Tovera the ancestor of the Shona people

Tovera is the ancestor of the Shona people. He is like the Abraham to Shonas. My grandfather used to tell me about this Tovera. He came from the north, somewhere in the land of Tanzania and settled in present day Zimbabwe. He is known for three things:

Totems

It is he who had many children and gave them the totem names such as Shumba lion, Nzou elephant and Shava Eland. Perhaps Tovera understood evolution, and the idea that men evolved from animals and that is why he called his children after animals. Maybe, he understood that man is one with nature and the animals world and wanted his descendants to appreciate the natural world and have reverence and respect for animals. It is also possible Tovera understood the stars, the zodiac and gave out the animal names as a form of cosmology. Whatever the reason, the totem system is still alive and well amongst the Shonas. They use it know who their relatives are and to know where they came from. 

Tsumo proverbs

My grandfather told me Tovera was a wise man who taught his children the tsumo proverbs that Shonas use to live wise and productive lives. Proverbs such as rume rimwe harikombe churu/ one man cannot surround an anthill and mimba haibve negosoro/pregnancy cannot be terminated by a cough, and nhamo yemumwe hairambirwe sadza another man's problems are not reason to refuse food have been amongst the Shona people for centuries. The tsumo wise sayings have been passed down from generation to generation from Tovera. Thus Tovera is like our King Solomon.

Great Zimbabwe

According to my grandfather, it is Tovera who built Great Zimbabwe, the town that had granite walls, stone carvings and the Conical Dome. Legend has it that Tovera was the first king of the land known today as Zimbabwe. He was a wealthy king who traded gold and ivory with the Arabs from the coast. My grandfather told me that Tovera is buried under the conical tower.

So one day I decided to write down the story that my grandfather told me about Tovera. If you would like to know more about Tovera and the Shona people, check out my four part series, The Shona Chronicles. Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKVWY4T