A brief but excellent account of the mining and smelting, iron ore by the Kwanyama is to be found in Africa vol. by Father Charles Esterman who with the advantage of a knowledge of the language was able to take down some of the ritual words.
We publish this account as in some respects it differs from that of Father Estermann in that from a long residence in Angola he has been able to give stress to the sociological side, where as we formed our observations from a somewhat more technological point of view.
We ourselves accompanied the blacksmith Kavele, his family and helpers to establish themselves at the mine. Our camp was made next to that of the blacksmith, and the following notes were put together in the field from direct observation and from information given to us by Kavele.
Owing to a feast to be held by the Portuguese Government, an order for the postponement of the departure for the mines had been given. We did not therefore see more than this one group of blacksmiths at work and where able to make no comparisons. Owing however to the unusual circumstances, two of the helpers who accompanied Kavele were themselves Master Blacksmiths and in fact corroborated all the detail of the procedure.
The mine from which the metal was extracted was not that which Kavele usually worked; the ore however turned out to be so good, that he decided to remain for the season's work if the pasture should prove sufficient for the cattle.
The establishment of the encampment must we felt therefore though hurried for us, be authentic, and did in fact correspond exactly to the sites of other camps we saw in the neighbourhood of the mine.
We witnessed the arrival of the caravan, the establishment of the camp, extraction of the ore, the smelting and subsequent forging of hoe blades, and took a cinema film and photographs as well as obtaining specimens of tools and raw materials. The photographs were a failure, owing to a disaster which befell the camera, and those few we have been able to save serve only to illustrate the text.
In spite of the influx of cheap European hoe blades, axes and knives, the industry of mining and smelting still survives and though fewer Blacksmiths go every year to the mines, young boys are being trained and the native worked metal is prized high above the European goods by the Vakwanyama.
The mines worked by the Kwanyama lie on a ridge of hills of Mupa, the
names given to us by Kavele were in order .....there are other mines in the
district of Kafima. Ovambo blacksmiths in Angola, who mine their own metal are
to be found among the Vakwanyama, Vavale and Avkafima. Copper used also to
be mined at least by the
Kwanyama but according to Kavele many years have passed, and the site of
the old copper mines is now not known, though when buying the heavy copper
anklets which used to be worn by the Kwanyama women, we were very often told that
copper was found not far distant from the iron mines.
Evening before departure for Mines
Cutting of Oifonono, sacred 'woods'.
Beer stands in huge pots in the Olupale, the central meeting place of the compound. The forger's tools are brought in and are arranged by him on the sand by the hut door.
With a lump of chalk, Óhmia, from the mines he marks the circular sifting basket (Okuwhómia Ongalo) round the rim and with a cross on the under side; also the bellows (Okuwhómia Ompepo).
Chalking of forger, family and helpers
His family and helpers then kneel in a row before him, and after marking himself with chalk, he marks all these others, (Okuwhómia ova nashimanya) each person rising and going away as soon as done.
The forger himself first marks himself with a vertical line down the forehead and upper part of nose. Having chalked the others he completes himself; a line outer side right eye and down the cheek. A deep V shape on his chest and ends of which pass over the shoulders and meet at the back, and a vertical line down the stomach, ending in a ring right round the body passing over the crest of the pelvis. A line runs over the right shoulders and right down the right arm, ending in a ring round the wrist.
Another line runs down front of thigh and lower leg, continuing over the instep, and with a ring round ankle. Forger's sons, are marked vertically down the centre of the forehead and with a line round the right eye and down the cheek. Another line runs vertically down chest and abdomen.
Forger's Daughters, Wives; are marked merely with a line down forehead and upper part of nose, and a mark on chest.
The first wife who does not go to the mine but remains behind as Mwene Eumbo, is also marked in this way.
1.Those who will help with Mining and Smelting, are marked down the centre forehead and round both eyes, the line continuing down cheek. They also have a vertical line down chest and stomach.
2.Those who only help with cutting wood and making charcoal, are marked as the women. When this chalking is finished, the assembled people sing, and several men go out to cut the Oifonono (sacred 'woods')
The forger prepares the spot in the Epata Yakula where these will be placed, and then carrying the heavy digging tool and an axe, he goes into the Luvanda, singing and calling. Here he collects a grass, Ombwidángowolo, and a little plant, Ekatadídi, while those carrying Oifonono advance towards him also singing. The forger calls on them to stop, and striking the ground with the digging tool, he springs round the group from time to time stopping to throw soil over his shoulders. He then repeats this scene, cutting the ground with his axe, after which having given a branch of Omwhandi (tree), to his little son, the whole assembly move into the compound; through the Ohnu or main entrance; round the Omdingilio, into the Epata Yakula.
