Leonardo A. De Sousa.

Initiation rites in Mozambique

Namicopo Secondary School

Nampula

2019
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Leonardo A. De Sousa.

Initiation rites in Mozambique

Work to be submitted to the

English teacher to be considered
1st/2nd English test. Stream B1-1

Teachers name dr : Vasco Muaipo

Namicopo Secondary School

Nampula

2019
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Index
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 3

1. Definition of initiation rites in Mozambique............................................................. 4

2. Advantages of initiation female ................................................................................ 4

b) Advantages initiation rites of Male ........................................................................... 5

c) Disadvantages of initiation rites for Male ................................................................. 5

d) Disadvantages of initiation rites for female .............................................................. 6

3. Initiation rites in Mozambique .................................................................................. 6

The Central Region: individualized preparation to please man ....................................... 6

The South Region: no sexual preparation ........................................................................ 6

In the North: Matrilinhagem ............................................................................................. 7

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 9

Bibliographical references .............................................................................................. 10

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Introduction
In this paper we will discuss the subject of initiation rites in Mozambique, but
specifically the definition of initiation rites in Mozambique, the advantages and
disadvantages of male and female initiation rites, and ways in which initiation rites in
central, northern and southern Mozambique.
This work will be of paramount importance in regard to the cognition of my studies.
as it is known the initiation rites have an extreme importance in regard to non-formal
education in our country.
the methodology used in this work was the one of the bibliographical references
research, enriched with the basic knowledge lived by the author.
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1. Definition of initiation rites in Mozambique

Rite is a set of religious ceremonies differently regulated, according
to the different communions or in different societies.
Rituals of initiation correspond to a process of deep personality transformation, where
in them the individual makes a global experience of life, finding the absolute value of
existence and discovering his own social personality.
Rites of initiation are ceremonies of a traditional and cultural nature practiced in African
societies that aims to prepare the adolescent to face the other phase of life, that is, the
adult phase.
They aim essentially at personal, social and cultural integration of the individual, allows
the individual to gather multiple influences from his environment and then integrate it
into his way of thinking, acting and behaving, the individual actively participates in the
activities and life of the group that belongs.
In Mozambican society, initiation rites do not manifest themselves homogenously. They
vary from province to province, from region to region, from religion to religion, and
from sex to sex.
These ceremonies aim to prepare boys and girls for marital and social life and with the
rite of initiation boys and girls have access to participation and knowledge of certain
mysteries.
2. Advantages of initiation female
Women's initiation rituals are not concentrated like those of men, but are
composed of many rites separated by long periods of time in which the girl is gradually
separated from the infantile world and asexual to be added to society as an adult person
and as a woman.
When the young woman has her first menstrual period, her godmother and four or five
other counselors begin to teach her at night in her home for several weeks. In these
training sessions are taught what menstruation is and how to take care of your own
health, how to behave in society, how to dress at different times, how to run a house,
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and also do a lot of sex education. In these days, much attention is paid to the dreams of
the initiate: dreaming of an ox is a sign of life, while dreaming of a leopard can be a
sign of death or disgrace.
a) Female initiation rites have the following advantages:
 Help the woman to know her own self;
 Help the woman to do the personal cleaning, after the menstruation;
 Help to instill in the woman the knowledge of how to treat her husband or man
prepares the woman for tomorrow (to be a mother)

b) Advantages initiation rites of Male

Male initiation rites, they subscribe to perform the circumcision and all activities
inherent therein during the period of preparation, and teaching young people everything
that may come to life and need to know the fight. There, one learns to suffer with
resignation all the martyrdoms inflicted upon him as well as all the hardships of life
and, even, they are taught to hunt.
Male initiation rites have as advantages,
 Due to personal hygiene that avoids possible sexually transmitted diseases;
 Social integration and formation of the personality of the individual;
 Civic moral education (respect for the elders, the holy places, the dead);
 Sexual and marital education;
 do not take the secrets of the house out of it or like what is said evil against your
own family;
 transmission of moral and cultural values

c) Disadvantages of initiation rites for Male
 The procedures for the circumcision act are too painful, coupled with the use of
unsuitable cutting instruments which suits a greater number of risks.
 The high risk of life of insiders insulation are at the mercy of fierce and cold
animals;
 Education to man for manifestation of authoritarian power;
 Non-adequacy of the program of initiation rites with the school calendar
 Long period of stay in the initiation rites for the boysd
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d) Disadvantages of initiation rites for female

Preparation of the woman for total submission to her husband, denying her
emancipation;
Separation of work from home and others by sex;
Limitation of diet (not consumption of eggs, liver, gizzard, etc.).
Involves women in early marriage;
Woman enters very early in sex life;

3. Initiation rites in Mozambique

The way the initiation rites take place in Mozambique varies from region to region,
from province to province.

