History: The Chewa originated in the country of Zaire, but they emigrated to northern Zambia and central Malawi where they now live. The Chewa established their first kingdom around the year 1480. In the 17th century, the Portuguese recorded having had contact with the Chewa clans, the Banda and Phiri. Although the Portuguese didn't get to the heart of the Chewa culture, they did record having contact with them. They have well documented records of their contact with the Chewa between 1608 and 1667. This was the first recorded encounter with the culture. During the mid 18th century, the country of Malawi began to fill with several different cultures and dynasties. The Chewa distinguish themselves from the other cultures by their distinct language, specials tattoos, and the possession of secret societies.
Language: They speak a language called Chinyanja or Banti, which is one of the widely used languages of Malawi.
Daily Life: The bulk of their economy comes from swidden or slash-and-burn agriculture. The main crops that are produced are corn and sorghum. They usually live in compact villages. The village hierarchy is lead by a hereditary headman and supplemented with an advisory council of elders. The Chewa people believed that all living things were created by God (they called Chiuta, or Chaunta) on a mountain named Kapirintiwa, during a thunderstorm. Presently, the mountain sits on the border between Malawi and Mozambique. Although they believe in the one creator God, they also believe that the spirits of men and animals come in contact with the living. They believe that the living and the spirits are in constant contact with each other through dance.
Although not many people have had contact with the people of the Chewa culture, they still maintain their ancestral beliefs and customs. Everything from their location to their language to their religious beliefs, the Chewa have managed to remain very distinct from other African cultures.
The mask or Mbalangwe on display is from the Nyau society of the Chewa tribe and was probably made by a professional mask maker. The red of the mask is associated with women, whilst the black represents death. The scarification marks on the mask mean that the mask depicts a respected woman who has undergone initiation. Chewa women can also become chiefs, so it is possible that the mask depicts a female chief. The feather headress and height of the mask indicate its sacred importance.
Only men can perform with the masks which are used in the initiation of boys and girls in Nyau society, for funerals and in rememberance of important people.
Poisoned Arrows and Quiver, Nigeria, 19th Century
The arrows were used by natives of tropical Africa during the late 19th century for hunting and warfare. The poison on the arrow shaft is from the plant stropanthus, which kills the victim by stopping the heart.
The quiver of poisoned arrows was presented to the Materia Medica Department at St Andrews University by Sir Thomas Fraser who was the then Professor of Materia Medica at the University of Edinburgh. It had been given to him by Sir Frederick Lugard, the first Governor of Nigeria.
Resources:
Chewa. Encyclopedia Britannica Online http://www.britannica.com/seo/c/chewa/ 11 Mar. 2001
Chewa Religion. World Religions Project. http://www.philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/sub/chewa.html 11 Mar. 2001
