The Chagga: People Of Africa`S Highest Mountain, Kilimanjaro, As Well As Tanzania`S Nearly Wealthiest As Well As 3Rd Largest Ethnic Group
The Chaga (also called Wachaga, Chagga, Jagga, Dschagga, Waschagga, or Wachagga) are the wealthiest as well as most highly organized agriculturalist Bantu-speaking people living on the fertile southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa`s highest mountain) inward northern Tanzania. The Wachaga who constitute the 3rd largest ethnic grouping inward Tanzania traditionally alive on the southern as well as eastern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro as well as Mount Meru as well as close Moshi.
Chagga human of Mount Kilimanjaro inward Tanzania
They are i of few African ethnic groups that lives on the high mountains as well as experiences the autumn of snow. Their relative wealth comes from the favorable climate of the surface area as well as successful agricultural methods, which include extensive irrigation systems, terracing, as well as continuous organic fertilization methods practiced for thousands of years. They were i of the foremost tribes inward the surface area to convert to Christianity. This may conduct hold given them an economical reward over other ethnic groups, every bit they had improve access to teaching as well as wellness attention every bit Christians.
Chagga adult woman from Tanzania
The Chagga descended from various Bantu groups who migrated from elsewhere inward Africa to the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, a migration that began roughly the start of the eleventh century. While the Chagga are Bantu-speakers, their linguistic communication has a number of dialects related to Kamba, which is spoken inward northeast Kenya, as well as to other languages spoken inward the east, such every bit Dabida as well as Pokomo.
Chagga man, Michael Ngaleku Shirima, founder as well as possessor of Precision Air
The Chagga surface area is traditionally divided into a number of chiefdoms. The Chagga are culturally related to the Pare, Taveta, as well as Taita peoples. The Chagga follow a patrilineal scheme of descent as well as inheritance. The Chagga means of life is based primarily on agriculture, using irrigation on terraced fields as well as oxen manure. Although bananas are their staple food, they also cultivate various crops, including yams, beans, as well as maize. In agricultural exports, the Chagga are best known for their Arabica coffee, which is exported to American as well as European markets, resulting inward java beingness a primary cash crop.
Australian tourist enjoying the Waterfall on Mount Kilimanjaro town of Moshi
The in conclusion volcanic activity occurred most 200 years agone as well as created a symmetrical cone of ash roughly Kibo peak, as well as since then, Mt. Kilimanjaro was at peace until today, but people who were living on the slopes as well as observed volcanic eruptions connected this natural phenomenon to penalisation from God.
Kilimanjaro National Park - the largest freestanding volcanic volume inward the world
When Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's precious stone today, before occupants of its slopes took this glorious as well as glamorous mount to a identify on non going inward fearfulness of reprisal from God because it was his almighty seat. And locals today consider the dwindling snowfall every bit a penalisation from God because likewise many humans elbow grease to climb it everyday. Tourist deaths on the mount are every bit well, connected to wrath from God.
flora life on Mount Kilimanjaro
H5N1 local Chagga legend explains how Kilimanjaro’s 3 neat peaks softened from treacherous lava formations to the to a greater extent than hospitable mount nosotros know today. Long ago, at that spot were ii neighboring giant volcanoes inward East Africa: Kibo was the taller as well as grander, piece Mawenzi was smaller as well as constantly jealous of his to a greater extent than impressive vecino (Shira was no longer a separate peak yesteryear this time). Kibo was also the to a greater extent than industrious of the two, as well as Mawenzi was forever taking reward of him. Mawenzi would oft permit the flame acquire out of his hearth as well as come upwards begging Kibo for assist as well as food. The generous Kibo would ever halt his piece of work of pounding dried bananas with a pestle as well as mortar to assemble coals for Mawenzi as well as send him off with some sustenance. Mawenzi was a terrible create as well as ever loved what Kibo would prepare. Sometimes he would permit his hearth acquire out ii or 3 times inward a row to examine Kibo’s patience.
Snow cap on Mountain Kilimanjaro
One day, after letting his coals flame out, Mawenzi sought out Kibo. But Kibo was non at home, so Mawenzi decided to assist himself to what was there. Dragging the hot embers dorsum to his hearth, Mawenzi grumbled as well as complained most having to do his ain cooking. As Kibo returned, he saw from a distance the ruby-red glow of his coals beingness taken. He found his hearth barren as well as all his hot coals missing. He was so angry he grabbed his pestle, ran to Mawenzi, as well as struck a crashing blow on the head, rendering Mawenzi with the jagged formation nosotros consider today as well as himself dormant.
Majestic Mount Kilimanjaro
Chagga mythology (Creation story)
Chagga legends centre on Ruwa as well as his powerfulness as well as assistance. Ruwa is the Chagga nurture for their god, every bit good every bit the Chagga discussion for "sun." Ruwa is non looked upon every bit the creator of humankind, but rather every bit a liberator as well as provider of sustenance. He is known for his mercy as well as tolerance when sought yesteryear his people. Some Chagga myths concerning Ruwa resemble biblical stories of the Old Testament.
In the past, chiefdoms had chiefs who rose to powerfulness through state of war as well as trading. Some famous yesteryear chiefs include Orombo from Kishigonyi, Sina of Kibosho, as well as Marealle of Marangu.
Chagga Tourist guide on Mount Kilimanjaro
Language
The main linguistic communication spoken yesteryear the Chagga people is Kichagga, which is a Bantu linguistic communication belonging to the larger Niger-Congo linguistic communication family. It has various dialects spoken yesteryear Chagga inward different regions. Despite these differences inward dialect, the Chagga people tin can sympathize each another. The inhabitants of Ugweno, which was i time the northernmost chiefdom of the Pare Mountains, beak a linguistic communication related to Kichagga.
Almost all Chagga people also beak KiSwahili, the national linguistic communication inward Tanzania. KiSwahili is the linguistic communication of instruction inward primary schools as well as is used inward the work-place. English linguistic communication is the linguistic communication of instruction inward secondary schools as well as institutions of higher learning.
History
The chagga people are component subdivision of Bantu (Niger-Congo groups) peoples came to Kilimanjaro inward a succession of migrations that started at to the lowest degree v or half dozen hundred years ago. These Bantu people entered Kilimanjaro from the north-east, next local upheaval inward that area. They met an aboriginal people known every bit the Wakonyingo, who were maybe pygmies, already living inhabiting the eastern side of the mountain. There was also Wangassa, a tribe similar to the Masai, as well as the Umbo of the Usambara mountains. The Wachagga Bantu people who came with their iron-age technology scientific discipline to defeat the these aboriginal tribes, drive them away as well as the residue were absorbed into the various chagga tribal groups.
Initially, these novel immigrants (Chagga) were a disparate bunch, with different beliefs, customs as well as fifty-fifty languages. With no feelings of kinship or loyalty to their neighbour, they instead settled into menage unit of measurement groups known every bit clans.
The Chagga also had an interactions with some nilotic as well as aboriginal groups. The beginnings of Chagga interactions with the Nilotic Ongamo engagement good before 1600, as well as at some signal the Ongamo had been the dominant people through much of the Mount Kilimanjaro area.
The Ongamo had a large resultant on Chagga culture. The Chagga borrowed several practices from them, including woman soul circumcision, the drinking of cattle blood, as well as historic catamenia sets. By the minute one-half of the nineteenth century, the Ongamo were increasingly acculturated into the Chagga. The Chagga god "Ruwa" resulted from the combination of the Chagga's concept of a creator god with the Ongamo's concept of the life giving sun.
