This Article transcribes Njanja oral history into text and analyse the ancient Njanja Praise Poem highlighting Njanja Jewish heritage and ancestry. Totem Praise poems are the oldest form of Shona clan history preservation. These identity emblems are the most dependable fragments of recorded history, they were created at the beginning of the shona settlement and have remained unchanged for thousands of years. Before we start ,It is important to note that in any given culture, the richest and most thoughtful cultural discussions have always come from the humanities i.e From Philosophers, Play writers, Poets, Storytellers etc. These are repositories of information, especially in African societies. Sciences only come in to verify what these custodians of the light would have said. I will strip away all the jargon and use basic language to make it comprehensible, despite the simplicity of the language, I want you to know that everything We are going to discuss, from a technical point of view has been well researched. We listened to oral stories of these people and simply transferred their oral history into written history.
The word Njanja: means People who came from beyond the seas: The Njana people bore a Hebrew Portuguese origin in genealogy and expansion. Their oldest known ancestor is a Hebrew Jew, who travelled from Portugal named Gouveia (corrupted to Kuveya ).
The name Gouveia is a toponymical \ topographic surname (name of a place that was adopted as a surname).The Gouveia family might have adopted the name upon their arrival in Portugal from Judea where they were running from persecution to make it easy to blend in and be accepted in their adopted homeland.
Name-changing has always been a common practice when people are deliberately trying to hide their true identity mostly for security reasons, or to speed up integration into a new society.
This can still be observed today worldwide. Germans who migrated after the wars changed their names to local-sounding names. Schmidt became Smith, and Chinese Americans also changed their native names to English-sounding ones like Johnson etc.
The Hebrew communities in Spain and Portugal went through a rough time between (1478 to 1515) this was the period of the Spanish and Portuguese inquisitions. During this period Hebrews were forced to convert to Catholicism or face expulsion, loss of property, torture or even death. The Hebrew Jews that converted were given derogatory names such as Conversos, Marranos, Anusims or Crypto Jews,
Many of these wondering Hebrew Jews took up names of places, occupations or trades and converted them to family names to avoid being identified as Hebrew Jews. It is believed The Gouveias were part of the Hebrews that were dispersed from Judea and settled in Spain and Portugal, commonly referred to as Sephardic Jews.
They left later escaped Portugal into the Arabian Peninsula during the inquisition, settling in a place called Senna in Arabia.According to Tudor Parfitt's Book: Remarkable Journey. Senna was most likely located in Present -day Yemen, specifically in the village of Sanāw which is located within the easternmost portion of the Hadhramaut. His research shows that the city has been home to a Hebrew (Jewish) population since ancient times. The Njanja People in Zimbabwe are called VaSenna in reference to their Senna origins and vaZungu \ vaRungu because of their distinct racial difference from the locals of the day.
From Yemen, the Njanja crossed into Africa with another band of Hebrew Jews Passing through Ethiopia, Tanzania and Mozambique into Present day Zimbabwe. Our research suggests the Njanja people were part of the Lemba clan when they arrived and settled at Bvumbura hills area in Buhera a place where both clans (Lemba and Njanja) still call home.
The Njanja broke off from the Lemba when their Ancestor Gouveia decided to marry Chief Chirwa's daughter Mashawashe Who "converted" to become a Njanja (Gambiza -Resident Stranger), breaking the strict Lemba endogamous marriage practices, that discouraged unions between Lemba and non-Lemba.
The Njanja people made a name for themselves as master Gold and Blacksmiths. They made a living working with iron and other metals forging tools and weapons for the local chiefs and later for the Rozvi kings who resided in Dzimbabwe.
Gouveia and Princess Mashawashe (Chief Chirwa's daughter) were blessed with a son who they named Neshangwe.
