African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

African Americans 157
place mainly in the northern and eastern regions. In Bantu-speaking cultures, healings are
conducted by one or more specialist healers who are often also known for their dancing
skills. In the Caprivi region, such healing dances are performed throughout the night, and
include a nondancing period of divination, followed by a curing, which again involves
dance. Further south, Ju’hoansi, !Kung, and Kxoe people dance their communal healings
very regularly, even fortnightly. In these societies, healers are those who are able to feel
and control the rising and boiling of the n/om (the supernatural energy that rises within
the body of the healer as s/he enters trance). Several might dance, and, in trance,
communicate with the spirit world. This experience can be very painful and dangerous
for the shaman, should he or she get lost and not find a way back. For this reason, they
are carefully observed in their dance by the singers and assisted where necessary. In the
Damara arub healing dance, shamans are given the ability to communicate with spirits in
a dream. Each shaman in the dance sings his/her own song for this purpose. A shaman
might heap hot ash and burning coals onto his or her lap and head when the pain of
possession strikes.
Formalized Movements with Ritual Connections.
Many rituals involve movement actions that are named as a genre, yet are not considered
dance by the people. On the birth of a male baby or twins, when a brave deed has been
done, when a lion has been killed, or when a daughter has undergone ritual
transformation, men might perform high, stylized leaps, dodges, and poses with the
waving or throwing of a spear. This is performed with much excitement, and although
women may not perform these movements, they ululate in encouragement. In other cases,
men perform movements with a military quality. They follow the instructions and
movements of a leader, moving forwards or backwards as a group, while responding to
his shouted instructions with loud, concerted shouts. They might even wear a military
uniform and perform marching movements, but with many African additions that add
flavor and humor to the performance.
Formalized Nonritual Movements.
This category includes movements that might or might not be performed with song, but
are usually considered work, not music nor dance. When the fields are tilled or the
harvest is winnowed in a communal effort, there are songs and synchronized rhythmic
movements that ease the task. This is also the case with the shaking of the milk calabash,
the pounding of millet in the mortar, or the grinding of ochre or maize on a rock
(although the latter would be an individual effort). Songs might have encouraging texts
along the lines of, “Let’s work together and finish this task,” or they might praise family
lineage or cattle.
Because of the prevalence of pastoral cultures in Namibia, it is not surprising to find
that this occupation is so prominently displayed in dances. In dance-play such as
ondjongo (Ovahimba), omutjopa and onkankula (Ovazimba), and outjina (Ovaherero),
ownership of cattle is celebrated. The songs praise not only family lineage, but also the