The Pare, Tateva, as well as Teita peoples had been the main suppliers of Fe to the Chagga. The demand for Fe increased from the start of the nineteenth century because of armed services rivalries amid the Chagga rulers. It is probable that at that spot was a connectedness betwixt this rivalry as well as the evolution of long distance merchandise from the coast to the interior of the Pangani River basin, suggesting that the Chagga's contacts with the coast may conduct hold dated to most the halt of the eighteenth century. Raids as well as counter raids characterised the Chagga rivalry, every bit observed as well as understood yesteryear European colonisers.
According to anthropologist Dundas, inward his solar daytime some 732 clans existed on Kilimanjaro; yesteryear 1924, however, when his volume was published, some of these clans were already downwards to exactly a single member.
These menage unit of measurement ties were gradually cutting as well as lost over fourth dimension every bit people moved away to settle on other parts of the mountain. Thus, inward identify of these blood ties, people developed novel loyalties to the part inward which they were living as well as the neighbours with whom they shared the land. Out of this emerged 20 or so states or chiefdoms, most of them on a permanent state of war basis with the other nineteen. Wars betwixt the tribes, as well as indeed betwixt villages inward the same tribe, were commonplace, though they normally took the shape of organized raids yesteryear i hamlet on some other rather than actual pitched battles. Slaves would live on taken during these raids, cattle rustled as well as huts burned down, though at that spot was often piffling bloodshed — the weaker political party would exactly withdraw at the foremost sign of approaching hostilities as well as mightiness fifty-fifty seek to negotiate a cost for peace.
Chagga Supreme Council during the colonial times.
Eventually the number of different groups was whittled downwards to exactly half dozen tribes, or states, with each named after i of the mountain’s rivers. So, for example, at that spot are the Wamoshi Chaggas (after the Moshi River) as well as the Wamachame Chaggas who settled close the Machame River. With all this intermingling going on, a few words inevitably became used yesteryear all the people living on the mount — as well as from this unlikely start grew a mutual language, of which each tribe had its ain dialect. Similar customs developed betwixt the tribes, though every bit with the linguistic communication they differed inward the detail. However, it was only when the Germans took command of the part during the latter component subdivision of the nineteenth century as well as the local people set aside their differences to nowadays a united forepart inward disputes with their colonial overlords that a single ethnic grouping was identified as well as named the Chagga. From this evolved a single, collective Chagga consciousness
Reliable written historical accounts of the Chagga engagement from the nineteenth century. The foremost European to accomplish the mount was a missionary, Johannes Rebmann, who arrived at that spot inward 1848. At that time, Rebmann found that Kilimanjaro was so actively involved inward far-reaching trading connections that a main whose courtroom he visited had a coastal Swahili resident inward his entourage. Chagga chiefdoms traded with each other, with the peoples of the regions instantly surrounding the mount (such every bit the Kamba, the Maasai, as well as the Pare), as well as also with coastal caravans. Some of this trading was manus to hand, some of it at markets, which were a full general characteristic of the area. Many chiefdoms had several make markets largely run yesteryear women, exactly every bit they are today.
Today the Chaggas, despite their various origins, are renowned for having a strong sense of identity as well as pride. They are also alongside the richest as well as most powerful people inward Tanzania, cheers inward component subdivision to the fertile soils of Kilimanjaro, as well as inward component subdivision to the Western teaching that they conduct hold been receiving for longer than almost whatever other tribe inward Africa, Kilimanjaro beingness i of the foremost places to choose missionaries from Europe.
Settlements
There are no nucleated villages on Kilimanjaro. Each household lives inward the midst of its ain banana-coffee garden, as well as the gardens, i side yesteryear side to another, stretch all over the mountain. The gardens are, for the most part, ringed with living fences that grade their boundaries. In the older areas of settlement, manly soul kin tend to ain as well as reside inward contiguous homestead gardens, forming localized patrilineal clusters. Because of the enormous expansion of the population as well as the consequent reason shortage, at that spot are no large expanses of uncultivated or unoccupied reason inward the banana belt. It was otherwise inward before times. Photographs as well as accounts from before inward the twentieth century present that at that spot were opened upwards fields betwixt the localized clusters.
Such residential arrangements were non static. H5N1 household, or several together, could suspension away from the localized patrilineage of which they had been members. There beingness no reason shortage, they could, with the consent of the local main or district caput inward the novel location, found themselves elsewhere as well as fifty-fifty found a novel patrilineal cluster. As available reason became to a greater extent than scarce, many households moved downwards mountain, as well as some moved up, pushing dorsum the boundary of the forest. Thus, at that spot are older as well as newer settlements on the mountain, older as well as newer patrilineal clusters, as well as substantial areas where the bulk of residents are from unrelated households. Gradually, every bit the opened upwards reason has filled up, the mobility of households has been increasingly restricted.
Economy
In the nineteenth century the Chagga were cultivators as well as cattle keepers. They grew many types of bananas, which were their staple food. Bananas are to a greater extent than often than non manly soul belongings but are (with permission) traded yesteryear women inward the markets. The Chagga also grew millet, maize, beans, finger millet (Eleusine corocana ), cassava, sweetness potatoes, yams, sugarcane, paw paws (Carica papaya ), pumpkins, squashes, as well as tobacco.
Many of the annual vegetable crops were grown yesteryear women as well as were women's property. The Chagga made (and go on to make) beer out of bananas as well as eleusine. In most of the populous parts of the mountain, a few stall-fed cows were kept yesteryear each household. In areas where at that spot was to a greater extent than pasture, large herds of cattle were grazed. Some men owned considerable numbers of animals, but others had none. Milk was a highly valued food, every bit was meat. Local lineages held slaughtering feasts several times a year. There was a scheme of cattle lending whereby many households tended animals that were non their own. In homecoming for caring for an animal, the borrower received the milk as well as the manure and, eventually, when the fauna was slaughtered, was entitled to a portion of the meat. Lineage slaughtering feasts are soundless held today, both to coincide with major life-cycle rituals as well as on to a greater extent than ordinary occasions.
In precolonial times, inward add-on to production for domestic consumption, the Chagga produced food, animals, as well as other items for merchandise as well as tribute. Having no domestic source of Fe or salt, nor an adequate furnish of clay, the chiefdoms of Kilimanjaro were subject on merchandise with neighboring peoples for these essential materials. They needed Fe for weapons as well as agricultural tools, tabular array salt as well as clay pots for cooking. Allusion has been made to the local regional as well as long-distance trades inward which the Chagga were actively involved inward precolonial times. Warfare also played an of import run inward the precolonial economy. War yielded booty for the winners as well as often was the basis for the exaction of tribute from the losers. Moreover, the protection of traders as well as merchandise routes had armed services aspects.
Hardworking Chagga people of Mount Kilimanjaro
In the colonial as well as postcolonial periods, the economic scheme has changed drastically. The cropping of coffee, the advent of reason shortage, the evolution of many pocket-size businesses, as well as the inflow of the reward as well as salaries of the many Chagga employed on as well as off the mount conduct hold altered the local economical pic considerably. H5N1 subsistence dimension of the banana-vegetable-animal domestic economic scheme persists inward the household gardens, but it operates inward an alone different context from that of old times. Like banana plants, java bushes are manly soul property. Access to cash is thus much to a greater extent than restricted for women than it is for men, fifty-fifty though women do to a greater extent than of the agricultural as well as domestic project as well as comport the fundamental responsibleness for feeding the household.
Chagga marketplace spot on Kilimanjaro
In precolonial times reason was regarded every bit manly soul property, inherited patrilineally yesteryear males from males or transferred inter vivos yesteryear males to males. Widows as well as women inward other relationships to men could occupy, hold, as well as utilisation reason but could non obtain a transferable interest. That pattern of landholding continues, although, formally speaking, the police force has changed.
