Azaghvana E-Book 2003 - Flipbook - Page 232
rainfall they stop continuing those activities and rain will reduce
gradually.
is both lack of rain or too
much rainfall
He mentioned indirectly that if the rainmakers are okay (meaning
people gave enough gifts) the rain will be okay. [In the past wellknown rainmakers had their fields cultivated by people.] If the
rainmakers are not satisfied, God held back humidity and there was not
enough rain as a result.
Rainmakers could stop
rainfall if population
didn't comply with their
demand for 'payment' in
form of gifts or voluntary
labour
If there is much rain the rainmakers will discuss among themselves,
discuss and discuss until God starts reducing. The Rainmaker gave us
an example of 1995 when there was too much wind when it was
raining which killed about 5 people. (For example, people went out to
cut grass and were taken by surprise by rain and strong wind. Carrying
the grass on their heads they fell off a rock and died.) In this case of
too strong wind this year, despite enough rain, the rainmakers
discussed and 'tied the wind' and the wind reduced as a result.
They have no special equipment to stop too much rain. They just pray
to God and God will help them and consider their opinion. This is
down to them being specially gifted in this area of [divine] interaction.
When they pray God answers their prayers. It is only that they discuss
among themselves and then pray and God responds to that but others
believe they did it by their abilities.
Regarding them being influential in the community in the past, he is
stressing the point that this was not so much a matter of economic
advantages but the community considering them as a part of the whole
community. It was because of their ability they supported them, for
example in case of paying debts, etc. [To arrange rain to stop, to get
the rest of the community to curse a person because of debts.]
During the planting period, not much rain is necessary because it
would not germinate well. After first hoeing, it needs lots of rain so
that they can transplant their plants (guinea corn, millet and eleusine).
In places where there was not enough plant germination, they
transplant from places where it had developed very well.
During the second hoeing lots of rain is necessary as well, and then
after that, towards the ripening period there should be still enough but
then it should reduce gradually towards the harvesting period.
There is no special offering by rainmakers apart from what they do
with their vavanza. If they want to use it they have to make a sacrifice
before. All other sacrifices and offerings are just like those of other
people. Apart from vavanza, they offer also when they use magulisa.
Magulisa, which is the name of two different plants together. One is
huɓa [Urginea spp] the other is vavanza (Cissus quadrangularis).
Magulisa is the name of a clan medicine to increase the yield of crops.
Magulisa can also be only huɓa or only vavanza.
They use chickens, he-goats and ram for offering to vavanza, huɓa and
their stones. When they offer sacrifices to their stones (presumably
meaning their rainstones rather than their ancestor stones) it will work
very well. Other sacrifices they do like everybody else.
Describes case from
1995, when there was
enough rain but too much
wind. Rainmakers took
joint action by ritually
tying the wind and the
wind reduced
Says that main 'tool' of
the rainmaker is his
special relationship with
God [gwazgafte], which
consists of 'prayers' to
God to ask for rain, but
people think otherwise
They saw themselves as
being 'paid' because of
their abilities and not for
economic reasons. This
could include stopping
rain to enforce 'payment'
They regulated rainfall
according to the demands
for rainfall during main
labour intensive phases of
the agricultural year
During second hoeing
and towards ripening
period more rainfall was
needed, but was regulated
down towards harvest
The ritual use of vavanza
and magulisa [as clan
medicines] required a
sacrifice prior to their
ritual use. Only the Gaske
rainmakers had to make
such sacrifices
We are not really sure
here whether the offerings
were made over their
ancestor stones or over
their rainstones.
In some years the rainy season will be a bit longer as usual. This means
that God wants to have enough rain that year.
God [gwazgafte] has final
control over the amount
of rainfall and not the
rainmaker
Rainfall is technically not from the heavens but it evaporates from the
Claims that rain does not
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