Zimbabwe rock art hol0038 Makoni overhang stitch

            This is a composite photo of the whole panel, from the three individual photos, so more detail should be visible. Interpretations are taken from Garlake’s book, ‘A Hunter’s Vision’ (plates XXXI - XXXV), with some additional comments. 

The upper part of the panel is dominated by a huge recumbent trancing  figure with sable antelope markings on his face, painted with white flecks of potency and with a large ovoid of potency attached to his back. The positions of his limbs indicate that he is conscious, though unable to stand, and he holds up an oval object.  Garlake believes that the objects on his head are elephant tusks, not horns, and the lines falling from his head may be suggesting a lion’s mane. A tendril emerges from his penis, passes behind his legs and end in a characteristic tuft, presumably indicating potency.

He is surrounded by a few medium-sized figures, the largest of which is also recumbent and also trancing, as he also holds up an object and has two ovoids either side of his abdomen. The pair of figures near the main figure’s raised leg both have stiff outstretched arms, and a tufted line running from their heads, also indicating trance dancing.

Below this is a dense mass of small figures formed into two scenes – the upper is a domestic scene including baskets, skins and gourds enhanced with white dots of potency – the curved lines may represent windbreaks or shelters.
Below is a Sable Dance.  The majority of the figures are enhanced with white and a few animals are included, including a larger dark animal which lies under the figures and is presumably older. At least three colours of figures occur – the dark ones enhanced with white, red brown and yellow-ochre coloured on the left.

Lines of dark figures are painted with white to identify them with the sable antelope -chests bellies and the undersides of their limbs, facial stripes and eye surrounds. The Sable dance has reached a climax – the great figure is trancing and dots of potency enhance the genitals of the dancers. The dog like figure is also decorated with markings and tusks and may possibly represent a transformation of the dancers. A number of parallel lines can be seen, including one dark snake-like motif that runs vertically to the right of a dark white enhanced figure (next to the large dark animal).

Garlake describes the trance dance as practised by the San people:
 Participants dance in a line, often very close together, bending slightly forward and taking short pounding steps. Some dancers hold their arms rigid … as the dance progresses through the night the atmosphere becomes highly charged … Those fully committed to trancing will dance together supporting and encouraging each other and transmitting their rising potency between themselves. A few will then enter trance, stagger, collapse, fall and lie rigid or limp. All sweat profusely and some bleed from their noses. Those trancing (full of potency) will be moved away where they are able to begin to heal patients, leave their bodies, become transformed, enter or take on the bodily forms of animals etc. In these forms they may prowl round and guard the camp or travel great distances to gain information about other groups, movements of game herds, locations of edible plants or rain clouds. They may enter the spirit world to combat spirits of the dead or gods to overcome evils sent into the community.
During the trance dance, potency is everywhere and free - it can pass from one trancer to another, or sparking trance in the dancers. Animals with a high degree of potency and spirits will gather on the outskirts of the dance as invisible participants.

Taken on: July 10, 2010

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sable dance

Makoni

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Harare

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