Chagga adult woman cooking Pilau rice for grouping of guests
Kinship
Exogamous patrilineages are the basic edifice blocks of the kinship system. These are sometimes called "clans" inward the colonial literature. They vary inward size from a few households to many dozens. Marriage is virilocal, as well as many lineages are localized because of the link betwixt kinship as well as reason tenure.
Chagga kids
Marriage as well as Family
After the Ngasi, boys were complimentary to marry. Marriage was arranged yesteryear the parents, though the man child as well as fille involved were allowed to vocalism their opinions – as well as unless the parents were especially inflexible, these opinions would count for something. Furthermore, inward monastic tell for the man child to stand upwards a peril with his potential suitor, he had to woo her. The Chaggas’ courtship procedure involved, every bit elsewhere inward the world, a lot of gift-giving, though the gifts followed a strict laid of rules: spontaneity played piffling component subdivision inward this process. The foremost gift, for example, from the human to the woman, was ever a necklace. The Chagga manly soul would live on good rewarded for his generosity, for traditionally inward homecoming the fille would trip the calorie-free fantastic naked all solar daytime with bells attached to her legs yesteryear her mother.
Over the next days other gifts were exchanged until the fourth dimension came when the girl, having visited all her relatives, would live on close away for 3 months. No piece of work would live on done yesteryear the fille during this fourth dimension but instead she would live on given fattening nutrient as well as would live on kept inward a cage. At the halt of this catamenia a dowry would live on paid, the union ceremony performed as well as the bride would live on carried on the dorsum of the Mkara (the traditional Chagga equivalent of the best man) to her novel husband’s house.
Chagga boy
Formerly, both males as well as females were ritually circumcised before they were considered tally for marriage. Modified versions of these practices persist, less commonly for females than for males. Traditionally, a widow was inherited yesteryear her husband's heir. Today the husband's heir becomes the "guardian" of the widow as well as often takes command of whatever belongings rights she mightiness have, ostensibly inward her interest. Although intestate inheritance of reason as well as most other economically important belongings is from manly soul to male, succession to such belongings is non exactly from manly soul parent to boy or elderberry to younger brother. It is complicated yesteryear the life involvement of widows, yesteryear various preferred forms of primogeniture as well as ultimogeniture, as well as yesteryear the discretionary powerfulness held yesteryear the lineage over the distribution of the belongings of the dead.
Domestic Unit. The composition of the precolonial household changed over its life bicycle as well as differed inward polygynous households from monogamous ones. After marriage, the initial domestic unit of measurement was that of a husband, wife, and, eventually, immature children. The hubby subsequently built a hut of his own, which he shared with his older sons, the married adult woman keeping her ain hut with single daughters as well as real immature sons. Households often had other single relatives (e.g., widows as well as widowers) attached to them. Today households are of variable composition. Many immature men leave of absence wives as well as children on their plots of reason on Kilimanjaro piece they search for salaried jobs elsewhere.
Sociopolitical Organization
Precolonial organized groups were founded on kinship, locality, age, as well as gender. Localized patrilineages formed the subunits within a district, as well as chiefdoms were composed of several districts. Chiefs were chosen within the chiefly lineage. Chiefs appointed the district heads. Lineages were led yesteryear the senior male, who was the ritual head, as well as also yesteryear a "spokesman," or political representative for external relations. H5N1 scheme of manly soul historic catamenia grades crosscuts lineages as well as districts. Women were also grouped inward historic catamenia grades. From the start of the colonial period, other organizational entities became prominent. The churches were first; later, a java cooperative emerged. Since independence, political party (the Tanganyika African National Union, subsequently renamed the Revolutionary political party [Chama cha Mapinduzi]) as well as regime administrative units conduct hold replaced before chiefs as well as chiefly councils. Tanzania has at nowadays introduced multiparty politics, as well as doubtless this volition choose farther changes inward the future.
As java production gradually expanded, java sales became a major source of local taxation revenue, enhancing local administrative resources as well as becoming the economical basis for secondary local institutional development. Over time, increasing numbers of Chagga received formal education. In the 1920s, with British administrative encouragement, the Chagga organized their ain sales cooperative to marketplace spot their java as well as regulate production. The cooperative was owned yesteryear the Chagga but managed yesteryear a European who was their employee. Despite some political ups as well as downs, the cooperative was, inward general, real successful. An economically sophisticated as well as educated Chagga elite began to form. By the mid-twentieth century, political parties had taken concur that challenged local chiefs for internal political command of the mountain. The British direction periodically reorganized local administrative bodies inward reply to this development. In 1951, inward a evolution that farther diminished the powerfulness of the local chiefs, who yesteryear as well as so were fairly unpopular, a paramount main of all the Chagga was elected, backed yesteryear the Kilimanjaro Citizen's Union. The paramount, inward his turn, became unpopular when he tried to brand his component subdivision permanent as well as hereditary as well as sought excessive personal power. By 1961, when the British left Tanganyika (renamed Tanzania inward 1964, next its union with Zanzibar), the paramount had been displaced. In whatever case, the novel independent regime abolished chieftainship; therefore all the local chiefs also lost their powers. Needless to say, this displace was non unwelcome inward many quarters on Kilimanjaro. Local political reorganization ensued every bit the socialist regime designed novel structures. Despite considerable innovative efforts from above, however, many preexisting relationships, such every bit powerful kinship groupings, continued to live on locally effective on Kilimanjaro.
Before 1900, conflict betwixt chiefdoms was resolved either through chiefly diplomacy or warfare. Subsequently, colonial officials dealt with such matters administratively. Conflicts betwixt individuals were resolved either within the lineage, betwixt lineages, within an historic catamenia degree or an irrigation consortium, or yesteryear the district heads or the chiefs. Hearings took identify at every level. Fines were imposed, as well as persons could live on expelled from whatever grouping was trying the case. Individuals were sometimes killed. Elements of social command were thus manifest inward every grouping milieu. This localized command persists, with some major modifications, inward the modern setting. Since the start of colonial times, at that spot has been a government-designated scheme of officials as well as courts formally charged with dispute settlement as well as police force enforcement.
Religious Belief
The traditional Chagga faith is based roughly belief inward a god called Ruwa. Ruwa was a tolerant deity who, though neither the creator of the universe nor of man, nevertheless laid the latter complimentary from some sort of unspecified incarceration. Ruwa had piffling to do with mankind next this episode, however, so the Chagga instead worshipped their ancestors, whom they believed could influence events on Earth.
Chagga mythology had many parallels with stories from the Bible, including i concerning the autumn of human (though inward the Chagga version, a sweetness white patato was the forbidden fruit, as well as it was a stranger rather than a serpent that persuaded the foremost human to choose a bite); at that spot are also stories that comport a resemblance to the tales of Cain as well as Abel, as well as the neat flood.
The Chagga faith also had its ain concept of sin as well as their ain version of the Catholic practise of confession. In the Chagga religion, however, it is non the sinner but the soul who is sinned against who must live on purified, inward monastic tell that the negative strength does non rest with him or her. This purification would live on performed yesteryear the local medicine man, with the victim bringing along the necessary ingredients for performing the ‘cleansing’. These included the skin, dung as well as tummy contents of a hyrax; the crunch as well as blood of a snail; the rainwater from a hollow tree and, every bit with all Chagga ceremonies, a large quantity of banana beer for the medicine man. All of this would as well as so live on set into a hole inward the reason lined with banana leaves as well as with a gate or archway built above, which the victim would as well as so conduct hold to top through. This done, the victim would live on painted yesteryear the medicine human using the mixture inward the hole. This entire ceremony would live on performed twice daily over iv days.