It is believed that Chief Chirwa and his sons used to take, Neshangwe to the Rozvi courts. Where he found favour with the sitting Rozvi King and Princes such that after the death of Chief Chirwa, Neshangwe was named Chief. Oral history marks this point as the changing of the chieftainship from the Chirwa clan to their nephew Neshangwe of the new Njanja clan. This could also have been a political move by the Rozvi King to guarantee loyalty from a clan of skilled metal workers for military purposes.
Since the new Chief Neshangwe was not part of the local tribes, he did not have a Totem. The Rozvi King allowed Neshangwe to adopt his Moyo totem. To differentiate between his new clan and the Rozvi royalty’s Moyo Chirandu totem- he named his new clan Moyo Sinyoro.
For the longest time, it was erroneously believed that Sinyoro is corruption for (Señor) Portuguese for sir. This is not accurate, the names Sinyoro and Gouvea are both listed multiple times as Serphadic Hebrew Jewish names of known (conversos) converted Jews who stood trial during the inquisition. When Neshangwe named himself Sinyoro he had just adopted a family name and not an attempt at self-aggrandizement by calling himself sir. Our research has found that the family name Gouvea and Sinyoro are cited concerning Jews & Crypto-Jews in at least 4 bibliographical, documentary, or electronic references: e.g. (Soy Sefardi.org and Judeu.org)
There is very little in terms of a written history of any of the African tribes most of the stories are passed down orally or interpreted from rock paintings and other crafts.
The Shona people created something very special to tell their clan stories in the form of Totems and clan praise poems. As we look at and analyze these clan poems, It’s important to note that in any given culture, the richest and most thoughtful cultural discussions have always come from the humanities Philosophers, Play writers, Poets, Storytellers etc. These are repositories of information, especially in African societies. Sciences only come in to verify what these custodians of the light would have said.
Totems and Praise poems were designed to highlight every clan's unique traditions, features and habits. These poems have managed to remain unchanged for thousands of years. Hence they give us an amazing window into the people's past offering us a glimpse of a people as they would have been perceived by those who lived with and amongst them at inception.
Shona Totems (Identity emblems) and Clan Praise Poem. (Mitupo NeZvidawo)
This form of Shona preservation and recording of history is as old and dependable as the rock paintings, rock carvings and engravings left behind by the ancients all around Africa and the world over.
The belief in totemism and recitation of clan praise poetry amongst the Shona people is a tradition whose history dates back to the initial stages of Shona culture. Shona verbal artistry evolved in tandem with the culture that gave rise to it. With particular reference to Shona praise poetry, its rhythm echoes from the apex of Shona civilization, particularly in the socio-cultural history of the ruling dynasties associated with the Great Zimbabwe state (1000 C.E. - 1830)
On the bottom, it reverberated in every homestead, village and chiefdom, making the entire Shona socio-cultural life a rhythm of laudatory remarks. Praise poetry was part and parcel of the belief in and celebration of totemism. In a typical traditional Shona life, praise poetry graced daily life. No day would pass without it being recited. It is not known exactly when totemism began in Shona society. What is clear is that it was adopted in the mythological times of Shona culture. According to Shona oral traditions, the adoption of totemism is associated with the earliest known ancestor of the Shona people, Mambiri (A. Chigwedere, 1980).
Mambiri chose the Shoko/Soko (Monkey) totem to guard against incestuous behaviour and also for the social identity of his followers. This took place in a mythical place called Guruuswa, which was located somewhere north of the Zambezi River in southern Tanganyika. As the early Shona grew in number and marriage became difficult, due to their practice of exogamy (marrying only outside one\'s clan), there was a need to adopt a second totem. The Shava/Mhofu (Eland) totem was therefore adopted to enable intermarriage between members of the two totems to take place. In contemporary Shona society, there are at least 25 identifiable totems (mitupo) with at least 60 principal names (zvidawo).
(a) The Clan - It is the core of every Shona chiefdom. It is a group of agnatically related kinsmen and women who trace their descent from a common founding ancestor (Shona Praise Poetry A. C. Hodza and G. Fortune, 1978: 12).
