Of My Ancestry And The Heritage In My Roots

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Avuxesheni avuxeni (hello hello)

I believe Africa is rich with creativity, legends and history deep like the roots of a giant tree.
Come sit with me by the fire, where every good story begins, and because we should not waste such a beautiful flame,  come sit with me and lets watch this clay pot of water boil.

clay-pot-cooking
They say a watched pot never boils so while we wait for it to boil I will tell you the little that I know about my culture.

I am Machangana or Shangaan, a tribe of the Tsonga people. The origins of these my people is steeped in controversy. People use the term Tsonga interchangeably with Shangaan and to further muddy the waters the same language XiTsonga is spoken but it never quite means the same things.

Before the were Shangaan people the were Tsonga people, who hailed from East Africa part of the Bantu groups of the Ronga, Tswa and Ndau who slowly migrated south of the continent, in search of greener pastures, literally, for their livestock, they were pastoral people.

In the  1800s the Tsonga, settled South of Africa until along came the Mfecane (time of trouble/ forced migration) as Shaka The Zulu consolidated all the other tribes into the Zulu Empire, resulting in tribes migrating to settle in new areas.

Mfecana

Soshangane an army general “fled” north crossing the Zambezi into Rozvi territory (what is now Zimbabwe) with some of “his people” finally ending up in Mozambique.
The name Shangaan is derived from the name of Soshangane. Somewhere along all that, we came to be here.

tsonga

Here is a photo of my grandfather and I. He taught me some of what I know about who I am, where I come from, how I have my totem which is Fire, and the praise song for my people. I am from a long line of royalty House: VaHlengwe

generationUya chisa mlilo
Hikisile chauke
Chakungedzele ribweni
Loki uchiona chiehixele
chifile katika
Chihanya hlungwani angahlinga
Aukhosi wahina u’nzilo
Hi mina Beaton
WaGilbert
WaTsamwisi
WaMzamani
WaNdalega
waNgwena
WaMatsena
Wa Bhangwani
wakanga nzela ribwe.
Xikovele xigombeeeeeeeeee
I imagine people dancing around a huge fire as they say that.

Shangaan village

I am not entirely sure of the spellings or what that all means I know its something about an ode to Fire (my totem)

Who are you and where you come from? We are all migrants we started of somewhere and here we and here we are.

In the spirit of UBuntu I am because you are…

~B

Day 22 Africa: Stories From Home

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58 Comments

  1. Scones turn to biscuits when the heat is turned up, that could be a coal turns to Diamonds when put under pressure kinda saying

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      3. 😨😨 I didn’t see that coming…. Is what I would’ve said if I didn’t secretly build a box just to think outside of in cases like this

        Liked by 1 person

  2. This is awesome! Those are cool pictures too. I just started my own blog two weeks ago. (I’m from the USA). I’m really happy to see that there’s so many bloggers from literally ALL OVER THE WORLD and not just the US. I love reading blogs from all over the world and seeing other people’s pictures of where they’re from. Everybody I know who’s been to Africa says that it’s the most beautiful place in the world. I’ve heard some people say that it’s what the Garden of Eden must have been like. I used to teach English to refugees from Cameroon, DRC, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Burundi, and many other people from all over the map. I’m glad I found your blog, Beaton! You’re the man!

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    1. Thank you very much ^_^ A pleasure to have you here. Hahahaha it aint no paradise but has its moments ^_^
      Its fascinating how the internet fills the void between us between worlds.
      Many thanks again

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      1. That’s true everywhere–the moon wouldn’t shine so bright if it wasn’t so dark at night! hahah it’s amazing how people all over the world can connect! Many people may be cynical, but I think it makes us smarter and inspires curiosity. I wake up every morning just thinking, “hey I wonder what’s going on in the world today…”

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      2. exactly you know like what do you see when you look outside your window… its dark outside cant see anything lol

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      3. haha what time is it over there? Where do you live? I’m on the East Coast of the US it’s only 12pm lunch time and American Football is almost starting

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      5. No way! I’ve only met one other dude from Zimbabwe. He was wicked cool too I played him in basketball and he kicked my ass haha save your dinner, my man!

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  3. Oh my goodness Beaton 💜

    Thank you for the nomination. I love your post, loved learning about the Shangaan people, I have good friends from Limpopo here in SA who Tsonga.

