Supreme Creator God

High god of the Shona of Zimbabwe; classed as deity. Genderless/sexless in Shona conception, hence sex='none'. Worship centred on the Matonjeni (Matopos) shrines, chiefly Njelele.

Children

• Lion Royal Ancestor-Spirit
• Female Lion Royal Ancestor-Spirit

Domains

• creation
• sky rain
• fertility of land

Powers

• speaks decrees from the cave-oracle to the people
• withholds or releases the rains over the land

Epithets

• Musikavanhu
• Nyadenga
• Sororenzou

Sources

• Bourdillon, M.F.C., 'The Shona Peoples: An Ethnography of the Contemporary Shona, with Special Reference to their Religion' (1987)
• Daneel, M.L., 'The God of the Matopo Hills' (1970)
• Gelfand, M., 'Shona Religion' (1962)