(b) The Totem - Every Shona clan is identified by a particular totem (mutupo) and principal praise name (chidawo). The principal praise name is normally used in addition to the totem only if there is a need to distinguish people who have the same totem but belong to different clans. For example:
Shava (Eland)
Shava- Mufakose
Shava -Museyamwa
Moyo Heart
Moyo- Dhewa
Moyo- Sinyoro.. etc
The totem of each clan was created from distinct characteristics of the clan and or the totem animal (where applicable)
The Njanja praise poem is primarily written in the Shona language, then it was passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition. The renowned Zimbabwean poet Aaron C Hodza then captured it in his poetry book "Mitupo neZvidao Zamadzinza," loosely translated as "Totems and venerated names of the clans."
Praise poem
Detembo
That’s awesome Sinyoro
That’s splendid Muroro
Fair-skinned clan distinguishable by the white Cloth you Donn.
Voyagers from beyond the oceans
You who came to trade precious jewels.
A People with great knowledge of their wares,
Possessors of precious goods perfect as milk
Which (Milk) can be consumed even by the toothless
We appreciate/are grateful to you, who are known for feasting on eggs
Blacksmiths who forge muzzleloaders / You who fire muzzleloaders.(Gidi also mean loud sound)
You of pristine attire
Immigrants who came from Royalty
Who enjoy custard Apples while relaxing/Resting
Who dress in special attire to eat special delicacies.
Who consume nutty snacks
You kept a dog locked up in a grain Silo.
When asked you said it was a hornless goat.
immigrants from faraway lands
Who are aware that new experiences await those who travel.
Whose faces shine with brilliance
You who currently reside in zviNjanja
Owners of the Land/world
Those who are carried around on Palanquins.
Nephews/Nieces of Hungwe (Fish eagle) which soars high in the sky.
Whose relatives perished in Chirozva
Thank you yea who migrated from Senna, Thank you Moyo.
The great totem venerated at Dzimbahwe
The heart might be a soft organ but it is the totem that unites the clans (Does not segregate)
Yea who don soft (thin) beads because hard (Thick) ones crack easily
Ahh! You have done a great deed, you who Ran away and came from beyond the Seas.
Praise poems were designed to highlight every clan's unique traditions, features and habits. These poems have remained unchanged for thousands of years. They offer us a glimpse into the lives of people as they would have been perceived by those they lived amongst. What do we learn about the Njanja People’s Hebrew Jewish heritage from their Praise poem?
Map of Jewish DiasporaVabvakure Vachitsva chiri murutsoka: People that came from afar. A people seeking good fortune in voyage: Njanja People were immigrants that came from a faraway place hence the Name Njanja (One who came by sea / from across the seas or beyond the seas) They were a people with a long history of nomadic lifestyle. The history of the Hebrews began in (Genesis 12) with a command for their patriarch Abraham to leave the comfort of everything familiar to him and go to a land Yahweh was to show him. When the relationship between Yahweh and Israel went sour, Yahweh said Israel will be scattered among the nations of the earth until the end of times. The scripture makes it clear that Israel as a nation as families or as individuals were going to spend their days as nomads, people who will live amongst other nations as (foreigners).
Sinyoro: In His Political Economy Research Paper:[1] University of Rhodesia’s John M Mackenzie erroneously suggested that the name Sinyoro was a corruption of the Portuguese word signor for sir. For many years this has been the assumption. However, new research shows that the names Gouveia and Sinyoro (Ancestors of the Njanja Clan) are names that were used by many Sephardic Jews of Portugal and Spain. These names are both listed multiple times as names of Jews who were tried by the inquisition councils in Portugal and Spain between 1300-1405. https://judeu.org/2013/02/02/lista-de-sobrenomes-sefaradim/ and https://www.soysefardi.org/search?q=Sinyoro It is very clear now that when Neshangwe took up the chidawo Sinyoro the term Sinyoro was a family name not an attempt to refer to his clan as (signors) sirs.
