Spirit possession
Kazembe found that in order to commune with the spirits of their ancestors, as well as with non-human spirits, the Shona rely on spirit mediums who the spirits can possess.
This process of spirit possession and communication can be complicated. "Different spirits may compete to possess one medium, and each such spirit may have its own pantheon of mashave spirits," wrote Kazembe. "Mashave are not spirits of dead people. No one knows their origin. They are believed to have been created for a purpose," wrote Kazembe.
"Mashave are divided into good and bad," Kazembe added, noting that good mashave spirits can do positive things such as help people recover from illness or injury while the bad mashave spirits will cause evil …show more content…
"Many are reported to have been devoured by deaths related to these avenging spirits."
In order to stop these avenging spirits Kazembe said that they must be appeased by having all surviving family members on both the victims side and the perpetrators side come together and agree to compensation.
"These have to unite and appease the spirits of the victims," Kazembe wrote. "If the appeasement is tried without the involvement of some of the members of the extended family, problems with the avenging spirit will not cease."
Kazembe explained that the Shona's traditional system of justice does not use incarceration but rather compensation. "All committed crimes must be compensated against before the soul joins the ancestral spirits," wrote Kazembe. "It does not matter whether the perpetrator was jailed or not, restitution must be effected since the victim does not benefit from the imprisonment of the perpetrator."
Traditional
Kazembe found that in order to commune with the spirits of their ancestors, as well as with non-human spirits, the Shona rely on spirit mediums who the spirits can possess.
This process of spirit possession and communication can be complicated. "Different spirits may compete to possess one medium, and each such spirit may have its own pantheon of mashave spirits," wrote Kazembe. "Mashave are not spirits of dead people. No one knows their origin. They are believed to have been created for a purpose," wrote Kazembe.
"Mashave are divided into good and bad," Kazembe added, noting that good mashave spirits can do positive things such as help people recover from illness or injury while the bad mashave spirits will cause evil …show more content…
"Many are reported to have been devoured by deaths related to these avenging spirits."
In order to stop these avenging spirits Kazembe said that they must be appeased by having all surviving family members on both the victims side and the perpetrators side come together and agree to compensation.
"These have to unite and appease the spirits of the victims," Kazembe wrote. "If the appeasement is tried without the involvement of some of the members of the extended family, problems with the avenging spirit will not cease."
Kazembe explained that the Shona's traditional system of justice does not use incarceration but rather compensation. "All committed crimes must be compensated against before the soul joins the ancestral spirits," wrote Kazembe. "It does not matter whether the perpetrator was jailed or not, restitution must be effected since the victim does not benefit from the imprisonment of the perpetrator."
Traditional