Tribes
National Dress
Men
There is no specific national dress for Malawian men as such - they mainly wear western clothes such as jeans and t-shirts. There are a number, however, who will wear religious robes or clothing.
Women
Women, on the other hand, traditionally wear a Chitenje , similar to a large sarong, often with an elaborate pattern or design. They also often wear a matching headcloth and blouse if they can afford it. The great thing about the Chitenje is it has all sorts of ingenious uses such as a baby carrier, head scarf, oven mitts, and more and more ways!
There are different designs for different occasions, and many women will get their finest clothes on for a trip to church on a Sunday.
Men
There is no specific national dress for Malawian men as such - they mainly wear western clothes such as jeans and t-shirts. There are a number, however, who will wear religious robes or clothing.
Women
Women, on the other hand, traditionally wear a Chitenje , similar to a large sarong, often with an elaborate pattern or design. They also often wear a matching headcloth and blouse if they can afford it. The great thing about the Chitenje is it has all sorts of ingenious uses such as a baby carrier, head scarf, oven mitts, and more and more ways!
There are different designs for different occasions, and many women will get their finest clothes on for a trip to church on a Sunday.
People and Cultures of Malawi
The Malawi people are oringinally from the Bantu origin and they have lots of different ethnic groups. These include Chewa, Nyanja, Yao, Tumbuka, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni and Ngonde. The Chewa people form the largest part of the poplulation group and are largely in the Central and Southern parts of Malawi. The Yao people are found around the Southern area of Lake Malawi and the Tumbuka people are found mainly in the North part of the country. There are small populations of Asian and European people mainly living in the cities. Malawi is often called the warm heart of Africa because of the warmth and friendliness of the people. Malawians usually live with their extended families in huts that are grouped together in villages. The family members share both work and resources. If you dive through Malawi you can see the small villages of huts and people at work in the fields or collecting water for their families.
Yao Tribe:
People from this tribe are known is the Ayao. Most people from Liwonde and the Sourthern lakeshore are from the Yao tribe; their language is called Chiyao. The Yao came to Malawi from Mozambique to escape fighting with the Makua tribe. The Makua tribe has became enemies of the Yao because of the wealth the Yao were getting through trading ivory and slaves to the Arabs from Zanzibar. The Yao began attacking both the Chewa and the Ngoni people to capture as prisoners who they later sold as slaves. In 1870 the Yao ruling class chose to follow Islam like their Arab trading partners rather than the traditional animism (animism is a religious and spiritual idea that souls or sprits exist not just in humans and animals but also in plants, rocks natural things like rivers or mountains). When they changed to Islam, the Yao got sheikhs who taught them literacy and built mosques. This led many Yao people believing in Islam, therefore, any person from the Yao tribe or anyone whose name is from Yao language is considered as a Muslim by Malawians. The Arab traders also introduced the farming of rice, which became a big crop in the lake region of Malawi.
Chewa Tribe:
People from Chewa tribe are known as Achewa. The Chewa Tribe is an African culture that has existed since the beginning of the first millennium, A.D. Their local language is called Chichewa, Malawi's national language. There are presently over 1.5 million Chewa throughout Malawi and Zambia, however the Chewa are not considered people of Malawi or Zambia; instead they are people from the Njanga group of Bantu. The Chewa are a tribe which live in the centre of Malawi around the capital city of Lilongwe. The Chewa believe that all living things were created by God."Gule Wamkulu" (Big Dances with masks ), has become a sort of title for secret societies of traditional Chewa religious practices. The Gule Wamkulu ceremonies made of formally organised dances to admire the remarkable physical abilities of these individuals (called "Nyau"). If one has the misfortune of passing a Gule on the road, traditional behaviour made of dropping a few coins for the Gule - never handing them the money directly fears they will grab you and take you to the cemetery for ritual purposes. Masks worn by the Gule Wamkulu include thousands of different representatives - mainly each developed hundreds of years ago by unique tribes, each with a special touch. Today, these masks, with their different origins, are part of what is now Chewa culture.
Tumbuka Tribe:
People from this tribe are called called Atumbuka. Tumbuka is the main tribe found in the Northern region of Malawi. The Tumbuka are a Bantu traditional group. Their language is Chitumbuka, a Bantu language which is similar to Swahili. The chief god of Tumbuka religion is Chuita. Chuita means Great Bow of Heaven or Owner of All or The Creator. People in this tribe have a lot of educated people. They believe dancing is like medicine; these dances are called Vimbuza. Traditional doctors (witchcraft Doctors) among the Tumbuka people use these dances to cure some diseases.
Ngonde and Nyakyusa Tribe:
People from this tribe are called Angonde. The Ngonde and the Nyakyusa moved from the north, like other Bantu tribes and settled at the north of Malawi near Karonga where they are still found today. The area was far away and as a result did not suffer from Ngoni or Yao raids. The centre for the Ngonde people is the sacred Hill of Mbande, which stands in the bed of the Rukulu River, about 13km from Lake Malawi. Their language is known as Kwangonde.
Tonga Tribe:
People from this tribe is called Atonga. The Tonga people live in Northern Malawi especially in Nkhata Bay. Their language is known as Chitonga. Traditionally, Tonga society was based on fishing, cassava is their stable food.
Lomwe Tribe:
The Lomwe people are known as Alomwe. Many people living in Mulanje and Thyolo are from Lomwe traditional group. And their main income generating activity is farming. The Lomwe are one of the largest four traditional groups living in Malawi.