Jewish man Wearing a Tallit gadol or prayer shawl similar to what the Njanja People were known to wear and is referenced in the Njanja Praise Poem( Vazungu vamachira machena)The poem describes the Njanja as VaZungu vamachira machena: We have already established what the term Vazungu means. Of interest is the insinuation that there were other Vazungus known to the Shona people but the Njanjas were distinguishable by white cloths that they wrapped around their shoulders or over their heads. During prayers and Yom Kippur, Jewish men wear mostly white cloth around their shoulders or head called (Tallit gadol) or simply a Prayer shawl. A tallit is a cloth worn over clothing during prayers and is sometimes referred to as a prayer shawl. The white cloths that formed part of the Njanja people’s ancient identity resemble the Hebrew practice of wearing Tallit gadol (prayer shawl)
TzittzitVeChumachitete, chikobvu chinobanduka: You who accessories with soft beaded ornaments/Jewlery.In Numbers 15:38; and Deuteronomy 22:12 Yahweh instructed Israel to tie knotted tassels on the four corners of their Tallit gadol (prayer shawl) to serve as a reminder to all Israel of their covenant with him forever. These knotted tassels are commonly called (Tallit katan) or Tzitzits. These are specially knotted ritual fringes, or tassels, worn in antiquity by Israelites and today by observant Jews and Samaritans. Tzitzit are usually attached to the four corners of the tallit gadol. These are made by tying knots using seven strings but it’s not uncommon to decorate tzitzit with beads, Rhinestone, broken glass or other decorative stones and jewels. The Njanja people are said to have worn soft-looking or soft-beaded accessories. When one looks at the Jewish tzitzit it looks a lot like a beaded piece of jewelry. If this was to be described by a person with no knowledge of its religious or cultural significance it could be described as a beaded accessory or ornament. (Chuma chitete )
A Jewish man wearing tallit katan with tzitzit showing. Tzittzit is like beads (Chuma but would feel soft to the touch as most tzitzit are made from tying knots using thread. (Vechuma chitete chikobvu chinobanduka) it is also common to find Tzitzit decorated using beads or precious stones.
Mazviita VaSena, maita Moyo: Thank you people from Sena. The Njanja people came from Sena. As already established this was an ancient place across the Red Sea or The Gulf of Aden in Yemen. Sena was home to a large Jewish community.[2]
Vadyi vendatsva namashongadede: People who dress in a special way (or proud-full manner) while eating special delicacies.Leviticus lists seven feasts and festivals that the Israelites were to observe as part of the covenant with Yahweh. Each of these festivals had different rituals and attires that had to be observed. It is most likely that these are the ceremonies that the Shona people witnessed the Njanja clan observing and celebrating and lumped it all up in one describing the Njanja as a people who often dressed in unique attires,rested on special days and feasted on special delicacies.
Vaeni vakauya vakatakura umambo: Visitors who came as royals /Visitors who came from Royalty or wandering Royals.When they arrived in Dzimbabwe somehow they were perceived to be “wondering royals”, One may only suspect that their kingdom had been destroyed or they had been defeated by another power forcing them to cross oceans to find refuge in a faraway place away from their homeland. After the destruction of both the Northern kingdoms of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, as per Yahweh’s judgement, Jews were left homeless and were to be scattered among the nations of the earth but they were still aware that they were kings without a kingdom. The Njanja probably told this story often enough that it became part of their identity.The word wakaroka as in (Munjanja Wakoroka) translated into Swahili means They Ran Away
Typical Rosh HaShanah foods are Apples (or other sweet fruits) and Honey. Maroro (Custard apple) was the sweet fruit used by the Njanja in their Festival celebrations.
Vanodya maroro vakatambarara, Vadyi vendatsva namashongadede, Vadyi venzungu , Tatenda vadyi vamazai, People who eat custard apples while relaxing/resting. Who dress in special attire to eat special delicacies, you are people who consume nutty snacks and eggs: All these specific foods mentioned in the praise poem correspond to Jewish festival foods
Apples and honey are the main dishes consumed during the Jewish New year Rosh Hashanah we can only guess that they used custard apples during Rosh Hashanah festivals.No work is permitted during Rosh Hashanah so all practicing Jews take that time to rest and pray.
