In southern Africa, among Nguni-speaking peoples such as the Zulu, the Xhosa and the Swazi, there is a highly respected religious figure: the sangoma (in Zulu isangoma, plural izangoma; among the Xhosa one speaks of igqirha, plural amagqirha). The sangoma is a ritual specialist who acts as a go-between for the living and the ancestors, interprets signs and guides people in their relationship with the invisible world.
The ancestors at the centre
To understand the sangoma we must start from the role of the ancestors in these peoples' thought. The spirits of the family's dead, called in Zulu amadlozi or amathongo, do not vanish at death: they remain part of the family, watch over their descendants' lives, expect respect and offerings, and may show their favour or displeasure.
The relationship with the ancestors is expressed in many gestures:
- the sacrifice of an animal on important occasions such as weddings, births and homecomings;
- ritual beer brewed and shared with the family and the dead;
- the role of the umsamo, the rear part of the main hut, regarded as the place of the ancestors;
- the smoke of certain burnt plants, which in tradition «calls» and honours the spirits.
The sangoma is the person able to hear the voice of the ancestors when the family cannot understand their signs.
The calling
In tradition, no one chooses to become a sangoma. One is called by the ancestors. The calling shows itself through persistent dreams, visions, restlessness and coincidences that the person and their family cannot explain. Often the person tries to refuse, and the refusal itself is part of the story: the ancestors are said to insist until the call is accepted.
When the family recognises the sign, the person is entrusted to an experienced teacher.
The apprenticeship: ukuthwasa
The training period is called ukuthwasa, and the one undergoing it is an ithwasa, the apprentice. The word recalls the new moon appearing in the sky: an image of rebirth and beginning.
The apprentice lives with the teacher, called gobela, for a period that may last years. During ukuthwasa they learn:
- to interpret dreams, regarded as the main channel of communication with the ancestors;
- the songs and dances, accompanied by the drum, that foster openness to the spirits;
- knowledge of plants, in their ritual and symbolic value;
- the rules of purity, taboos and proper conduct;
- the techniques of divination.
The apprentice wears specific garments and ornaments, often white, the colour associated with the ancestors and with purity. At the end of training, a public ceremony with sacrifices and dances marks their consecration as a sangoma.
Beads and appearance
Izangoma are recognisable by their attire: necklaces and bracelets of coloured beads, each with a meaning, animal skins, headdresses, sometimes a wildebeest or other animal tail used as a ritual fly-whisk. White beads are especially important, but many colour combinations have values of their own, tied to the ancestors and to moments of life.
Divination
Divination techniques vary from region to region:
| Technique | Description |
|---|---|
| Reading the bones | casting a set of bones, shells, seeds and small objects, each with a meaning, and interpreting their arrangement |
| Listening to the ancestors | the sangoma receives messages in a state of concentration or trance, often after songs and drumming |
| Dreams | interpreting the dreams of the client or of the sangoma themselves |
Reading the bones, called in Zulu ukubhula ngamathambo, is also widespread among neighbouring Sotho- and Tswana-speaking peoples. In some traditional consultations, those present clap their hands and answer «siyavuma», «we agree», as the sangoma voices their interpretations.
Sangoma and inyanga
Zulu tradition distinguishes the sangoma from the inyanga. The sangoma is called by the ancestors and is above all a diviner; the inyanga is a specialist who acquires knowledge of plants and preparations through study and transmission, without a spiritual calling. In practice the two figures may overlap, but the distinction remains important in how communities perceive them.
A living tradition
Izangoma do not belong to the past. They are present in the cities and countryside of southern Africa, and their role coexists with Christianity and modern life. Many people turn to them at moments of transition, to understand a dream or to honour the ancestors correctly.
In short
- The sangoma is the ritual specialist of the Nguni peoples of southern Africa, a go-between for the living and the ancestors.
- The ancestors (amadlozi) remain part of the family and express themselves through signs and dreams.
- One does not choose to become a sangoma: one is called, and follows the ukuthwasa apprenticeship.
- Beads, white garments, the drum and the reading of the bones characterise the tradition.
- Zulu culture distinguishes the sangoma, a called diviner, from the inyanga, an expert in plants.
