Murenga Pfumojena Sororenzou / Shologulu: The God-King of the Gokomere people (Shona/Karanga ancestors)
Murenga Pfumojena Sororenzou / Shologulu was the God-King of the Gokomere people, who are the ancestors of the Karanga (Shona) people, and their Venda and Sena relatives. His titles included Mwene-Mbire, Nembire, and Mwari. He was a warrior king who ruled south of the Vembe-Limpopo river. Murenga's name means 'the Creator'. 'Kurenga' or 'kulenga' means to create in Sena, a sub-group which is also closely related to the Karanga, and 'kulenga' also means 'to create' in many old south-central African languages. Murenga's wife was Vanyachava or Vanyamurumbi, and his children included Runji, Chaminuka, Nehanda, and Mushavatu.
Mushavatu was the ancestor of people with the Shava totem, and Nehanda was the one who protected and guided the people and the king spiritually. Chaminuka succeeded Murenga and his lineage became the dominant one. Out of Chaminuka was born all the Mwene-Mutapas, the Mambo-Torwas, and the Mambo-Changamires. All the emperors of Mutapa or Dzimbabwe were Chaminuka's direct descendants. Between 700AD and 1000AD the Gokomere split up, creating the Gumanye / Karanga clusters (who are composed of the Karanga, Zezuru, Manyika, Korekore, Danda, Teve, Barwe, and Sena sub-groups) and the Leapard's Kopje / Kalanga clusters. The Gumanye became the Karanga and the Leopard's Kopje became the Kalanga. They both share Gokomere as the base for their language and culture, that is the reason why the languages sound so similar. Runji became established at Mabweadziva in Guruuswa. His father and mother, Murenga and Vanyachava, left the Transvaal to come and live with him at Mabweadziva (the Matopos range).
In Belingwe it is thought that there is a tradition of worshiping Mwari as a triad. Sororenzou or Shologulu was the father of war who was the most feared. He was lord of the skies and his voice was the raging thunder. Vanyachava or Vanyamurumbi was the mother, the pool which supplied the whole world with water, and the protector of the helpless animals. Runji was the son, the lighting which ran errands between the Father and the Mother, threading heaven and earth. Runji was also symbolized as the shooting star. Murenga's family is symbolized at Mabweadziva as Mwari. There is also the tradition among the Karanga which mentions the female emissary of Mwari known simply as Mbuya waRunji (Runji’s Grandmother). This is a figure I believe to be Murenga's mother. Mambiri was Murenga's father. This shows us that the African family was and is a powerful and sacred unit capable of building empires, and that the African family unit must not be abandoned.
I believe Murenga is named as the Creator of the Karanga because he was the founder-architect who planned the creation of Dzimbabwe as a nation. I also think he is the strongest of the ancestors, even though there were those before him such as his father Mambiri, and Tovera, his grandfather. The Korekore who are a sub-group of the Karanga people call Mwari by the name of Murenga. In chiKaranga, the Mhondoro / Gombwe report to Murenga from the other regions of the Mutapa empire or Dzimbabwe. It was recorded that during the Chimurenga war, Shona warriors would shout the war-cry “Murenga wamuka!” meaning “The God of War has risen!” When hunting, Shona hunters would shout “Komborera, Murenga” meaning “Bless, oh God” and the animal would instantly fall or die. In Sipolilo-Guruve, there is a legend which state that Runji was killed by his son, Mwari, at Matongoni / Matonjeni. Mwari replaced Runji as the God of the Karanga.
"Exalted Spirit
Piler up of the rocks into towering mountains!
When you stamp on the stone,
The dust rises and fills up the land.
Hardness of the precipice;
Waters of the pool that turn,
When stirred, into misty rain.
Vessel overflowing with oil!
Father of Runji,
Who sewed the heavens like cloth:
Let him knit together that which is below.
Caller forth of the branching trees:
You who brings forth the shoots
That they stand erect.
Who has filled the land with mankind.
The dust rises oh high, oh Lord!
Wonderful one you who lives
In the midst of the sheltering rocks
You the giver of rain to mankind:
We pray to you:
Hears us, Lord!
Show mercy when we beseech you, Lord!
You who are on high with the spirits of the great.
You who raises the grass-covered hill above the earth,
Gracious one!"
An ancient Shona / Karanga prayer to Murenga (the manifestation of Mwari), somewhere after 600 AD.
Piler up of the rocks into towering mountains!
When you stamp on the stone,
The dust rises and fills up the land.
Hardness of the precipice;
Waters of the pool that turn,
When stirred, into misty rain.
Vessel overflowing with oil!
Father of Runji,
Who sewed the heavens like cloth:
Let him knit together that which is below.
Caller forth of the branching trees:
You who brings forth the shoots
That they stand erect.
Who has filled the land with mankind.
The dust rises oh high, oh Lord!
Wonderful one you who lives
In the midst of the sheltering rocks
You the giver of rain to mankind:
We pray to you:
Hears us, Lord!
Show mercy when we beseech you, Lord!
You who are on high with the spirits of the great.
You who raises the grass-covered hill above the earth,
Gracious one!"
An ancient Shona / Karanga prayer to Murenga (the manifestation of Mwari), somewhere after 600 AD.
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