Does the tradition of totems (Mitupo) have a place in the Christian faith?
What is a Mutupo?
A mutupo(or plural, mitupo) is the Shona word for a totem. Totems are names usually associated with particular animals or body parts that various clans, tribes and families use to define and identify themselves. Traditionally totems have play a significant role in Zimbabwean and African culture at large,
In present day Zimbabwe, most natives continue to make use of totems in a bid to uphold the traditions of their ancestors.
But with some turning to Christianity, the age-old practice of acknowledging totems is being called into question. There have been debates and discussions where African Christians find themselves asking: Does the tradition of totems have a place in one’s Christian faith? Should Zimbabwean/African Christians embrace this tradition or discard it?
The History of Totems in Zimbabwe
According to historian, Grey Chakadonha Chivanda, totems were adopted in early Zimbabwe as a way for tribes to identify and differentiate themselves during hunting or wars. This system of identification also prevented incestuous marriages.
Historically, people believed that the choice of the animal influenced their tribe’s survival and clans often adopted the attributes of their chosen totem. For example, if a clan’s totem was Shumba (lion), people from the clan were believed to be brave, noble or good at hunting.
It was and still is believed to be taboo for one to eat or harm their totem and doing so was said to incur the wrath of the ancestral spirits leading to one’s sickness or death.
Totems were also used in greeting. One might say Makadii, Hwai? (How are you, Sheep?) Also, upon someone doing something praiseworthy, a person will be thanked by their totem as a show of heartfelt thanks and deep respect. For example one might say, Mazvita, Shumba(Thank you, Lion)
With regards to drawing your identity as a clan or people from an animal and its characteristics,the tradition of acknowledging totems does not appear to go against the Christian faith. In fact, if one were to turn to the Bible, they would see that Jacob referred to his sons in an almost similar way.
Totems in the Bible?
In Genesis 49,when speaking to his sons before his death, Jacob refers to them by what seems to resemble totems, according to Zimbabwean culture:
Judah was referred to as a lion’s whelp (Genesis 49:9)
Issachar as a strong donkey (Genesis 49:14)
Naphtali as a deer (Genesis 49:21)
And Benjamin as a ravenous wolf(Genesis 49:27)
In the Bible, Jesus Christ is also referred to as the Lion of Judah or the Lamb of God. (Revelation 5:5, 5:12)
However, it can be argued that this was poetic and did not come with the aspect of prohibiting those identified and called by such to eat that animal or consider it sacred.
The Bible says nothing against calling or identifying one by the name of an animal. Christians are largely admonished not to worship animals or commit sexual immorality with them.(Leviticus 18:23, Deuteronomy 5:8) but not to to draw their identity from them
The Israelites were prohibited to eat unclean animals such as pigs, which is an attribute of a totem, however this can’t be referred to as a totem as none of them identified as pigs or regarded them as sacred.
Therefore, it appears that so far, there is no great conflict with the tradition of acknowledging totems and the Christian faith. However, there is one area in which totems might cause controversy.
The Spiritual Aspect of Totems
The inhabitants of early Zimbabwe believed that it was their ancestors who watched over them, protected or punished them. It was also believed that certain acts, such as eating or harming one’s totem, would incur the wrath of these same ancestors.It was believed that said ancestors were the mediators between man and Musikavanhu (The Creator)
However, the Christina faith makes it clear that none can come to God except through Jesus Christ and that human life belongs to God and it is He who has the power to take it or give it.(Acts 17:25, 28; Matthew 10:28)
Therefore, if a Christian were to avoid eating or destroying their totem out of fear of the ancestors , they might unintentionally be giving those ancestral spirits credit for their life. When in actual fact, all credit and glory belongs to God alone. (Revelation 5:11)
Furthermore, the prohibition to eat their totem is contrary to the teaching of Jesus and the apostles that all foods are clean, a revelation given to Peter before he went to Cornelius’s house (Acts 10:10-16).
Considering all this, the question still remains as to whether or not totems have a place in one’s life as a Christian. Before we answer that, here are some questions to consider.
Questions to Consider
1. For what reason are you acknowledging your totem?
When you call yourself, your family or someone else by their respective totem, why do you do it? Do you make use of the totem simply in the same way that you might make use of a name?
Are you giving glory to God for the attributes of your totem that you or someone else shows? Or are you doing it to appease ancestors or your ancestral spirits for protecting or watching over you through that totem?
2. What does your conscience tell you?
For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.(Romans 2:14-15 ESV)
You can know whether you are doing the right or wrong thing when your conscience either condemns or excuses you. The same goes with knowing whether there is or is not something wrong with acknowledging your totem.
What is your conscience telling you? Is your conscience at peace when you acknowledge yours or another person’s totem? Or does your conscience condemn you? does this build your faith and edify your spirit?
3. Is it a stumbling block in your faith or someone else’s faith?
Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way (Romans 14:13 NKJV)
By acknowledging yours or another person’s totem would you be causing another Christian to stumble in their faith? Would you be unintentionally encouraging them to partake in practices not compatible with the Christianity, such as idol worshiping, consulting the dead or seeking mediums? Would acknowledging your totem lead you to do the same?
What is the Verdict?
So now we return to the earlier questions:
Does the tradition of totems have a place in one’s Christian faith? Should Christians embrace this tradition or discard it?
What is the verdict?
Whether one chose to ignore and not believe in and therefore not be affected by the spiritual connotations, the question remains, of what benefit is it to their spiritual walk in Christ? Jesus said the following when addressing the pharisees about holding on to traditions of men
And he said to them “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to maintain your tradition” Mark 7: 9. Are we rejecting the commandment that all things are clean and that there is no mediator between God and man except Jesus Christ by upholding the tradition of totems? Can we really just embrace a few aspects of totems and reject the spiritual connotations that come with?
Also, even if it were harmless, as Christians we must not forget that we are now a new creation in Christ, the old self is dead. Why then try retaining aspects of who we were before Christ if we are now a new creation? Does Christ call us to observe these traditions?The Bible promises us that when Jesus returns that the former things will pass away. (Revelation 21:4)
With this in mind, one must be careful not to cling too tightly to things that will, eventually, pass away, whether it is wealth, material things, people, traditions or totems.
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