Superstition played a cardinal run inward traditional Chagga religion: witchcraft (wusari inward Chagga) played a major part, rainmakers as well as rain-preventers were of import members of society, as well as dreams were infallible oracles of the future; indeed, many Chagga were said to conduct hold dreamt of the coming of the white human to Kilimanjaro.
Medicine men did to a greater extent than than attention for one’s spiritual health; they also looked after one’s physical well-being. For the cost of i caprine animal and, of course, to a greater extent than banana beer, the medicine human would live on able to cure whatever disease using a whole host of methods – including spitting. If you lot were suffering from a fever, for instance, you lot could hold off to live on spat upon upwards to lxxx times yesteryear the medicine man, who would goal off his functioning yesteryear expectorating upwards your nostrils as well as and so blowing hard upwards each to ensure the saliva reached its target. For this exceptional method, the traditional payment was i pot of love – as well as in all likelihood some to a greater extent than banana beer.
Chagga people
Passage of rite (The Chagga ‘Ngasi’)
The Ngasi is a rite-of-passage ceremony to grade the passing of boys into adulthood. The ceremony was presided over yesteryear the chief of Ngasi, a human who had the say-so to viciously flog whatever man child taking component subdivision inward the ceremony who displeased him.Before the Ngasi proper started, the boys who were to choose component subdivision were summoned from their houses yesteryear the singing of lugubrious songs at the gate of their homes. From at that spot they were taken to the identify of ceremony deep inward the wood as well as the proceedings began. Hunting formed a large component subdivision of the Ngasi; boys were tested on their powerfulness to runway downwards as well as kill game, the animals caught beingness smeared with the novices’ excrement. Another examine they had to undergo was to climb a tree on the riverbank as well as cross the river yesteryear clambering along its branches to where they intertwined with the branches of the trees on the other side. After this, a chicken would live on sacrificed as well as the boys ordered to lick the blood.
The terminal component subdivision of the initial phase was the most brutal, however: orders were secretly given to the boys to slay a crippled or deformed youth alongside their number. Traditionally, the victim was killed inward the night. The parents were never truly told what had happened to their boy and, every bit all nowadays at the Ngasi ceremony were sworn to silence, they rarely found out the whole story. The boys as well as so moved to a novel camp. They were at nowadays called Mbora, as well as were complimentary to collect their clothes (one laid of boy’s clothes, of course, was left unclaimed). They as well as so repaired to the chief’s line of piece of work solid for a feast, from where they headed home.
After the tribulations of the ceremony, the boys were allowed a month’s holiday, before they returned to the chief’s line of piece of work solid to participate inward the sacrificing of a bull. They were as well as so complimentary to caput dorsum to their homes, raping whatever immature women they chanced to encounter on the way; the pitiful women themselves had no redress. The Ngasi was at nowadays at an end, as well as the boys who had successfully completed the ceremony were at nowadays men.
Chagga traditional dance
Traditional medicine
Traditional Chagga club also practised preventative medicine, as well as non exactly inward matters of health. If, for example, a prominent human inward the hamlet was for some argue worried most his ain safety, the medicine human would monastic tell him to prevarication with his favourite married adult woman inward a pit dug inward the ground. With the human as well as married adult woman soundless inside, the hole would as well as so live on decked with poles as well as covered with banana leaves. They would rest at that spot until evening, piece the man’s friends inward a higher identify would create food.
Medicine men also performed the vital run of removing curses. Curses took many forms: a cheated wife, for example, mightiness curse her hubby yesteryear turning her dorsum on him, bowing iv times as well as praying for his death. The most feared curse, however, was that of the deathbed curse, issued yesteryear somebody presently before they expired. These were widely held to live on the most hard to reverse, for to conduct hold whatever promise of removing it the medicine human would require the victim to acquire concur of a slice of the cursor’s corpse
Clothing
Traditionally, Chagga vesture was made of cowhide. With contact with the exterior world, the Chagga started to have on imported bead ornaments as well as stuff wraparound garments. These colorful pieces of stuff are called kangas as well as kitenges . They may live on worn over a dress, or may live on used to carry babies on the dorsum or hip.
School-aged boys have on shorts, but adults (both manly soul as well as female) as well as immature women to a greater extent than often than non do non have on shorts inward populace except during sports. Mitumba (secondhand vesture from overseas) is sold at the marketplace as well as is inward neat demand yesteryear low-income people.
Food
The staple nutrient of the Chagga people is bananas. Bananas are also used to brand beer, their main beverage. The Chagga industrial plant life a multifariousness of nutrient crops, including bananas, millet, maize (corn), beans, as well as cassava. They also maintain cattle, goats, as well as sheep. Due to express reason holdings as well as grazing areas, most Chagga people today are forced to buy meat from butcher shops.
Pregnant women consume a diet of milk, sweetness potatoes, fat, yams, as well as butter; these are considered woman soul foods. Bananas as well as beer are considered manly soul as well as are non to live on eaten yesteryear pregnant women.
Various nutrient dishes
Cultural heritage
Traditional Chagga instruments include wooden flutes, bells, as well as drums. Dancing as well as singing are component subdivision of almost every celebration. Classical Chaggan music is soundless heard inward festivities; however, Chaggan youth conduct hold also embraced Kiswahili songs produced yesteryear various Tanzanian bands as well as westward as well as cardinal African music as well as trip the calorie-free fantastic forms. Reggae, pop, as well as rap are pop with the youth. Many musicians of Chagga origin are known roughly Africa.
The foremost Chagga historian was Nathaniel Mtui, who was born inward 1892 as well as wrote nine books most the history of the Chagga from 1913-1916.
Chagga funerals
If the medicine man’s efforts at lifting the curse proved to live on inward vain, a funeral would live on the most probable outcome. As with most Chagga ceremonies, this would vary slightly from identify to identify as well as from tribe to tribe, as well as also depended on the condition of the deceased. Only married people with children, for example, would live on buried: dead youths as well as girls would live on wrapped inward banana leaves as well as left inward a banana grove, piece babies were exactly covered inward moo-cow dung as well as left out for jackals as well as hyaenas. (It is said that this practise was stopped after a jackal dropped the severed caput of a pocket-size babe at the feet of a local chief.) For married adults, the corpse would live on stripped as well as bent double, with the caput as well as legs tied together.
Animal sacrifices would choose identify on the solar daytime of the burial, with the enshroud of a sacrificed bull used to screen the grave. Interestingly, the corpse would human face upwards Kibo inward the grave – every bit if the Chagga believed that the summit of Kilimanjaro was inward some means connected with the afterlife. H5N1 lot of beer-drinking was also involved. Sacrifices would go on for the side yesteryear side nine days until, it was believed, the soul had finally crossed the harsh desert separating the earthly world from the spirit world. The afterlife, incidentally, was said to live on real similar our temporal world, only non every bit good, with nutrient less tasty as well as the scenery less majestic.
Source:http://www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com/beliefs-and-ceremonies.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Chagga.aspx
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Chagga human of Mount Kilimanjaro inward Tanzania
They are i of few African ethnic groups that lives on the high mountains as well as experiences the autumn of snow. Their relative wealth comes from the favorable climate of the surface area as well as successful agricultural methods, which include extensive irrigation systems, terracing, as well as continuous organic fertilization methods practiced for thousands of years. They were i of the foremost tribes inward the surface area to convert to Christianity. This may conduct hold given them an economical reward over other ethnic groups, every bit they had improve access to teaching as well as wellness attention every bit Christians.
Chagga adult woman from Tanzania
The Chagga descended from various Bantu groups who migrated from elsewhere inward Africa to the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, a migration that began roughly the start of the eleventh century. While the Chagga are Bantu-speakers, their linguistic communication has a number of dialects related to Kamba, which is spoken inward northeast Kenya, as well as to other languages spoken inward the east, such every bit Dabida as well as Pokomo.
