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Africa is well known for having so much wild life but did you know that each family in Zimbabwe (well most of them anyway) has its own wild animal?
Well you are probably imagining every household with an elephant in their back yard, but that's not what l mean. I am talking about totems.
You may have heard of "spirit animals" from Native American movies. And perhaps wondered what they are. Simply put, a person who has a spirit animal shares certain characteristics with the animal and they sort of "identify" or think of themselves as that animal. In Zimbabwe and other neighbouring countries, totems are something similar to that.
The difference is, each family shares the same totem animal because the animal is connected to the family name. So the family adopts certains characteristics of the animal and takes pride in them. The most common totem animals are lions, elephants, crocodiles, zebras, monkeys, buffalo's etc.
It may be hard to imagine sharing traits with a crocodile but trust me, people who have that totem will have you falling in love with the reptile once they start telling you about its good side.
In my wife's family their family name "Sibanda" is linked to the lion. And so her family members generally behave like lions. They all love meat and never miss an opportunity to have a barbecue. So don't expect to find any vegetarians in her family.
They are very family oriented and they love family reunions because lions are group animals and they take pride in their "pride". They often step up for leadership positions because lions are the kings of the jungle and as such they feel compelled to lead.
Lions are also known for their roar and so you never want to make one of them angry. My wife may seem like a domesticated cat but when she is angry there is no mistaking that lion roar in her.
If you are curious about the animals in other families, l will be glad to tell you all about it. Click on the link below and let's have a little chat about animal Totems and other fun cultural facts.
