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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Implications of Failure to Pay Bridewealth among the Tumbuka of Western Rumphi |
Author: | Munthali, Alister C. |
Year: | 2003 |
Periodical: | The Society of Malawi Journal |
Volume: | 56 |
Issue: | 1 |
Pages: | 5-13 |
Language: | English |
Notes: | biblio. refs. |
Geographic terms: | Malawi Central Africa |
Subjects: | Tumbuka kinship bridewealth Cultural Roles Marital Relations and Nuptiality Women and Their Children Anthropology, Folklore, Culture Bride price Childlessness marriage Traditional practices Tumbuka (African people) |
External link: | https://www.jstor.org/stable/29779114 |
Abstract: | This study into the implications of failure to pay bridewealth among the Tumbuka was carried out mostly in Chisinde in the area of Traditional Authority Chikulamayembe in western Rumphi, Malawi. The Tumbuka being a patrilineal society, upon marriage the woman moves to the husband's home village. After a brief introduction on Tumbuka history, descent system and social organization, the author discusses the payments a man's family has to make to the woman's family, viz. 'chikhole', 'mukhuzi wa nyina', 'chiwanda' and 'malowolo', in order for the marriage to be recognized by the woman's family. Failure to pay this bridewealth has several implications: in case of the wife's death, her burial may be delayed. Furthermore, if bridewealth has not been paid, the children from the marriage will belong not to their father's but to their mother's lineage. Tumbuka also believe that ancestors can cause a lot of misfortunes or disease to the newly-wed woman, including infertility. Bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract] |