Chagga man, Michael Ngaleku Shirima, founder as well as possessor of Precision Air
The Chagga surface area is traditionally divided into a number of chiefdoms. The Chagga are culturally related to the Pare, Taveta, as well as Taita peoples. The Chagga follow a patrilineal scheme of descent as well as inheritance. The Chagga means of life is based primarily on agriculture, using irrigation on terraced fields as well as oxen manure. Although bananas are their staple food, they also cultivate various crops, including yams, beans, as well as maize. In agricultural exports, the Chagga are best known for their Arabica coffee, which is exported to American as well as European markets, resulting inward java beingness a primary cash crop.
Australian tourist enjoying the Waterfall on Mount Kilimanjaro town of Moshi
The in conclusion volcanic activity occurred most 200 years agone as well as created a symmetrical cone of ash roughly Kibo peak, as well as since then, Mt. Kilimanjaro was at peace until today, but people who were living on the slopes as well as observed volcanic eruptions connected this natural phenomenon to penalisation from God.
Kilimanjaro National Park - the largest freestanding volcanic volume inward the world
When Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's precious stone today, before occupants of its slopes took this glorious as well as glamorous mount to a identify on non going inward fearfulness of reprisal from God because it was his almighty seat. And locals today consider the dwindling snowfall every bit a penalisation from God because likewise many humans elbow grease to climb it everyday. Tourist deaths on the mount are every bit well, connected to wrath from God.
flora life on Mount Kilimanjaro
H5N1 local Chagga legend explains how Kilimanjaro’s 3 neat peaks softened from treacherous lava formations to the to a greater extent than hospitable mount nosotros know today. Long ago, at that spot were ii neighboring giant volcanoes inward East Africa: Kibo was the taller as well as grander, piece Mawenzi was smaller as well as constantly jealous of his to a greater extent than impressive vecino (Shira was no longer a separate peak yesteryear this time). Kibo was also the to a greater extent than industrious of the two, as well as Mawenzi was forever taking reward of him. Mawenzi would oft permit the flame acquire out of his hearth as well as come upwards begging Kibo for assist as well as food. The generous Kibo would ever halt his piece of work of pounding dried bananas with a pestle as well as mortar to assemble coals for Mawenzi as well as send him off with some sustenance. Mawenzi was a terrible create as well as ever loved what Kibo would prepare. Sometimes he would permit his hearth acquire out ii or 3 times inward a row to examine Kibo’s patience.
Snow cap on Mountain Kilimanjaro
One day, after letting his coals flame out, Mawenzi sought out Kibo. But Kibo was non at home, so Mawenzi decided to assist himself to what was there. Dragging the hot embers dorsum to his hearth, Mawenzi grumbled as well as complained most having to do his ain cooking. As Kibo returned, he saw from a distance the ruby-red glow of his coals beingness taken. He found his hearth barren as well as all his hot coals missing. He was so angry he grabbed his pestle, ran to Mawenzi, as well as struck a crashing blow on the head, rendering Mawenzi with the jagged formation nosotros consider today as well as himself dormant.
Majestic Mount Kilimanjaro
Chagga mythology (Creation story)
Chagga legends centre on Ruwa as well as his powerfulness as well as assistance. Ruwa is the Chagga nurture for their god, every bit good every bit the Chagga discussion for "sun." Ruwa is non looked upon every bit the creator of humankind, but rather every bit a liberator as well as provider of sustenance. He is known for his mercy as well as tolerance when sought yesteryear his people. Some Chagga myths concerning Ruwa resemble biblical stories of the Old Testament.
In the past, chiefdoms had chiefs who rose to powerfulness through state of war as well as trading. Some famous yesteryear chiefs include Orombo from Kishigonyi, Sina of Kibosho, as well as Marealle of Marangu.
Chagga Tourist guide on Mount Kilimanjaro
Language
The main linguistic communication spoken yesteryear the Chagga people is Kichagga, which is a Bantu linguistic communication belonging to the larger Niger-Congo linguistic communication family. It has various dialects spoken yesteryear Chagga inward different regions. Despite these differences inward dialect, the Chagga people tin can sympathize each another. The inhabitants of Ugweno, which was i time the northernmost chiefdom of the Pare Mountains, beak a linguistic communication related to Kichagga.
Almost all Chagga people also beak KiSwahili, the national linguistic communication inward Tanzania. KiSwahili is the linguistic communication of instruction inward primary schools as well as is used inward the work-place. English linguistic communication is the linguistic communication of instruction inward secondary schools as well as institutions of higher learning.
Chagga kids of Mount Kilimanjaro
The chagga people are component subdivision of Bantu (Niger-Congo groups) peoples came to Kilimanjaro inward a succession of migrations that started at to the lowest degree v or half dozen hundred years ago. These Bantu people entered Kilimanjaro from the north-east, next local upheaval inward that area. They met an aboriginal people known every bit the Wakonyingo, who were maybe pygmies, already living inhabiting the eastern side of the mountain. There was also Wangassa, a tribe similar to the Masai, as well as the Umbo of the Usambara mountains. The Wachagga Bantu people who came with their iron-age technology scientific discipline to defeat the these aboriginal tribes, drive them away as well as the residue were absorbed into the various chagga tribal groups.
Wachagga tribe`s human from Kilimanjaro inward Tangayika (Tanzania). Circa 1890
Initially, these novel immigrants (Chagga) were a disparate bunch, with different beliefs, customs as well as fifty-fifty languages. With no feelings of kinship or loyalty to their neighbour, they instead settled into menage unit of measurement groups known every bit clans.
The Chagga also had an interactions with some nilotic as well as aboriginal groups. The beginnings of Chagga interactions with the Nilotic Ongamo engagement good before 1600, as well as at some signal the Ongamo had been the dominant people through much of the Mount Kilimanjaro area.
The Ongamo had a large resultant on Chagga culture. The Chagga borrowed several practices from them, including woman soul circumcision, the drinking of cattle blood, as well as historic catamenia sets. By the minute one-half of the nineteenth century, the Ongamo were increasingly acculturated into the Chagga. The Chagga god "Ruwa" resulted from the combination of the Chagga's concept of a creator god with the Ongamo's concept of the life giving sun.
The Pare, Tateva, as well as Teita peoples had been the main suppliers of Fe to the Chagga. The demand for Fe increased from the start of the nineteenth century because of armed services rivalries amid the Chagga rulers. It is probable that at that spot was a connectedness betwixt this rivalry as well as the evolution of long distance merchandise from the coast to the interior of the Pangani River basin, suggesting that the Chagga's contacts with the coast may conduct hold dated to most the halt of the eighteenth century. Raids as well as counter raids characterised the Chagga rivalry, every bit observed as well as understood yesteryear European colonisers.
According to anthropologist Dundas, inward his solar daytime some 732 clans existed on Kilimanjaro; yesteryear 1924, however, when his volume was published, some of these clans were already downwards to exactly a single member.
These menage unit of measurement ties were gradually cutting as well as lost over fourth dimension every bit people moved away to settle on other parts of the mountain. Thus, inward identify of these blood ties, people developed novel loyalties to the part inward which they were living as well as the neighbours with whom they shared the land. Out of this emerged 20 or so states or chiefdoms, most of them on a permanent state of war basis with the other nineteen. Wars betwixt the tribes, as well as indeed betwixt villages inward the same tribe, were commonplace, though they normally took the shape of organized raids yesteryear i hamlet on some other rather than actual pitched battles. Slaves would live on taken during these raids, cattle rustled as well as huts burned down, though at that spot was often piffling bloodshed — the weaker political party would exactly withdraw at the foremost sign of approaching hostilities as well as mightiness fifty-fifty seek to negotiate a cost for peace.
