Saturday 5 October 2024

Who Are the Sangomas (Southern Africa’s Intercessors)?

Sangomas are traditional healers in southern African cultures, including the Venda, Zulu, and Xhosa. Known as "Mungome" in Venda and "Sangoma" in Zulu, they play a vital role as intermediaries between the living and the ancestors. Sangomas use spiritual guidance to diagnose ailments, provide remedies, and foretell future events. Their practices often involve drum rituals, as "ngoma" in both Venda and Zulu means "drum," symbolizing the connection to the ancestors during ceremonies. They conduct initiation rituals for trainees and use divination techniques, like bone casting, to offer guidance. Sangomas also perform important societal functions by warning of disasters and restoring harmony. They are distinguished from "Inyanga" (Ṅanga in Venda), who specialize in herbal medicine, while sangomas focus on spiritual healing and ancestral communication.

(1). Ashforth, Adam. "Witchcraft, Violence, and Democracy in South Africa". University of Chicago Press, 2005.

(2). Buhrmann, M. V. "Living in Two Worlds: Communication Between a White Healer and Her Black Counterparts". Human & Rousseau, 1984.

(3). Hammond-Tooke, D. "Rituals and Medicines: Indigenous Healing in South Africa". Ad. Donker, 1989.

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