The Mbona cult is a reference to a collection of beliefs and rituals that form the basis of the worship of the spirit of Mbona—which is presently confined to the Khulubvi sacred shrine in the Lower Shire Valley in Nsanje district.
It’s a long-established cultural sect related to the Mang’anja people.
Where is the Mbona cult worshipped?
The spirit of Mbona is worshipped at Khulubvi sacred shrine in the Nsanje district. Specifically, you’ll find Khulubvi sacred shrine about four kilometres south of Nsanje township. It is on a narrow strip of land between the main district road, and the railway line that connects Malawi to the port of Beira in Mozambique.
Here is a bit more description for first-timers; to the east of the shrine stands the Dinde March – between the shrine itself and the shire river. Matundu Hills rises directly to the western side of the shrine.
The place has an open space for meetings, and some huts are built up.
The shrine complex lies on the east-west axis. In mang’anja thought, the west is associated with maleness, and the east with femaleness (for it is from the east that good rains come).
The sanctuary proper is a clearing in the shape of an ellipse, the west of which is occupied by Mbona’s hut, while the east is the spirit wife’s, Mayi Salima, and next to it is her maidservant.
Related: 7 Shrines Associated With Mbona Cult (a Part from Nkhulubvi)
Purpose of Mbona cult
As a territorial cult, Mbona is bent on securing the wellbeing of local people. Customarily, people ask Mbona to help them end the drought, floods and food shortages. Individuals also go there to have their personal challenges – such as lack of children – addressed. At the Khulubvi shrine the following petitions are normally offered to God:
• pleas for abundant rains at the appropriate season
• and calls for rains in times of drought.
Three main rites are performed at Khulubvi in pursuance of the above purposes. These are:
• annual communal prayers
These are prayers accompanied with libations of beer brewed using millet. The event happens once each year in October and November, which marks the end of the dry season. Of course, an extraordinary ceremony of this kind is done in the event of severe drought to ask Mbona to provide rains to people.
• Re-building the shrine.
During this ritual, materials are sourced to build up huts within the sacred shrine. Note that no repairing is done to the huts, but complete rebuilding.
An animal is slaughtered to accompany this ritual.
• Induction of a new spirit wife
During this ritual, a wife to Mbona who is referred to as Mai Salima is installed to take the place of the deceased wife.
After the death of Mbona’s first wife, a special group of elders chose another woman to be “Mbona’s wife, and this practice has been ongoing ever since.
The selected woman ordinarily adheres to her choice as it is considered as a “calling”. She is important since she is an intermediary between Mbona and worshippers. In other words, Mbona sends messages to his followers through her.
Related: Best Introduction to Bimbi and Chikang'ombe Cults
The legend of Mbona
Mbona, a Mang’anja by tribe, lived during the rise of Lundu chiefdom in the Nsanje district. He was a legendary and commanding personality with extraordinary powers. The heavens blessed him with the ability to govern rains, knowledge of magic and healing powers.
He would call for rain, create water wells on sandy terrain and form forests on barren land. When it came to warfare or any danger, he was able to hide from enemies by turning into a huge snake or other creatures such as guinea fowls.
Mayi Salima was his wife; she seldom moved an inch outside her compound. if any, she would – once in a blue moon – volunteer to assist Mbona on matters of divinity. Otherwise, elderly women and children were the only ones allowed to visit her.
The legend goes that Mbona ran away from his Lundu, his relation who was based in the upper shire Valley. There, Lundu had been both a ruler and intermediary between his people and God.
However, Mbona usurped Lundu’s power at a time when he managed to bring rains during a drought. This was done after Lundu had failed to do so.
Lundu in turn accused Mbona of witchcraft, and consequently, Mbona had to flee. While escaping from the north, he rested on several places in southern Malawi which subsequently turned into his sacred shrines, after his demise.
Mbona would have not have died if it was not for his own wish. It is said that his arch-rival Mlauli, tried many ways to kill his uncle but he failed.
Eventually, Mbona revealed that they had to cut his throat with a leaf if they wanted to kill him. As such Mbona’s head was cut off accordingly, and it was placed at Khulubvi sacred groove in Nsanje.
In conclusion, the Mbona cult happens to be arguably the most surviving heritage in Malawi. Currently, it ranks on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites as assessed by UNESCO.
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