Chagga Supreme Council during the colonial times.
Eventually the number of different groups was whittled downwards to exactly half dozen tribes, or states, with each named after i of the mountain’s rivers. So, for example, at that spot are the Wamoshi Chaggas (after the Moshi River) as well as the Wamachame Chaggas who settled close the Machame River. With all this intermingling going on, a few words inevitably became used yesteryear all the people living on the mount — as well as from this unlikely start grew a mutual language, of which each tribe had its ain dialect. Similar customs developed betwixt the tribes, though every bit with the linguistic communication they differed inward the detail. However, it was only when the Germans took command of the part during the latter component subdivision of the nineteenth century as well as the local people set aside their differences to nowadays a united forepart inward disputes with their colonial overlords that a single ethnic grouping was identified as well as named the Chagga. From this evolved a single, collective Chagga consciousness
Thomas Marealle, Paramount Chief of the Wachagga. Circa 1952. Chief Thomas Lenana Marealle II OBE (June 12, 1915 – Feb 14, 2007) was the Paramount Chief (Mangi Mkuu) of the Chagga people of Tanzania as well as a politician.
After winning a paramont chieftainship election, which he ran against Abdi Shangali of Hai, Jackson Kitali of Moshi, Petro Marealle of Vunjo as well as John Maruma of Rombo, Chief Mareale was inaugurated every bit main inward Jan 1952. The regime abolished the scheme of Chieftainships inward 1961, although Marealle, anticipating this, had voluntarily left his postal service the previous year. His tenure every bit Mangi Mkuu was regarded every bit a golden age, marked yesteryear major improvements inward education, health, the cooperative movement, as well as communications inward his area. In exceptional his courtroom scheme as well as his equitable H2O allotment scheme are recalled with neat nostalgia. After working for the United Nations inward the land of unusual assist for 13 years, he retired every bit a diplomat. He died on fourteen Feb 2007 at the historic catamenia of 92, as well as buried at his homeplace inward Marangu, Moshi
Reliable written historical accounts of the Chagga engagement from the nineteenth century. The foremost European to accomplish the mount was a missionary, Johannes Rebmann, who arrived at that spot inward 1848. At that time, Rebmann found that Kilimanjaro was so actively involved inward far-reaching trading connections that a main whose courtroom he visited had a coastal Swahili resident inward his entourage. Chagga chiefdoms traded with each other, with the peoples of the regions instantly surrounding the mount (such every bit the Kamba, the Maasai, as well as the Pare), as well as also with coastal caravans. Some of this trading was manus to hand, some of it at markets, which were a full general characteristic of the area. Many chiefdoms had several make markets largely run yesteryear women, exactly every bit they are today.
Today the Chaggas, despite their various origins, are renowned for having a strong sense of identity as well as pride. They are also alongside the richest as well as most powerful people inward Tanzania, cheers inward component subdivision to the fertile soils of Kilimanjaro, as well as inward component subdivision to the Western teaching that they conduct hold been receiving for longer than almost whatever other tribe inward Africa, Kilimanjaro beingness i of the foremost places to choose missionaries from Europe.
Settlements
There are no nucleated villages on Kilimanjaro. Each household lives inward the midst of its ain banana-coffee garden, as well as the gardens, i side yesteryear side to another, stretch all over the mountain. The gardens are, for the most part, ringed with living fences that grade their boundaries. In the older areas of settlement, manly soul kin tend to ain as well as reside inward contiguous homestead gardens, forming localized patrilineal clusters. Because of the enormous expansion of the population as well as the consequent reason shortage, at that spot are no large expanses of uncultivated or unoccupied reason inward the banana belt. It was otherwise inward before times. Photographs as well as accounts from before inward the twentieth century present that at that spot were opened upwards fields betwixt the localized clusters.
H5N1 traditional Chaga hut inward Kilimanjaro. The hut is surrounded yesteryear pineapple plants which are thorny, preventing snakes as well as other animals from entering the hut. The pineapples are also used every bit food. Two boulders grade the entrance to the hut, with a long Masele industrial plant life close i of the boulders. The Masele industrial plant life has symbolic meanings to the chaga. Leaves tin can live on plucked as well as arranged inward different fashions as well as hung on the door, enabling a beau villager to know what the hut possessor is doing at a exceptional time. They tin can also live on used to re-establish peace betwixt quarreling villagers. H5N1 pot on the top of the hut prevents pelting H2O to seep into the hut whilst acting every bit a chimney to allow smoke out. Banana plants seen inward the background are the main diet of the people. H5N1 chaga human is exterior his hut.
Such residential arrangements were non static. H5N1 household, or several together, could suspension away from the localized patrilineage of which they had been members. There beingness no reason shortage, they could, with the consent of the local main or district caput inward the novel location, found themselves elsewhere as well as fifty-fifty found a novel patrilineal cluster. As available reason became to a greater extent than scarce, many households moved downwards mountain, as well as some moved up, pushing dorsum the boundary of the forest. Thus, at that spot are older as well as newer settlements on the mountain, older as well as newer patrilineal clusters, as well as substantial areas where the bulk of residents are from unrelated households. Gradually, every bit the opened upwards reason has filled up, the mobility of households has been increasingly restricted.
Economy
In the nineteenth century the Chagga were cultivators as well as cattle keepers. They grew many types of bananas, which were their staple food. Bananas are to a greater extent than often than non manly soul belongings but are (with permission) traded yesteryear women inward the markets. The Chagga also grew millet, maize, beans, finger millet (Eleusine corocana ), cassava, sweetness potatoes, yams, sugarcane, paw paws (Carica papaya ), pumpkins, squashes, as well as tobacco.
Many of the annual vegetable crops were grown yesteryear women as well as were women's property. The Chagga made (and go on to make) beer out of bananas as well as eleusine. In most of the populous parts of the mountain, a few stall-fed cows were kept yesteryear each household. In areas where at that spot was to a greater extent than pasture, large herds of cattle were grazed. Some men owned considerable numbers of animals, but others had none. Milk was a highly valued food, every bit was meat. Local lineages held slaughtering feasts several times a year. There was a scheme of cattle lending whereby many households tended animals that were non their own. In homecoming for caring for an animal, the borrower received the milk as well as the manure and, eventually, when the fauna was slaughtered, was entitled to a portion of the meat. Lineage slaughtering feasts are soundless held today, both to coincide with major life-cycle rituals as well as on to a greater extent than ordinary occasions.
Chagga adult woman carrying plantain, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
In precolonial times, inward add-on to production for domestic consumption, the Chagga produced food, animals, as well as other items for merchandise as well as tribute. Having no domestic source of Fe or salt, nor an adequate furnish of clay, the chiefdoms of Kilimanjaro were subject on merchandise with neighboring peoples for these essential materials. They needed Fe for weapons as well as agricultural tools, tabular array salt as well as clay pots for cooking. Allusion has been made to the local regional as well as long-distance trades inward which the Chagga were actively involved inward precolonial times. Warfare also played an of import run inward the precolonial economy. War yielded booty for the winners as well as often was the basis for the exaction of tribute from the losers. Moreover, the protection of traders as well as merchandise routes had armed services aspects.
Hardworking Chagga people of Mount Kilimanjaro
In the colonial as well as postcolonial periods, the economic scheme has changed drastically. The cropping of coffee, the advent of reason shortage, the evolution of many pocket-size businesses, as well as the inflow of the reward as well as salaries of the many Chagga employed on as well as off the mount conduct hold altered the local economical pic considerably. H5N1 subsistence dimension of the banana-vegetable-animal domestic economic scheme persists inward the household gardens, but it operates inward an alone different context from that of old times. Like banana plants, java bushes are manly soul property. Access to cash is thus much to a greater extent than restricted for women than it is for men, fifty-fifty though women do to a greater extent than of the agricultural as well as domestic project as well as comport the fundamental responsibleness for feeding the household.
