Table of Contents
Introduction.......................................................................................................1
1. A Short History of Lunda People..................................................................1
2. Definitions of Marriage in Lunda Culture.....................................................2
3. Marriage in Traditional Lunda Culture.........................................................2
3.1. Types of Marriage...................................................................................2
3.1.1. Polygamy..........................................................................................2
3.1.2. Monogamy........................................................................................3
3.2. Age of Marriage......................................................................................3
3.3. Matrimonial Consent as a consent of the Families.................................3
3.4. Celebration of Marriage..........................................................................5
3.4.1. Dowry...............................................................................................5
3.4.2. The Solemn taking of a Woman.......................................................6
3.5. Consummation of Marriage....................................................................7
3.6. Procreation..............................................................................................7
3.7. Validity of Marriage................................................................................8
3.8. Marriage in Lunda Culture challenged by Christianity...........................9
Conclusion.......................................................................................................10
Bibliography....................................................................................................11
Introduction
Within a traditional Lunda culture, to get married was not an option but an
obligation, indeed a sacred duty. Traditionally speaking, every Lunda was
expected to marry and beget offspring’s. This was the hope and expectation of
each individual and the lineage. The motive for such a desire was the urge to
transmit and to continue life because, for a traditional Lunda, to live was
tantamount to participating in transmitting life. That is why unmarried adults
are made to feel very uncomfortable; it is as if something is wrong with them.
And to die without getting married and without children is to be completely
cut off from human society, to become disconnected, to become an outcast
and to lose all links with mankind. Therefore, within a traditional Lunda
culture, the desire to have children is seen to be deeply rooted in the hearts of
men and women so that entering marital union they regard the procreation of
children as their first and most sacred duty. However, as the civilization
process went ahead, marriage came to be recognized as a religious, holy and
indissoluble sacramental bond and wife was considered to be a respectable
member in the home. In other words, with the Christianization of the culture
under study, the Lunda traditional way, of living and considering marriage,
has seriously known changes. The Lunda traditional way, of considering
marriage, is less practiced because of the influence of Christianity in the
Lunda culture.
Therefore, our work will be focused on Marriage according to the Lunda-
Tribe-Culture. It will be question, as we shall see it, of examining the great
issues such as the definition of marriage according to the Lunda, types of
marriage, the age for getting marriage, celebration of marriage, consent, etc.
And finally, a conclusion will be ending our investigation on the topic under
study.
1. A Short History of Lunda People
Lunda history is intricately tied to the peoples living throughout the entire
region of south central Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Zambia,
and northern Angola. From the early 17th century until the late 19th century
when the Chokwe took over regional power, the Lunda Empire was the
dominant political and military force in this area of Africa. 1 A political union,
with the neighboring Luba peoples, dates back to a royal wedding between
Ruwej, daughter of a Lunda land chief, and Chibinda Ilunga, son of the first
Luba king, Kalala Ilunga. Following this union, many dissatisfied clans left
the centralized Lunda area and colonized new areas of central Africa,
extending the Lunda Empire enormously. Lunda influence remained
considerable from Lake Tanganyika almost to the Atlantic Ocean, until
Chokwe and then colonial interventions diminished their power.2
1
J. A. PRITCHETT, Friends for Life, 41.
2
J. A. PRITCHETT, The Lunda-Ndembu, 21.
The head of the Lunda is entitled Mwaat Yaav and, together with a
council of royal dignitaries, was at one time responsible for overseeing
political decisions for the entire kingdom.3 Localized politics were presided
over by land chiefs, who wielded a great deal of religious power, and by
administrators appointed by the royal court. The majority of the Lunda
kingdom was ruled, indirectly, with traditional leaders in individual regions
given the opportunity to make local decisions, as long as proper tribute was
paid to the Lunda overlords. It is believed that the Lunda may have at one
time been patrilineal, but as they conquered and incorporated various ethnic
groups that were matrilineal, their political system transformed to reflect a
preference for matrilineal descent.4
2. Definitions of Marriage in Lunda Culture
Within a traditional Lunda Culture, Marriage was defined as a relation of
one or more men to one or more women that is recognized by custom. And
this relation is a set of rules and regulations, which define the rights, duties
and privileges of the husband and wife with respect to each other.5
Later on, probably with the influence of Christianism, Lunda culture
defines marriage as a union between a male and a female for the purpose of
establishing (a) household (b) entering into sex relations (c) procreating and
(d) providing care for the offspring.6 This definition corresponds, a little bit,
with the one given by the Code of Canon Law (c. 1055).
