-
drocele; said to be another sequela. A woman soiled by the excrement of her infant after
birth is not considered unclean and intercourse will have no ill result to the husband.
Sometimes in the event of Apali ni chilwele, recourse is had to the practice of intercourse
between the woman and some other man. She is thus rendered “ clean ” and the man who
is not her husband will not sicken. Such a man is called Litunu (see Widowhood).
Lwaso: a disease similar to Chinyera, which inflicts a man having coitus with his wife
who has not been cleansed after abortion.
Kusisimula: a practice indulged in if a new-born child falls ill; the word refers to the
“ hardening ” of pots when they are being made and the same idea is applied to the child.
If the new-born child gets fever, the illness is ascribed to the carunculae myrtiformes about
the vulva of the mother. These are cut off by an old medicine-woman and the blood al-
lowed to drop into a mortar; water and some leaves are added and pounded together, and
the mother attired only in a cloth reaching to the loins, washes her breasts with the liquid
while the baby is supported on one thigh; the child is then given the breast and the mother,
turning her back on the mortar, pushes it over backwards with her buttocks.
Ya njete (from salt; Chin., dza mchere): If a woman who, after the death of a child,
has not been cleansed by medicine, adds salt to her husband’s food, he eating it will sicken.
Tsempo (a Chinyanja word): If a man or a woman commits adultery and any member
of the family falls ill, the natives say the illness is due to the unlawful act; the sinner is
said “to have gone in front of the other”; kwapunda (wapambana, Chin.), “he has
gone in front of,” from ku-punda and ku-pambana, to go in front of, or ku-sempha (Chin.),
to go slyly in front of. Hence the word tsempo which also is used loosely for dza mchere.
If a child who according to custom has gone to stay with the grandmother, returns to the
parents’ house and the parents continue to have sexual intercourse, the child may sicken;
it is said that the house is “ hot ” for the child and its disease may be called tsempo. Or
if a child which has been weaned is again given the breast after the mother has resumed
cohabitation with her husband, it may sicken with tsempo. And the husband is called
kwapunda.
A child which is suckled after menstruation is reestablished, is not affected by any
untoward symptoms.
In the event of a woman dying in childbirth, if it so happens the husband has com-
mitted adultery, he is held responsible for the death and her relations claim very heavy
compensation.
Ku-simanilwa, to be met with (ku-kumanidwa, Chin.): if the act of coitus causes the
onset of menstruation and the husband cannot draw back in time to prevent himself being
contaminated, he will sicken, and he is said “ to have met with (it) ” when referring to his
illness. In this disease, the penis is said to withdraw into the bladder. Soot from the roof
287
This has led to the word being translated as Bright’s disease (Hetherwick). No symptoms
referable to the pudenda are included under this disease. Mwera (Chin. Kagundu): hy-
drocele; said to be another sequela. A woman soiled by the excrement of her infant after
birth is not considered unclean and intercourse will have no ill result to the husband.
Sometimes in the event of Apali ni chilwele, recourse is had to the practice of intercourse
between the woman and some other man. She is thus rendered “ clean ” and the man who
is not her husband will not sicken. Such a man is called Litunu (see Widowhood).
Lwaso: a disease similar to Chinyera, which inflicts a man having coitus with his wife
who has not been cleansed after abortion.
Kusisimula: a practice indulged in if a new-born child falls ill; the word refers to the
“ hardening ” of pots when they are being made and the same idea is applied to the child.
If the new-born child gets fever, the illness is ascribed to the carunculae myrtiformes about
the vulva of the mother. These are cut off by an old medicine-woman and the blood al-
lowed to drop into a mortar; water and some leaves are added and pounded together, and
the mother attired only in a cloth reaching to the loins, washes her breasts with the liquid
while the baby is supported on one thigh; the child is then given the breast and the mother,
turning her back on the mortar, pushes it over backwards with her buttocks.
Ya njete (from salt; Chin., dza mchere): If a woman who, after the death of a child,
has not been cleansed by medicine, adds salt to her husband’s food, he eating it will sicken.
Tsempo (a Chinyanja word): If a man or a woman commits adultery and any member
of the family falls ill, the natives say the illness is due to the unlawful act; the sinner is
said “to have gone in front of the other”; kwapunda (wapambana, Chin.), “he has
gone in front of,” from ku-punda and ku-pambana, to go in front of, or ku-sempha (Chin.),
to go slyly in front of. Hence the word tsempo which also is used loosely for dza mchere.
If a child who according to custom has gone to stay with the grandmother, returns to the
parents’ house and the parents continue to have sexual intercourse, the child may sicken;
it is said that the house is “ hot ” for the child and its disease may be called tsempo. Or
if a child which has been weaned is again given the breast after the mother has resumed
cohabitation with her husband, it may sicken with tsempo. And the husband is called
kwapunda.
A child which is suckled after menstruation is reestablished, is not affected by any
untoward symptoms.
In the event of a woman dying in childbirth, if it so happens the husband has com-
mitted adultery, he is held responsible for the death and her relations claim very heavy
compensation.
Ku-simanilwa, to be met with (ku-kumanidwa, Chin.): if the act of coitus causes the
onset of menstruation and the husband cannot draw back in time to prevent himself being
contaminated, he will sicken, and he is said “ to have met with (it) ” when referring to his
illness. In this disease, the penis is said to withdraw into the bladder. Soot from the roof