Chagga marketplace spot on Kilimanjaro
In precolonial times reason was regarded every bit manly soul property, inherited patrilineally yesteryear males from males or transferred inter vivos yesteryear males to males. Widows as well as women inward other relationships to men could occupy, hold, as well as utilisation reason but could non obtain a transferable interest. That pattern of landholding continues, although, formally speaking, the police force has changed.
Chagga adult woman cooking Pilau rice for grouping of guests
Kinship
Exogamous patrilineages are the basic edifice blocks of the kinship system. These are sometimes called "clans" inward the colonial literature. They vary inward size from a few households to many dozens. Marriage is virilocal, as well as many lineages are localized because of the link betwixt kinship as well as reason tenure.
Chagga kids
Marriage as well as Family
After the Ngasi, boys were complimentary to marry. Marriage was arranged yesteryear the parents, though the man child as well as fille involved were allowed to vocalism their opinions – as well as unless the parents were especially inflexible, these opinions would count for something. Furthermore, inward monastic tell for the man child to stand upwards a peril with his potential suitor, he had to woo her. The Chaggas’ courtship procedure involved, every bit elsewhere inward the world, a lot of gift-giving, though the gifts followed a strict laid of rules: spontaneity played piffling component subdivision inward this process. The foremost gift, for example, from the human to the woman, was ever a necklace. The Chagga manly soul would live on good rewarded for his generosity, for traditionally inward homecoming the fille would trip the calorie-free fantastic naked all solar daytime with bells attached to her legs yesteryear her mother.
Over the next days other gifts were exchanged until the fourth dimension came when the girl, having visited all her relatives, would live on close away for 3 months. No piece of work would live on done yesteryear the fille during this fourth dimension but instead she would live on given fattening nutrient as well as would live on kept inward a cage. At the halt of this catamenia a dowry would live on paid, the union ceremony performed as well as the bride would live on carried on the dorsum of the Mkara (the traditional Chagga equivalent of the best man) to her novel husband’s house.
Chagga boy
Formerly, both males as well as females were ritually circumcised before they were considered tally for marriage. Modified versions of these practices persist, less commonly for females than for males. Traditionally, a widow was inherited yesteryear her husband's heir. Today the husband's heir becomes the "guardian" of the widow as well as often takes command of whatever belongings rights she mightiness have, ostensibly inward her interest. Although intestate inheritance of reason as well as most other economically important belongings is from manly soul to male, succession to such belongings is non exactly from manly soul parent to boy or elderberry to younger brother. It is complicated yesteryear the life involvement of widows, yesteryear various preferred forms of primogeniture as well as ultimogeniture, as well as yesteryear the discretionary powerfulness held yesteryear the lineage over the distribution of the belongings of the dead.
Domestic Unit. The composition of the precolonial household changed over its life bicycle as well as differed inward polygynous households from monogamous ones. After marriage, the initial domestic unit of measurement was that of a husband, wife, and, eventually, immature children. The hubby subsequently built a hut of his own, which he shared with his older sons, the married adult woman keeping her ain hut with single daughters as well as real immature sons. Households often had other single relatives (e.g., widows as well as widowers) attached to them. Today households are of variable composition. Many immature men leave of absence wives as well as children on their plots of reason on Kilimanjaro piece they search for salaried jobs elsewhere.
Chagga piffling fille from Tanzania`s Mount Kilimanjaro
Sociopolitical Organization
Precolonial organized groups were founded on kinship, locality, age, as well as gender. Localized patrilineages formed the subunits within a district, as well as chiefdoms were composed of several districts. Chiefs were chosen within the chiefly lineage. Chiefs appointed the district heads. Lineages were led yesteryear the senior male, who was the ritual head, as well as also yesteryear a "spokesman," or political representative for external relations. H5N1 scheme of manly soul historic catamenia grades crosscuts lineages as well as districts. Women were also grouped inward historic catamenia grades. From the start of the colonial period, other organizational entities became prominent. The churches were first; later, a java cooperative emerged. Since independence, political party (the Tanganyika African National Union, subsequently renamed the Revolutionary political party [Chama cha Mapinduzi]) as well as regime administrative units conduct hold replaced before chiefs as well as chiefly councils. Tanzania has at nowadays introduced multiparty politics, as well as doubtless this volition choose farther changes inward the future.
As java production gradually expanded, java sales became a major source of local taxation revenue, enhancing local administrative resources as well as becoming the economical basis for secondary local institutional development. Over time, increasing numbers of Chagga received formal education. In the 1920s, with British administrative encouragement, the Chagga organized their ain sales cooperative to marketplace spot their java as well as regulate production. The cooperative was owned yesteryear the Chagga but managed yesteryear a European who was their employee. Despite some political ups as well as downs, the cooperative was, inward general, real successful. An economically sophisticated as well as educated Chagga elite began to form. By the mid-twentieth century, political parties had taken concur that challenged local chiefs for internal political command of the mountain. The British direction periodically reorganized local administrative bodies inward reply to this development. In 1951, inward a evolution that farther diminished the powerfulness of the local chiefs, who yesteryear as well as so were fairly unpopular, a paramount main of all the Chagga was elected, backed yesteryear the Kilimanjaro Citizen's Union. The paramount, inward his turn, became unpopular when he tried to brand his component subdivision permanent as well as hereditary as well as sought excessive personal power. By 1961, when the British left Tanganyika (renamed Tanzania inward 1964, next its union with Zanzibar), the paramount had been displaced. In whatever case, the novel independent regime abolished chieftainship; therefore all the local chiefs also lost their powers. Needless to say, this displace was non unwelcome inward many quarters on Kilimanjaro. Local political reorganization ensued every bit the socialist regime designed novel structures. Despite considerable innovative efforts from above, however, many preexisting relationships, such every bit powerful kinship groupings, continued to live on locally effective on Kilimanjaro.
Before 1900, conflict betwixt chiefdoms was resolved either through chiefly diplomacy or warfare. Subsequently, colonial officials dealt with such matters administratively. Conflicts betwixt individuals were resolved either within the lineage, betwixt lineages, within an historic catamenia degree or an irrigation consortium, or yesteryear the district heads or the chiefs. Hearings took identify at every level. Fines were imposed, as well as persons could live on expelled from whatever grouping was trying the case. Individuals were sometimes killed. Elements of social command were thus manifest inward every grouping milieu. This localized command persists, with some major modifications, inward the modern setting. Since the start of colonial times, at that spot has been a government-designated scheme of officials as well as courts formally charged with dispute settlement as well as police force enforcement.
The secretarial assistant of the State chatting with Mangi Mkuu, Thomas Marealle II, during his see to the Chagga Council.
Location: Tanganyika (Tanzania)
Religious Belief
The traditional Chagga faith is based roughly belief inward a god called Ruwa. Ruwa was a tolerant deity who, though neither the creator of the universe nor of man, nevertheless laid the latter complimentary from some sort of unspecified incarceration. Ruwa had piffling to do with mankind next this episode, however, so the Chagga instead worshipped their ancestors, whom they believed could influence events on Earth.
Chagga mythology had many parallels with stories from the Bible, including i concerning the autumn of human (though inward the Chagga version, a sweetness white patato was the forbidden fruit, as well as it was a stranger rather than a serpent that persuaded the foremost human to choose a bite); at that spot are also stories that comport a resemblance to the tales of Cain as well as Abel, as well as the neat flood.