3. Marriage in Traditional Lunda Culture
Fundamentally, the Lunda ideal of marriage involves a relationship of
love, friendship or companionship. And this can be seen in the different types
of marriages lived by the Lunda People.
3.1. Types of Marriage
Generally speaking, there are many types of marriage across the globe
such as; Polygamy, Bigamy, Monogamy, Surrogate, and Polygyny, among
others. However, in Lunda Culture, we have, basically, two types of marriage
namely: polygamy and monogamy.
3.1.1. Polygamy
The term polygamy is a generic term which refers to the plural union. And
it means marriage of one man with two or more than two wives at a time. 7 In
Lunda culture, this type, of marriage, is not due only to the problem of
childlessness, unattractive or sick wife, but also to the problems created by
traditional taboos surrounding the period of lactation. Indeed, within a
traditional Lunda society, there was a traditional belief that the mother’s milk
3
J. A. PRITCHETT, The Lunda-Ndembu, 27.
4
J. A. PRITCHETT, The Lunda-Ndembu, 32.
5
J. A. PRITCHETT, Friends for Life, 84.
6
J. A. PRITCHETT, The Lunda-Ndembu, 52.
7
Z. NTHAMBURI, Polygamy and Christianity, 67.
will fail if sexual intercourse takes place during lactation.8 This customs and
belief imposed very long period of sexual abstinence on the husband, and if
he was not capable of it, he could only gratify his needs outside marriage, if
he was monogamous. If, on the other hand, he was polygamous, he stood a
greater chance of always having legitimate sex partner at hand. This also
fulfilled the other implicit desire to have a large family, which was prestigious
to Lunda society. The more women a man married the higher the possibility
of having a larger family.9 This polygamy can be endogamy, means marriage
within the same tribe, or exogamy, means marriage out of one’s tribe.
3.1.2. Monogamy
Monogamy is a marriage between one man and one woman. This
monogamy can be endogamy, means marriage within the same tribe, or
exogamy, means marriage out of one’s tribe.10 Let us notice that monogamy
is, nowadays, the most prevalent type. Polygamy was prevalent in ancient
times. It is, today, less practiced among the common people; and it is
currently practiced in the royal court; thus, it is, mostly, reserved to the
Kings.11
3.2. Age of Marriage
Within a traditional Lunda culture, one does not find, with precision, the
age for getting marriage. Nevertheless, the attainment of puberty, means when
a girl starts menstruation and the boy shows typical physical features of
manhood, is the biological indicator for sexual cohabitation between a male
and a female. In other words, this, within a traditional Lunda culture, was
considered as the age for marriage. However, with the course of time, and
mostly probably with the process of civilization, the age was fixed at eighteen
years of age, for a man, and fifteen years of age, for a woman. 12 Nowadays,
for what concerns the age of marriage, the civil law and the ecclesiastic laws,
for a normal process of marriage, are scrupulously followed.
3.3. Matrimonial Consent as a consent of the Families
The code of Canon law defines the matrimonial consent as an act of the
will by which a man and a woman mutually give and accept each other
through an irrevocable covenant in order to establish a marriage (c.1057, §2).
In addition to this, the Catechism of the Catholic Church adds that the
consent is recognised as the parties to a marriage covenant are a baptized
man and woman, free to contract marriage, who freely express their consent;
to be free means: - not being under constraint; - not impeded by any natural or
ecclesiastical law.13 Thus, according to these documents of the Church, the
8
J. A. PRITCHETT, Friends for Life, 106.
9
J. A. PRITCHETT, The Lunda-Ndembu, 45.
10
Z. NTHAMBURI, Polygamy and Christianity, 85.
11
J. A. PRITCHETT, The Lunda-Ndembu, 100.
12
J. A. PRITCHETT, The Lunda-Ndembu, 103.
13
CCC. Art. No. 1625.
matrimonial consent is an affair of those who will live together, the married
persons. However, within a traditional Lunda culture, this was not the case.
