| The Makishi dances are performed
at the end of the Mukanda, an initiation ritual for boys between
the ages of six and sixteen. This ritual is celebrated by the
Vaka Chiyama Cha Mukwamayi communities, to which the Luvale, Chokwe,
Luchazi and Mbunda people belong who live in the northwestern
and western provinces of Zambia and among the peoples of Angola
and Zimbabwe.
At the beginning of the dry season, the young boys leave their
homes and live for one to three months at a bush camp away from
their villages. The young boys' separation from the outside world
is to mark their symbolic death as children. While in the initiation
camp, the initiates are referred to as tundanji, who do not belong
to the world of the living.
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Masked and costumed dancers representing Makishi,
or the dead, arrive from the forest to instruct the young
initiates in the proper codes of behavior to adopt as they
enter adulthood. Dances are performed with masks painted in
colourfulgeometric patterns. Today traditional characters
such as the “man struck by lightening” or the
“dance master” have been joined by such modern
day inventions as “the engineer” or “the
beer drinker.” |
The Cikunza mask is usually worn by an older man with experience
of the world, since he is responsible for teaching the boys the
skills and knowledge they need for adult life, including hunting
and issues around sex. The man takes care to disguise his appearance,
so the mask is designed to cover his face while the fringe hides
his neck. His body is painted and he wears a fringed skirt around
his waist. When he dances he places his feet firmly apart on the
ground and twirls his hips to create a fanning motion with the
skirt. Cikunza sometimes carries a sword (mukwale) in his right
hand and a spreading branch (citete) in his left. He uses these
in the mukanda to scare off intruders to the camp because what
the boys learn must remain secret.
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The Cikunza character signals the beginning of the mukanda and
collects the boys from their homes, leading them to a secret camp
in the forest. This camp is called 'the place of dying' because
it is believed that the boys 'die' and are reborn as men. There,
the boys are circumcised. The main secret they learn is that the
spirits are actually men wearing masks. In a solemn ceremony,
they remove masks from the figures to reveal relatives, neighbours
and other men from the village. The boys then swear an oath that
they will never disclose this information to anyone who has not
been initiated.
The rites perform several purposes. Initiation marks the entrance
into the adult community. It also joins the initiate with all
those who have gone before throughout the history of the group.
The initiate is able to take part in the rituals of the society,
to marry, and to accept a responsible role within the community.
The ceremony also brings the community together for a common purpose
of welcoming the young people to its midst. |