    I hope I don’t disappoint you with my post…

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    1. You are very welcome it was a pleasure really ^_^
      disappoint me??? nah remember to do it for you and everything else kinda makes its own sense.
      ooooh you have friends who speak XiTsonga I only know enough to greet and ask for water hahaha and saying please and thank you…
      please ask them to have a look at that and help me with translation google is rather limited hmmm “we” should fix that
      ~B

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  7. Love herbal tea. And I will discreetly dip the “scone” to soften it. 😉 Fantastic post. I loved reading about all of this–your grandfather, the song (even though I don’t know what it says so I really hope someone can translate it), and you know I think your totem is so very cool. Thanks for sharing this.

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    1. what are biscuits but an excuse to soak them in your tea hahahaha
      I promise the were no illegal herbs in the tea hehehehe ^_^
      thanks for dropping by
      ~B

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  12. So in Zimbabwe, scones and biscuits are different, huh?

    My friend in South Africa tells me that there they are the same.

    Seriously, I’m so glad to see you get a blogging award. You put a lot of time into your blog, and it’s great for you to receive recognition for that. 🙂

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    1. Hi Cathleen
      Biscuits and scones, so I asked around and seems its a subject up for debate some say biscuits are scones, some say scones are biscuits some say they are all bread not cake hahaha but from my growing up experience when mum baked they were two distinct things.

      So when I say scones I mean more of the typical English Scone with a recipe that uses more of sugar and cream and or buttermilk so they turn out moist with a cake like rich texture.
      Biscuits are more like cookies, they are dry and flackier, actually fun fact the term bis cuit is derived from some French meanining twice-cooked.
      ~B

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  13. Hi B. I enjoyed learning about your history. Thanks for sharing. Just want to point out that glass pots have been invented. 😉 You’re a very handsome youngster. As you know, I’m originally from Barbados, but migrated to New York, the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps. You live in a beautiful place, Zimbabwe. I went to your tourism website and feasted on the landscapes, the culture, and the people. Question: is the place of thundering smoke a waterfall?

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    2. Its a beautiful country it has its moments ^_^

      The Victoria Falls yep thats a waterfall lovely lovely place… oooh and in my next post going up just now you can have coffee with me as I tell you about the last place I visited.
      ~B
      Harare (the city I am in, the name translates to Does Not Sleep ) I am in a city that never sleeps too, 🙂

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    1. I just might really be an African prince. ^_^
      The are two major ones but there is tiny pockets of different tribes, we have 12 officially recognized languages and dialects ones.
      ~B

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  18. Would you be willing to write about the Tsonga people on my blog? I am trying to put together a collection of videos about the continent focusing on the people , not Safari Parks . Google “Africa untapped” for what I am NOT trying to do. I want to have a section on the origins story of different people groups. Thanks

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  19. Hi B! I’ve actually heard of the Shangaan people before…a lot. They’re the traditional inhabitants of the section of the Kruger National Park that the safari program I watch is filmed in, so the guides mention them frequently.

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    1. Hahahaha you watch quite a lot of safari TV dont you. When will you have your own or feature on one (random question)
      Wow thats fascinating, one of this days *read as if I win the lottery* I plan to travel and catch up with my ancestry so we can exchange notes with what I know and what they know and what history says …
      ~B

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      1. Haha I’ll probably never be able to go on a real safari, so TV is the closest I can get! Along those lines, it’s quite unlikely that I’ll ever get my own TV program or a feature on one. Probably…

        If we both win the lottery at the same time then we can travel to South Africa together! Now that’d be a trip!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. That is definitely a plan… I am trying to come up with a formula to figure out all the permuations of a lottery win and then the tricky part is raising money to buy the tickets get a loan or something the win should cover it SouthAfrica here I come
        ~B

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  23. Ahee Hosi,

    You are right when you say you are Hlengwe, however, the history you details is not your history. Vatsonga =ethnic group. Macahngani are one group that makes up the collective. There’s 14 major Tsonga groups, the Vahlengwe are one of the largest. I am Hlengwe, we are not Shangaan, never been, and never will. Hlengwe means wealth.

    There’s a lot that’s missing in your lineage, your grandfather did well to leave you with your history. Now it’s your turn to learn the correct version – https://www.vivmag.co.za/archives/10547

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