The Central Region: individualized preparation to please man

In the central region (the provinces of Sofala, Manica and southern Tete), the situation
of initiation rites differs from the north; in the central region (south of the Zambezi
River), kinship relations follow the patrilineal lines. Here, the expression "initiation
rites" does not seem to refer to any community celebration. On the contrary, so-called
"rites" seem to be a very private matter, practical and non-ritualized, only dealing with
the girl's individual preparation for marriage. What was formerly a collective and shared
socialization for female self-determination has become an individualized preparation
here.
Compared with the north, girls from the central region are prepared to be sexual objects
rather than subjects sexual relations.

The South Region: no sexual preparation

Moving to the south there is very little that can reasonably be called a rite of initiation.
At province of Maputo, few people seem to know what "rites initiation "should be. In
the provinces of Gaza and Inhambane people have long stories about how this was in
the past. O dilemma of the central region is also felt here: if a man expects the girl to be
"prepared" and she is not, this is not good (this was the problem of ancient times), and if
he does not expect it is and it is, it is not good either (this is the current problem).
Thus, the conclusion reached in a communal village in Gaza is widely shared:
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In the North: Matrilinhagem

Currency / Cabo Delgado

The ceremonies of puberty of the boys are called Licumbi and in them also enter the
masked dancer’s mapiko.
The village chief must arrange the healer (Namulo) who will be the master of the
ceremony, and during the ceremony Nalumbo will have his body stained with white
polka dots.
This festival takes place in the dry season, this period is chosen because there is less
work in the fields and it is a good time to do outdoor parties and because the boys can
live better in the bush during the necessary period of isolation. They also choose this
time of year to better prepare the fermented drinks and food for the party.
It is the Nalungo who does the circumcision of the boys and provides the remedy for
them to resist the dangers of the bush and gives him indications of what they can and
cannot do during the Licumbi.
Each young man (Mwali) must have a godfather to accompany him throughout Licumbi
and this godfather is called Mbwana, the mwali is led by mbwana for circumcision and
helps him during the period of isolation in the bush.
It teaches you many skills for the future life such as; build house, make traps for hunting
animals and everything that is important for married and social life. The mbwana, after
giving these abilities, lends his protégé, an old razor to be able to perform what he is
taught. When he finishes the licumbi mbwana gets back his old razor, and offers a new
one to his mwali.
During the ceremonies, each initiate plant a stake of any tree that brings for the first
time that goes to the bush during the licumbi, in a place called maûle. During the
licumbi the term imposes some prohibitions such as: the mothers of the initiates cannot
eat meat, cannot bathe in the river, speak or greet people and cannot sleep, in turn the
boys also cannot eat meat, nor can be seen by women and children, cannot cross paths
without first rubbing some sand on the forehead and navel. "All the clothes used during
the initiation are burned and young people receive new ones, they also burn the hut they
use during the rite of initiation." They paint their bodies, they adorn their legs with
ornaments made by themselves, with dried fruits in which the seeds are rattled, then
they receive the new name and abandon the one of the birth, "Nsina nokhani" »
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When they look at the fire to burn the hut that everyone shares the young people lie
down on their arms so they do not witness the flames, because if they witness the flames
they will be sterile.
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Conclusion
In the present work we talk about initiation rites in Mozambique, in which we conclude
that initiation rites contribute a great deal in the transmission of moral as well as cultural
values in generation for generation. male initiation rites differs with females in their
mode of achievement, duration and execution, while women learn how to treat a man
men learn how to give it with life, so male initiation rites can last more than 45 days
while which for women last 3 days to a week. the rites of feminine initiation have a
great disadvantage in what matters in the life in the daily life because they take with that
the girls of their 12 years begin to date or think even to marry before their age for such.
with this leads to premature marriages.
The form that the initiation rites are taught diverges with private for province and
depends on the goal to be sheltered. in the center of Mozambique female rites are
closely linked to the preparation of the female for a married life, or for sexual purposes.
In the central region (the provinces of Sofala, Manica and Tete), the situation of
initiation rites differs from the north; in the region (south of the Zambezi River), kinship
Patrilineal lines. Here, the expression "initiation rites" does not appears to refer to any
Community celebration. Fur Otherwise, the so-called "rites" seem to be a very private,
practical and non-ritualized, only dealing with individual preparation of the girl for the
wedding.
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Bibliographical references
Arnfred, Sgne. notas sobre género e modenização em moçambique. 2015, n.d.

Gaspari, Timi. il teatro fa bene. agosto 17, 2015. http://mz.ilteatrofabene.it/il-

territorio/macua-ritos-de-passagem-os-ritos-de-iniciacao-das-
jovens/#a.10/08/2015 (accessed Maio 2019, 25).

Osório, conceição, and Ernesto Macuácua. OS RITOS DE INICIAÇÃO no contexto

actual: Justamentos, ropruras e controntos cunstruindo identidades de feénero.
Maputo: Maria Jóse Oliveira, 2013.

Salatinho. salato. Novembro 19, 2007. http://salatinho.blogspot.com (accessed 05 2019,

25).