Indeed, within a traditional Lunda culture, the matrimonial consent was
just an affair between the two families. One family, on the one hand,
especially man’s family, could seek a woman for their son without his
consent; on the other hand, a woman could be given in marriage, by her
family, without her consent. Therefore, at the difference from the code of the
Canon law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, for Lunda people, the
consent was just an agreement between the two families (majuku) of the man
(Ikuny) and the woman (Mband) in the case which, traditionally, it is not
allowed that a man chooses his wife (Mukajend). The only one to choose is
parents (Anvaj) who were allowed to choose a woman for their Son or a man
for their daughter.
Thus, marriage was not simply between two people but rather between
two families or even clans. And it was planned not only with two people in
mind but within the wider context of their people. Often the two people being
married had little said in the matter.14 The young people were encouraged to
marry a person chosen by their parents. The marriage was not based on love
but love was expected to grow eventually. The parents took great care to
ensure that the young couple underwent the marriage education programmes
in order to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to help them
keep the marriage together.15
And this practice, of parents or guardians choosing marriage partners for
their sons, was very common among the Lunda people and many other tribes.
Parents or close relatives of the man were the ones who went in the
neighbouring villages looking for a girl from a good family for him to marry.
The man or the girl was, by tradition, not allowed to reject the partner his or
her parents had chosen for him or her. The emphasis was not on her beauty. It
was on her conduct and behaviour, her family’s position in society and also
her ability to work hard.16 When this tradition was respected, it was in order
that the parents who have experience of living together could find somebody
who could well respond to the temperance of their child then they could pass
a good time in their life. However, with evangelization and urbanization, this
practice is getting lesser and lesser.
14
M. MCGRATH and N. GREGORIRE, Africa: Our Way to Love and Marriage, 45.
15
M.M. CHEWE, Comparative study of Catholic and Lunda Marriage, 4.
16
N.J. MOYO, The influence of cultural practices, 89.
3.4. Celebration of Marriage
The celebration of Marriage is a step which comes after then the
concerned person have presented their self-will to live together as man and
woman, bridegroom and bride. The celebration must follow the instructions
of the code of Canon Law, the case of Canon 1108, §1 in which it is
mentioned that only those marriages are valid which are contracted in the
presence of the local Ordinary or parish priest or of the priest or deacon
delegated by either of them, who, in the presence of two witnesses, assists, in
accordance however with the rules set out in the following Canons, and
without prejudice to the exceptions mentioned in Canon. 144, 1112, §1, 1116
and 1127, §§2-3.17
Additionally, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says that in the Latin
Rite, the celebration of marriage between two Catholic faithful normally takes
place during Holy Mass, because of the connection of all the sacraments with
the Paschal mystery of Christ. In the Eucharist, the memorial of the New
Covenant is realized, the New Covenant in which Christ has united himself
forever to the Church, his beloved bride for whom he gave himself up. It is,
therefore, fitting that the spouses should seal their consent to give themselves
to each other through the offering of their own lives by uniting it to the
offering of Christ for his Church made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice,
and by receiving the Eucharist so that, communicating in the same Body and
the same Blood of Christ, they may form but one body in Christ.18
However, the celebration of a marriage, in Lunda culture, takes place at
homes, especially in the houses of parents of man and woman. And this
celebration is, customary, followed by two ceremonials steps: Dowry
(Ipwakal a Yishij) and the solemn taking of a woman (kusokij Mband). These
two parts we are presenting them as follow:
3.4.1. Dowry
Dowry has become a fact of life and part and parcel of marriage
ceremony. In Lunda culture, Dowry means Ipwakal A Yishij. The word can be
divided into two parts Ipwakal which come from the verb Kwipwakal which
means to collide. The second is Yishij which means strains. The celebration is
considered as an offset because of having collided into strains. The ceremony
is organised once the first part of the dowry (Dipit) has been paid. Through
this ceremony, it is considered that the woman’s family has recognised the
man as capable of taking care of their daughter. The first part of the
celebration of marriage will be organised. The special food for this feast is the
chicken. It is the day during which the girl prepared for marriage will offer
officially the first food to her husband. The man will come accompanied by
17
J.P. BEAL, – al., (ed.), New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, 1325.
