Semantics of totems in Tshivenda culture : the case of Vhashavhi, Vhakwevho and Vhalaudzi in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province South Africa

Abstract

In what may be termed folk poetry, there are totemic praise poems. The adjective ‘totemic’ is derived from the noun ‘totem’, which is the spirit of a sacred object or symbol or emblem of a group of people such as family, clan, lineage or tribe, and has special significance in tribal life. Such a tribe believes that totemic characters, signs, marks, letters, ideograms or any other identity, etc., serve as a reminder of their ancestry or their mythic past. A totem signifies a spiritual, religious, social and cultural association between a lineage of and a bird, animal or natural phenomenon. In the Limpopo Province, precisely in the Vhembe District, a population of Vhavenḓa is found. Vhavenḓa are still committed to their traditions, culture, and have their own physical, cultural, religious and spiritual identity. Most of the tribes living in Venḓa believe in the concept of a totem and subsequently recite totemic praise poems as their identity marker. Considering the foregoing, this qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to engage with a representative sample of three purposively sampled groups of Vhavenḓa residing at Hamashamba in Venḓa, in the Limpopo Province, namely, Vhashavhi, Vhalaudzi and Vhakwevho, to gather data on how these groups view and interpret their totems. The collection and analysis of the data were based on the following themes: (i) identification of the participants’ totems; (ii) the participants’ recitations of their totemic praises, and (iii) ways of transferring totemic knowledge to the next generation, and (iv) the etymology, history and significance of their totems. The findings revealed that the participants were well-versed in what a totem is, with Vhalaudzi and Vhakwevho participants able to recite their totemic praise poems. Although Vhashavhi participants identified an elephant as their totemic animal, they did not, however, recite a totemic praise poem about themselves. Vhalaudzi largely identified an axe as their totemic object whereas Vhakwevho identified a warthog as their totemic animal. Consequently, an axe and a warthog featured prominently in the participants’ totemic praise poems. However, the participants had minimal knowledge about the origin and semantics of their totems, particularly when asked to explain the factors behind the choice of their totems as an identity marker. The participants recognised totems as significant markers of identity, which aid in tracing one’s genealogy, affirming one’s sense of being and belonging in the world and capable of instilling a sense of pride in one’s culture and heritage. The study recommends that the knowledge of totems be transmitted through cultural and heritage festivals, literary outputs, digitisation and incorporation into curricula in basic and tertiary education.