By Princess Eugene Majuru
Mukuyazviyo the Mukuvisi River Spiritual Snake
The story of spiritual snakes of Mbari Kingdom is unknown and has never been told, the main reason being the British who colonised Zimbabwe never documented about them, it is unknown whether they came into contact with them or not. Chances are that they probably did and never knew they were spiritual names so if anything ever happened to any of them they would never have known they were spiritual or if anyone met their fate it was never documented. History has it that serpents and snakes symbolise fertility, power and a creative force in life. It is a symbol or transformation, immortality, rebirth and healing. A snakes rebirth is seen when it sheds its skin it becomes symbol of resurrection and renewal. They are also known to represent wisdom, ancient knowledge, spiritual snakes appear when they are trying to convey a message or their sudden appearance happens for a good reason. It then requires the families or clans connected with the area to carry out some consultations with their Ancestors to find out why the snakes are appearing. A appearance of a spiritual snake can also happen at a time when its sending a message that a change is about to take place, a message for people to embrace change and leave the past behind, leave the bad things behind and prepare for a new phase of life. The spiritual snakes also appear as a way to claim their territory, to show that they live there and they are present and to remind people of the sacred area they are in or the spirituality of the Kingdom.
The big snake of the Mukuvisi River in Harare has been living in the river for more than 100 years. Many have never seen it or heard about it but it has started appearing and people see it every day at 2pm it comes out and people in Mbare can see it at one of the bridges on a busy road. The giant snake of the Mbari clan is called” Mukuyazviyo” The gigantic snakes comes out of the underground caves and basks in the open as people see and take photographs, it has never been reported to harm anyone or attack anyone or any animals. When children try to go close to it simply goes back into the underground caves. The national Parks department in Harare was called out and refused to move the snake as they said it was spiritual. Tempering with it or attempting to move it would cause serious problems for the people trying to move it or people in the area. People who witnessed it have made comments that when it is in sight the bridge shakes and vibrates even though it lies under the bridge motionless. To the Mbari clan Mukuyazviyo is a form of protection, it can protect someone from the bloodline against the enemy, it can also prevent someone who is not from the clan or bloodline from entering certain areas which can only be accessed by Descendants of King Mbari who was also known as paramount Chief Mbari by colonial powers whose efforts were to downgrade his power or authority. Kings across Africa were reduced to be called Chiefs and this process was done as part of colonialism. Africans got so comfortable with the use of the name Chief such that they even forgot to change the name to King, they still call their Kings Chiefs.
African Kingdoms like Lesotho and Swaziland and Morocco who have the last 3 remaining monarchies in Africa, they call their Kings the rightful name King, for example King Mswati III. Snakes can represent evil or are used by evil people, a penetrating legless essence or are poisonous and can lead to death. The serpent snakes is widely known to be a symbol of profound spirituality in Africa, and transcends geographical boundaries and the different cultures. In Zimbabwe there is also the river God snake the Nyami Nyami found in the resort town of Kariba. In Nigeria they have the Mami Wata snake. The Nyami Nyami is known as the life giving force in Zambezi River and also offers protection for the local people. It is said to provide divine spiritual connection between humans and the natural world.
The Mami Wata snake of Nigeria is described as a half mermaid and half fish is a symbol for water, fertility, wealth, and spiritual transformation. The sighting of Mami Wata is said to symbolise healing, connection with earth and spiritual realms and wisdom. In Haiti they have the serpent Loa which is known as the rainbow serpent, this serpent is associated with Damballah and represents fertility and transformation and has a strong connection with the ancestral wisdom. So the presence of Damballah has importance in that it is a source of spiritual power and divine guidance. Ancient Africa is known to have a lot of serpent power. In Ethiopia and Egypt the Kundalini energy is energy which is believed to reside at the base of the spine, it further explains the belief that there is divine potential within an individual. African Serpent symbolism holds profound spiritual significance in African mythologies all across the African Continent.
The Mbari had had strong beliefs and connections with their ancestors who offer guidance and assistance when required. Most traditional African systems or Kingdoms have maintained the strong connections between the living and their dead ancestors and it is widely known that ancestors have kind hearts and lookout for their living descendants. Sometimes when there is negativity it might come about because it is a warning of some wrong doing or it comes as a reminder to certain individuals who have been tasked to carry out some traditional roles and they refuse to listen. Illness can come about and such illness cannot be treated medically as medical Doctors cannot diagnose or treat the problem. In such cases traditional consultations are done and the problems can be resolved. Negative actions by Ancestors are done to warn descendants they have taken the wrong path.
Mukuyazviyo the Mukuvisi River snake of Harare.
(Pic by Billy Mazuru of the Mbari Clan)
Chitura the Mazoe Dam Spiritual Snake 6am to 6pm
The main spiritual snake in the Harare Kingdom is named Chitura. This snake lived in the Mazoe Dam, so far it has been seen twice by the public. It is very big and very long. It has been sighted crossing the Mazoe road and all traffic came to a standstill and a long queue of traffic was held up for a total of 12 hours while it crossed the road. Chitura`s spirituality has to do with looking after the area. When Chitura comes out and people see him he will be making a statement. It appears as a way to remind people of its presence and the spirituality of the area and to warn people against doing things that are not permitted in the area. The Mbari clan who are the owners of the area will know why it is appearing as they are able to communicate with the Ancestors, should there be any problems or anything about to happen the snake will appear.
In the Shona culture snakes are also known to be messengers their appearance is connected with communicating a very important message. Due to the fact that Chitura crossed the road from 6am to 6pm he became known as the 6 to 6 snake. No one has ever known more details about Chitura the Mazoe River snake, it is only now that I am giving a few more details. As a descendant of King Mbari and as Princess of Harare my duty is to tell the history of the Mbari clan, I play a very important role in the Kingdom. Zimbabweans and the rest of the World can have a better understanding about the mysteries of the Harare Kingdom as some of the unknown information is now being documented. It is clear how mist of the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial history of Harare Kingdom was and is still not documented. The time is now for most of the unknown information to be disclosed. The symbols of African spirituality and metaphors have a profound role in conveying the truths and insights of spirituality. Western culture has attempted to destroy everything that comes with African spirituality as part of colonialism to brainwash African people so they go against their beliefs, tradition and culture. Snakes in Africa are also known as Royal symbols and live in caves which are also sacred areas and if people who are not clean go to those areas they meet their peril and never return. Snakes are messengers between humans and the divine, in some cases they are also used for healing and protection.
Comments
About Author
