Transcript

Women of Great Zimbabwe: Power and Daily Life in the Stone Kingdom · Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History

Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the kings and the trade and the stone walls of Great Zimbabwe, but one thing we've barely touched on is the women who lived there. What was daily life like for them? How much power did they actually have? Luna: I've always wondered that. Were they mostly behind the scenes? Lucas: In many ways, yes, but not entirely. Let's start with the spiritual realm. The central religious cult at Great Zimbabwe was the Mwari cult, and women played a key role as svikiro — that's a medium or oracle. These were women believed to channel the voice of Mwari, the supreme god. They were consulted by kings on matters of war, drought, and succession. So a woman could have immense spiritual authority. Luna: So the king would bend the knee to a female oracle?