18
CCC. Art. No. 1621.
his relatives because it is a big celebration. This day is at the same time the
opening doors to the bridegroom. The man will have sex with his wife in the
night and from the moment any time the man would like to practice sexual
relationship with his wife there is any problem. Moyo says that the Dipit
gives the manpower to own the children. If he has not paid the Dipit (dowry),
the Dipit of his eldest daughter will replace the father’s dowry, so that the
children still belong to him. It is unfortunate that if he has no daughters, he
will still have to pay himself.19
3.4.2. The Solemn taking of a Woman
This is the solemnization of the marriage because it is the official taking
of a woman by the husband. And the Lunda expression used during this step
is Kusokij Mband. Indeed, Kusokij is a verb which means to leave somebody
to a place to another. It similar is the verb kusok which means somebody from
his own will leave a place to another. The day of kusokij is a very important
day for coming together. It is a day of joy and celebration.20 The wedding will
contain a lot to eat, drinks and dancing. On drinks, a traditional white wine
called Chikur or Ntomb (Palm wine or bamboo wine) cannot miss because
even in the opening ceremony, this wine will be poured down in order then
they welcome their ancestors to their ceremony. Then at the time to unify
these joins they will greet each other hand into hand and before then they
separate their hands the same white wine will be also poured on their hand in
a sign of their unification. Moyo added that the actual coming together is
always done in the evenings. A selected girl’s counsellor (Kashindikij) will
take the bride to her husband. When the girl reaches the selected hut, she will
be paid at each stage in the long sequence of the process leading to the final
act of sleeping with her husband. The counsellor Kashindikij is a girl of
around 8 to 12 years old.21 From this day, the bride will leave her parents’
house and will join the husband’s house. The young girl who will accompany
the bride will pass with her three to six months in order that the bride gets the
habit to cohabitate with members of her husband’s family.
As Canon 1115 precise that marriages are to be celebrated in the parish in
which either of the contracting parties has a domicile or a quasi-domicile or a
month’s residence or, if there is a question of vagi, in the parish in which they
are actually residing. With the permission of the proper Ordinary or the
proper parish priest, marriages may be celebrated elsewhere 22, Lunda people,
with the help of Christianity, follow also this regulation. However, concerning
the place of celebration of marriage, in the Lunda culture, the celebration is
19
N.J. MOYO, The influence of cultural practices, 90.
20
J. A. PRITCHETT, Friends for Life, 200.
21
N.J. MOYO, The influence of cultural practices, 91.
22
J.P. BEAL, – al., (ed.), New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, 1332.
organized in the woman’s family. It can be in the house of her parents, uncle
or ante or grandparents it depends on the possibility.
3.5. Consummation of Marriage
Within a Lunda culture, consummation of marriage is essentially
cohabitation, coitus and sexual gratification.23 The term consummation, in
common parlance, means an act by which parties perfected their marriage and
had sex relation. Thus, it is a full and complete penetration. This
consummation of the marriage is done during Ipwakal a Yishij (Dowry). And
a partial penetration or an abortive attempt at intercourse (an incomplete act
of coitus) would not constitute consummation.24 So Sex, in marriage, is
important. It is like salt in food, relishing, nourishing and energizing. Without
salt, food is tasteless and so is marriage without sex. And non-consummation
of marriage, due to impotence of the respondent, is a ground for a voidable
marriage. However, for Lunda people, the consummation of marriage is
synonymous with conception or pregnancy. And the fact that a wife is
incapable of conceiving a child is a sufficient ground for nullifying such a
marriage and it is a sufficient reason for a man to marry another woman.25
And this way, of doing within a traditional Lunda culture, goes a bit far
from the Code of Canon Law which stipulates that a marriage that is ratum et
consummatum can be dissolved by no human power and by no cause, except
death (c. 1141).
Nevertheless, one cannot deny the crucial contribution of the
evangelization and globalization. In other words, today, with the help of
Christianity and globalization, Lunda couple, for a ratum et consummatum
marriage, live together even if they are childless. Lunda people, a big number
of them, have understood that love is at the centre of their conjugal union, not
offspring.
3.6. Procreation
Procreation after marriage is a natural biological function ordained for
women by nature. Maternity is a fulfilling mission of every woman’s life.
That is why, for the traditional Lunda people, procreation is the centre of
marriage. Because if the wife passes two to three years without a child, the
husband’s family will request him to have a second wife in order to have the
offspring with the hope that with children the family will not have an end.
Unfortunately, the traditional Lunda culture ignores that infertility is quite
common, both female and male infertility. The culture under study attributes
23
J. A. PRITCHETT, Friends for Life, 209.
24
J. A. PRITCHETT, Friends for Life, 212.
25
J. A. PRITCHETT, The Lunda-Ndembu, 100.
childless only to the female. A man, according to their belief, cannot be
infertile.
