What Tribe are These Warriors?

[Kingscarbine]

Hi,

I'm trying to identify these guys ethnic group. They are from the Massingire area in Zambezia and fought the Portuguese in the late 1880s. Could they be Makololo?

[Plynkes]

I'm afraid I have no idea. Masai-stylings that far south? Very puzzling.

One thing I do know is that the Makololo, like the Ngoni, were migrating fugitives from the Mfecane in South Africa, and I haven't seen a depiction of them that looked anything like these guys. Zulu shields and Basotho-style gorgets and axes are what I'd be expecting from them. That's how Livingstone described them, I think.


Maybe the ones in Portuguese East looked different, changed their fashions or whatever. I don't know. Bit of a duffer when it comes to Moçambique, I'm afraid, as I don't understand Portuguese and I haven't seen much about the place that's written in English.

[Prof.Witchheimer]

I would say, the one in middle of the first pic and the guy on the second are Masai.

Two little guys with plumage look like a sort of Ruga-Ruga.

[Dr Mathias]

Perplexing. I would have guessed a Masai offshoot or neighboring tribe, but the region as stated throws me off big time. Around Zambezia I too would have expected Zulu style accoutrements.

It looks like there's a real mix... ridiculously large Masai style spearheads, small throwing javelins, Masai shield, and skirts I wouldn't expect to see on either Masai or Zulu offshoots. The fabric reminds me of the Ila, along with the throwing spears, but everything else is off...

Pretty interesting. Africa is a crazy, crazy place. Is it possible they're just some random dispossessed mercenaries that ended up there?

[Plynkes]

The peoples of East Africa seem to have made a habit of copying the cool kids. By the end of the century it feels like everyone was dressing up as Masai or Zulus. I'm not surprised to see an odd mix of styles, you see that a lot (such as the Chaga and Gogo, who both adopted bits and bobs of the Masai look as the fancy took them), but I am a bit surprised at finding Masai influence that far down.

Those spearheads are fucking ridiculous, aren't they? Bloody sculptors and their stupid oversized weapons, eh?

[Paul]

Those spearheads are fucking ridiculous, aren't they? Bloody sculptors and their stupid oversized weapons, eh?

They are ENORMOUS!!!!! I hope they were carfull with them..those things could take someones eye out....

[Kingscarbine]

They are ENORMOUS!!!!! I hope they were carfull with them..those things could take someones eye out....

LOL I believe that was the intention...

[Kingscarbine]

Those spearheads are fucking ridiculous, aren't they? Bloody sculptors and their stupid oversized weapons, eh?

  Good one...

[Kingscarbine]

It looks like the Portuguese considered Massingire a "prazo" although it wasn't really one in the 1880s. These warriors can be Maganja or Maravi from the Shire (Chire) valley.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maravi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mang%27anja

http://books.google.pt/books?id=r2XK4YPUdn0C&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=massingire,+chire&source=bl&ots=BSVfrQvXpP&sig=MZSJ37qwnVTTa3IuM1Y6IzpG4zk&hl=pt-PT&sa=X&ei=s5s2T7akHuTD0QXmvsm2Ag&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=massingire%2C%20chire&f=false

[inkydave]

Man I love these pics. Cant help with an identification tho. I know several peoples from east Africa are taller than average(eg Masai etc) but the 2 shorter guys in pic 1 could actually be very short. Facially they resemble pygmies. Could west African jungle folk have been out east?

[WuZhuiQiu]

Might they be locals dressed-up in a European's souvenirs from elsewhere in Africa?

[Dr Mathias]

Might they be locals dressed-up in a European's souvenirs from elsewhere in Africa?

I was kind of wondering that myself.

'Hey, you Africans- hold these things I've gathered up. Short fellows on each side!'

[Paul]

LOL I believe that was the intention...

 
it would be bad enough getting any sort of spear stuck in you , but those things would cut a chap in half!! They must be ceremonial ones or?

[aecurtis]

Those spearheads are fucking ridiculous, aren't they? Bloody sculptors and their stupid oversized weapons, eh?

If they wouldn't make the spear shafts the thickness of a small ship's mast...

Allen

[Bugsda]

The bottom one's Woopie Goldberg, don't know the others