*Maror and Chazeret – Bitter herbs. *Karpas – Vegetables usually parsley or celery *Beitzah – An egg. *Zeroah – Lamb shank bone *Charoset – Nutty paste made from Nuts and fruit substanceVadyi venzungu: Nuts/nzungu Eggs/Mazai are part of the Passover celebrations. Passover has often been nicknamed the "Nutty Holiday" [3]because of Charoset: a paste-like substance, usually made out of a mixture of Nuts, fruits, and spices. It is meant to represent the mortar used by the Israelites to build edifices for the Egyptians during their slavery. An egg is also part of the Passover seder plate.
Vadyi vendatsva namashongadede: You are people who dress in special attire to eat special delicacies.All these festivals are accompanied by special attire that was unfamiliar to the host Shona tribes they simply referred to it as mashongdede (special,proud full,unique)
Kelef Kanani commonly known as Canaan Dog: The Ashkelon Dog Cemetery in Israel is the largest animal cemetery ever discovered. Archaeologists hypothesize that Canaan dogs were revered as sacred animals amongst the Israelites before the start of the diaspora. The Njanja possessed a special breed of dogs that they kept securely in silos( Vakaisa Imbwa Mudura vachiti imbudzi isina nyanga) could this have been the sacred Kelef Kanani breed?Vakaisa imbwa Mudura vachiti imbudzi isina nyanga: A people who kept dogs in silos, when asked you said they were goats with no horns. This might have been done either for security reasons or an attempt to preserve a special type of breed that they considered sacred. What do we know about the Israelites and their relationship with dogs? According to oral tradition, Israelites used Kelef Kanani (Canaan dogs) as herders and watchdogs. “The middle eastern Pariah Dog, feral forefathers of the Canaan Dog, dates back to pre-biblical times, existing in the "Land of Canaan" where they first originated. Drawings found on the tombs at Beni-Hassan, dating 2200-2000 B.C., depict dogs which show an unmistakable resemblance to the Canaan Dog of today” CDCA: History of the Canaan Dog At the time of the Diaspora, the Israelites were forcefully removed from their land and according to tradition had to leave behind their dogs which reverted to the wild. Excavations in Israel unearthed the Ashkelon dog cemetery, the largest known animal cemetery in the ancient world, containing 1400 dog skeletons, all of which were anatomically similar to the Canaan dog of modern times. Archaeologists hypothesize that dogs were revered as sacred animals.
Gambiza (Resident stranger/ Stranger amongest us/ Righteous Convert ) is a term or name that is adopted by all women who get married into the Njanja Clan. The name Loosely translates to Resident stranger.
A male Njanja is called -Moyo Munjanja or Moyo Sinyoro
His Sister is called maMoyo Chinjanja
His Wife abandons her original clan totem and converts to the Njanja clan with the title Mamoyo Gambiza(Resident stranger/ Stranger amongest us/ Righteous Convert ) This term might be a corruption of hebrew terms either:
Gebirah: That means Queen Mother in Hebrew.The first Gambiza was the mother of MweneMutapa Neshangwe (1530-1560) which makes her Gebirah in hebrew.Nehangwe was of the Njanja hebrew clan he ruled the Mutapa Kingdom for 20 years during the Rozvi rule as Neshangwe Munembiri (circa1530 to circa 1550)
The term could also be corruption of the Hebrew term Ger Tzedek: which refers to a convert to the Jewish faith who is considered a "righteous convert". The term "Ger" literally means "stranger" or "foreigner," while "Tzedek" means "righteousness" or "justice."