The Chagga faith also had its ain concept of sin as well as their ain version of the Catholic practise of confession. In the Chagga religion, however, it is non the sinner but the soul who is sinned against who must live on purified, inward monastic tell that the negative strength does non rest with him or her. This purification would live on performed yesteryear the local medicine man, with the victim bringing along the necessary ingredients for performing the ‘cleansing’. These included the skin, dung as well as tummy contents of a hyrax; the crunch as well as blood of a snail; the rainwater from a hollow tree and, every bit with all Chagga ceremonies, a large quantity of banana beer for the medicine man. All of this would as well as so live on set into a hole inward the reason lined with banana leaves as well as with a gate or archway built above, which the victim would as well as so conduct hold to top through. This done, the victim would live on painted yesteryear the medicine human using the mixture inward the hole. This entire ceremony would live on performed twice daily over iv days.
Superstition played a cardinal run inward traditional Chagga religion: witchcraft (wusari inward Chagga) played a major part, rainmakers as well as rain-preventers were of import members of society, as well as dreams were infallible oracles of the future; indeed, many Chagga were said to conduct hold dreamt of the coming of the white human to Kilimanjaro.
Medicine men did to a greater extent than than attention for one’s spiritual health; they also looked after one’s physical well-being. For the cost of i caprine animal and, of course, to a greater extent than banana beer, the medicine human would live on able to cure whatever disease using a whole host of methods – including spitting. If you lot were suffering from a fever, for instance, you lot could hold off to live on spat upon upwards to lxxx times yesteryear the medicine man, who would goal off his functioning yesteryear expectorating upwards your nostrils as well as and so blowing hard upwards each to ensure the saliva reached its target. For this exceptional method, the traditional payment was i pot of love – as well as in all likelihood some to a greater extent than banana beer.
Chagga people
Passage of rite (The Chagga ‘Ngasi’)
The Ngasi is a rite-of-passage ceremony to grade the passing of boys into adulthood. The ceremony was presided over yesteryear the chief of Ngasi, a human who had the say-so to viciously flog whatever man child taking component subdivision inward the ceremony who displeased him.Before the Ngasi proper started, the boys who were to choose component subdivision were summoned from their houses yesteryear the singing of lugubrious songs at the gate of their homes. From at that spot they were taken to the identify of ceremony deep inward the wood as well as the proceedings began. Hunting formed a large component subdivision of the Ngasi; boys were tested on their powerfulness to runway downwards as well as kill game, the animals caught beingness smeared with the novices’ excrement. Another examine they had to undergo was to climb a tree on the riverbank as well as cross the river yesteryear clambering along its branches to where they intertwined with the branches of the trees on the other side. After this, a chicken would live on sacrificed as well as the boys ordered to lick the blood.
The terminal component subdivision of the initial phase was the most brutal, however: orders were secretly given to the boys to slay a crippled or deformed youth alongside their number. Traditionally, the victim was killed inward the night. The parents were never truly told what had happened to their boy and, every bit all nowadays at the Ngasi ceremony were sworn to silence, they rarely found out the whole story. The boys as well as so moved to a novel camp. They were at nowadays called Mbora, as well as were complimentary to collect their clothes (one laid of boy’s clothes, of course, was left unclaimed). They as well as so repaired to the chief’s line of piece of work solid for a feast, from where they headed home.
After the tribulations of the ceremony, the boys were allowed a month’s holiday, before they returned to the chief’s line of piece of work solid to participate inward the sacrificing of a bull. They were as well as so complimentary to caput dorsum to their homes, raping whatever immature women they chanced to encounter on the way; the pitiful women themselves had no redress. The Ngasi was at nowadays at an end, as well as the boys who had successfully completed the ceremony were at nowadays men.
Chagga traditional dance
Traditional medicine
Traditional Chagga club also practised preventative medicine, as well as non exactly inward matters of health. If, for example, a prominent human inward the hamlet was for some argue worried most his ain safety, the medicine human would monastic tell him to prevarication with his favourite married adult woman inward a pit dug inward the ground. With the human as well as married adult woman soundless inside, the hole would as well as so live on decked with poles as well as covered with banana leaves. They would rest at that spot until evening, piece the man’s friends inward a higher identify would create food.
Medicine men also performed the vital run of removing curses. Curses took many forms: a cheated wife, for example, mightiness curse her hubby yesteryear turning her dorsum on him, bowing iv times as well as praying for his death. The most feared curse, however, was that of the deathbed curse, issued yesteryear somebody presently before they expired. These were widely held to live on the most hard to reverse, for to conduct hold whatever promise of removing it the medicine human would require the victim to acquire concur of a slice of the cursor’s corpse
Clothing
Traditionally, Chagga vesture was made of cowhide. With contact with the exterior world, the Chagga started to have on imported bead ornaments as well as stuff wraparound garments. These colorful pieces of stuff are called kangas as well as kitenges . They may live on worn over a dress, or may live on used to carry babies on the dorsum or hip.
School-aged boys have on shorts, but adults (both manly soul as well as female) as well as immature women to a greater extent than often than non do non have on shorts inward populace except during sports. Mitumba (secondhand vesture from overseas) is sold at the marketplace as well as is inward neat demand yesteryear low-income people.
Food
The staple nutrient of the Chagga people is bananas. Bananas are also used to brand beer, their main beverage. The Chagga industrial plant life a multifariousness of nutrient crops, including bananas, millet, maize (corn), beans, as well as cassava. They also maintain cattle, goats, as well as sheep. Due to express reason holdings as well as grazing areas, most Chagga people today are forced to buy meat from butcher shops.
Pregnant women consume a diet of milk, sweetness potatoes, fat, yams, as well as butter; these are considered woman soul foods. Bananas as well as beer are considered manly soul as well as are non to live on eaten yesteryear pregnant women.
Various nutrient dishes
Cultural heritage
Traditional Chagga instruments include wooden flutes, bells, as well as drums. Dancing as well as singing are component subdivision of almost every celebration. Classical Chaggan music is soundless heard inward festivities; however, Chaggan youth conduct hold also embraced Kiswahili songs produced yesteryear various Tanzanian bands as well as westward as well as cardinal African music as well as trip the calorie-free fantastic forms. Reggae, pop, as well as rap are pop with the youth. Many musicians of Chagga origin are known roughly Africa.
The foremost Chagga historian was Nathaniel Mtui, who was born inward 1892 as well as wrote nine books most the history of the Chagga from 1913-1916.
If the medicine man’s efforts at lifting the curse proved to live on inward vain, a funeral would live on the most probable outcome. As with most Chagga ceremonies, this would vary slightly from identify to identify as well as from tribe to tribe, as well as also depended on the condition of the deceased. Only married people with children, for example, would live on buried: dead youths as well as girls would live on wrapped inward banana leaves as well as left inward a banana grove, piece babies were exactly covered inward moo-cow dung as well as left out for jackals as well as hyaenas. (It is said that this practise was stopped after a jackal dropped the severed caput of a pocket-size babe at the feet of a local chief.) For married adults, the corpse would live on stripped as well as bent double, with the caput as well as legs tied together.
Animal sacrifices would choose identify on the solar daytime of the burial, with the enshroud of a sacrificed bull used to screen the grave. Interestingly, the corpse would human face upwards Kibo inward the grave – every bit if the Chagga believed that the summit of Kilimanjaro was inward some means connected with the afterlife. H5N1 lot of beer-drinking was also involved. Sacrifices would go on for the side yesteryear side nine days until, it was believed, the soul had finally crossed the harsh desert separating the earthly world from the spirit world. The afterlife, incidentally, was said to live on real similar our temporal world, only non every bit good, with nutrient less tasty as well as the scenery less majestic.
Source:http://www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com/beliefs-and-ceremonies.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Chagga.aspx
http://tanzaniafolkore.blogspot.com/
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