This turning up of the soil and this dance and the forger's prayer, all are to implore the help of the spirits, that ore may be found quickly and in one spot.
The singing continues and the crowd of bearers and wives form in a
semi-circle round the forger who waves his arms over the spot where the Oifonono
will be placed. He then squats and in this position moves over the
ground.
Digging with his hands, he makes a little hollow in the ground and throws
the sand over his shoulders. In this, the grass and the little plant are
buried, after which the Oifonono woods are handed to him. Logs of Omti
Wo'mtundúngu, and the green branch of Omwhandi, with it's little
fruits.
The axes which will be used are all fetched and stood up against the out ender of this pile of woods; the long digging tool is put with them and with them is left all night.
A small mug full of beer is taken by the forger and poured on the Oifonono, saying: Ovakwa Mungu Tambuleni. Beer is then drunk in the Lupale by the family and those who will go with them, and by friends neighbours and visitors who have come in to speed them on their way.
The forger and his family and helpers, all sleep by the fire in the Lupale.
Early the following morning those who are departing for the mines eat porridge and mavanda. The bellows and sifting basket and then the forger himself and his helpers are marked with chalk as on the previous evening. The whole family with the exception of the forger's first wife, file out of the compound preceded by the cattle driven by the 2 little sons both carrying the milk pots suspended on the ends of a long stick which is perched on their tiny shoulders.
The women follow, carrying enormous baskets filled with flour, grain, skins, pots and other household goods; the men carry clubs, rifles, bow and arrows, gourds etc, slung on the ends of a stick. The forger leaves last and carries some of his tools, his remedies, a pot, and other oddments.
They all pass into the forge: Eléva, where loads are put down and there is a short pause before taking to the road.
The whole band sing and they continue to sing the names of the ancient Kwanyama forgers, throughout the 2 days trek through the bush and across a long Shana to the mine. This song is called: Okuímba Oshimánya.
The loads are heavy and there are occasional pauses for rest and for drink of Oshikundu beer, but all day the party push on till towards evening suitable water is reached for the cattle. Here camp is made for the night.
Out in the open bush, after the evening meal, for the first time this
season the blacksmith rises from the family group round the fire and facing East,
addresses himself to the spirits of the ancient Kwanyama blacksmith, to the
spirits of his forger
ancestors, and to Kalunga the Creator and all powerful. Beating his
axe-head on the ground to awaken the spirits he calls out into the night,
announcing his presence and telling of his work and invoking the help of all
those he has called upon. This prayer is called Ongháva.
Arrival at the mine - 2nd day
About midday of the 2nd day, the forger who has gone ahead, reaches the place beyond the mine, where he has decided to camp and dumping his load at a spot near a pool of water in the water logged Shana below he looks about him, first for the spot where he will do his smelting, and secondly where the cattle kraal and temporary hut will be built. He then sits down to smoke and to wait for the rest of the party who come in one by one: the little herds-boys with the cattle and the women and girls with their loads, the latter are helped to lower their baskets and stretching their arms and aching backs, they also sit down to rest. 2 young girls stretch their backs over each others knees, the older women totter slightly as their loads are lowered.
The forger kneels and marking his own forehead and abdomen with chalk, he does the same to the men he is sending to fetch clay, a long way back in the Shana, near the actual mine. They set off carrying baskets and the long digging tool with flat metal head.
The children pull out lumps of cold porridge from one of the baskets; a girl cracks a monkey orange on a tree trunk and disgustedly throws it away, like the others the party has collected, it is bad.
The boys and men cut down trees for the Ishinanga Sho'tana, the pen for the young calves, and when sufficient wood has been cut to make a start, the forger himself marks out the ring of the pen in the sand. 2 little boys begin to make holes with stakes and to scoop out the sand with their hands.
The forger lights the first fire of the camp. The lightened wood which he has brought with him from the compound has burnt out, but the stump of wood is kept.
A daughter lays the fire at the end of a long log, and she holds the grass and fans the flame with a round about movement when her father has lit it with his flint and steel. The fire is lit with the burning grass, and the forger himself places a sprig of leaves of the Omtundungu tree on the flames.