Njanja people are the only tribe that converts women married to their clan. Normally women married into other Shona tribes maintain their original clan totem. This unique behaviour mimics the wandering Israelite desert nomads of the exodus. The bible encouraged endogamy amongst the Israelites (Hebrews were to marry fellow Hebrews) but the bible is also littered with examples of Hebrew men who married woman from none Hebrew tribes. Moses’s wife Zipporah was Midian/ Cushite Salmon‘s wife Rahab was a Gentile who lived in Jericho, Boaz’s wife Ruth was a Moabite, and King Solomon also had many foreign wives. These women were all converted from their original tribes to being identified as Hebrews and their children were all Hebrews.
The term Gambiza is designed to differentiate between a genetic Njanja woman and one who became a Njanja by choice /marriage.
Examples of non Israelite woman who are mothers to prominent biblical figures.
Name
Nationality
Husband's Name
Offspring Children/Grand Children
Asenath
Egyptian
Joseph's wife
Mother of Manaseh & Ephraim. Sons of Joseph (counted amongest the 12 tribes of Israel).
Rahab
Cannanite
Salmons's wife
Mother of Boaz the Great grandther of King David.
Zipporah
Median
Moses's wife
Mother of Gershom & Eliezer Sons of Moses and Priests of Israel
Ruth
Moabite
Wife of Boaz
Mother of Obed father of Jesse King David's Father
A Quick Comparison of The Njanja and The Lemba clans.[edit]
Chidawo/ Clan Name: There are other clans that share the same totem but are not related
Njanja:
VaSena /Vazungu
Immigrants who came by sea
Moyo
Sinyoro
(Not related to Moyo Dhewa, Moyo Chirandu)
Lemba:
VaSena /Vazungu
Respected foreigner
Mbeva
Musoni
(Not related to Mbeva Hwesa, Mbeva Chivambu)
The story of the Njanja people mimics that of the Lemba in many ways. Both groups originate from a place called Sena and both groups are commonly referred to as VaSena. (People from Sena). Names for both clans point to their foreign origin.
Njanja (Immigrants who came by sea)
Lemba (Respected foreigner).
Members of both clans are called Vazungu commonly used to mean white people. The word is also used in reference to most non-African people (white, Middle Eastern, Asians, and in some cases light-skinned Africans are also nicknamed vazungu).
There is a similarity in the two clans' attire. The Njanja donned a white cloth over their heads or maybe around their neck or shoulders. The Lemba are said not to have used black thread to repair their garments (Vasingasoni neshinda nhema) they probably donned similarly white garments or cloth and did not use black thread as it would negatively contrast the colour of their tunics.
(Vahaji veshambo Chena / wearers of white bangles). Shambo is a "jewellery" accessory mostly made out of soft reeds or grass almost similar to Chuma Chitete worn by the Njanja people. This was Tzittzit similar to what the Njanja wore on the fringes of their garments as instructed by God in Numbers and Deuteronomy.
These two clans reside in the same area Buhera.
The Lemba are mostly endogamous, they encourage marrying amongst the Lemba. A woman who gets married to a Njanja man is converted to the clan. She loses her original Totem in the process and becomes a Njanja and adopts the title Mamoyo Gambiza (Mutorwa pakati pedu /resident stranger)
It is common to call a Njanja Person Munjanja Wakaroka: Wakaroka from Swahili translate to They ran Away: The name tells a story of a people who ran away and and came from across the oceans.This is the story of every Jew / Hebrew person as they scatered across the world as the scripture correctly predicted.WE still hold on to the hope as prophecied by Jeremiah "...and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive"...Jeremia 29:14.
Table showing Similarities in names of Jewish diaspora communities
Jewish diaspora Name
Translation
Application
Megorashim
The expelled
Term used to refer to Sephardic Jews who settled in Morocco
Parades
Foreigners
A term used to refer to Sephardic Jews who settled in Cochin India
Lemba
Respected foreigner
Term used to refer to Lemba clan Southern African Jews Beit Yisrael (Beta)
Njanja Wakaroka
Foreigners who came running away
Term used to refer to The Njanja people Southern Africa Jews