As we said above, children, in traditional Lunda culture, are at the centre
of marriage. A childless couple is seriously in humiliation from the society.
Lunda culture considers that having a lot of children is a wealth and having
many children parents are preparing their old age. Husband has duty to
protect his wife during pregnancy, childbirth as well as post-natal care of their
infants.
However, this way, of doing within a traditional Lunda culture, goes a bit
far from the Code of Canon Law which affirms that marriage is covenant by
which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership for the
whole of life and which is ordered, by its very nature, to the good of spouses,
procreation and education of offspring (c. 1055, §2). This canon does not put
a side procreation but it does not put it at the centre of marriage as the Lunda
people do.
Nevertheless, with the course of time, Lunda people have now understood
that children are not at the centre of marriage. One can get marriage even
being childless. A childless couple can adopt children.
3.7. Validity of Marriage
Within a traditional Lunda culture, a valid marriage is a norm in society. It
acquires its social validity when it is solemnized/celebrated according to
custom of both or either of the marrying parties ( lex loci celebrationis) and
gets essentially validated by following the dictates of the marriage custom of
the marrying partners and the place where the marriage takes place ( lex loci
domicilii).26 Non-observance of any formality renders a marriage voidable. In
other words, any departure from the customs, ceremonial norms makes a
marriage either voidable and can be declared null. And a valid marriage
confers certain rights and obligations on both the spouses in all matters
related to matrimonial as well as non-matrimonial disputes between each
other, socially and customarily.27In fact, a valid marriage, which has followed
all the customary requirements, cannot be declared null.
And this is not far from the Code of Canon which says that a marriage,
which has been consummated (ratum et consummatum), cannot be dissolved
by any human power and by any cause, except death (c.1141). However, and
for a just cause, the Roman pontiff can dissolve a non-consummated marriage
(ratum tantum, c. 1061, §1) between baptized persons or between a baptized
party and a non-baptized party at the request of both parties or of one of them,
even if the other party is unwilling (c. 1142).
26
J. A. PRITCHETT, Friends for Life, 223.
27
J. A. PRITCHETT, Friends for Life, 224.
3.8. Marriage in Lunda Culture challenged by Christianity
In addition to all that we have said, above, about marriage in a traditional
Lunda culture, let us says that in such a culture, marriage is a social affair. It
concerns, more, the two families rather than the married persons themselves.
As a social issue, it can also involves the clans.28 And the entire marriage is
more centred on procreation. That is why, a newly born child, in a new
family, makes the marriage very solid. And a family, in traditional Lunda
culture, must procreate, if not, such a couple is exposed to divorce29.
With the course of time, especially with Christianity, the above traditional
way of living was challenged. Then, it has been argued that children do not
make a marriage but that they are one of the fruits of marriage. Marriage is a
partnership of life between the couple and that the relationship of the couple
must come first and then children.30 Thus, Lunda people were willing to
forfeit the requirements of conjugal love because of a desire for parenthood.
The traditional value, given to human life and parenthood, must be supported
by the Church, including those cases where parenthood happens outside
wedlock and more particularly, for the unwed mothers. A Pastoral assistance
should be given to both the mother and the child for their necessary life
orientation.31
Lunda people, today, have to live and understand marriage as a sacrament
instituted by Jesus Christ. In other words, they have to understand marriage in
the light of the Code of Canon Law, thus marriage is the matrimonial
covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a
partnership of the whole of life and which is ordered by its nature to the good
of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring, has been raised
by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament between the baptized (1055,
§1).
Of course, in the Early Christian teaching, procreation was highly
emphasised. And the Church saw the procreation of children as the important
reason for marriage. Through procreation, the spouses participate in God’s
28
J. A. PRITCHETT, Friends for Life, 232.
29
J. A. PRITCHETT, Friends for Life, 235.
30
J. BURKE, Christian Marriage, 2007. 115.
31
B. WA LELE, Family spirituality in Africa, 32.
creative work. God asks the couple to cooperate in this noble task of bringing
into the world more human beings. In this manner, the couples become co-
creators with God.32 However, with the Second Vatican Council, marriage is
valid from the time it has been consumed. Thus, the responsible parenthood is
to be open to new life, seeking to serve new life; regulation of births in
fidelity to personal conscience and to the teaching of the Church. Because of
this, the family is looked at as the domestic Church and school of humanity.33
Conclusion
In conclusion, within a traditional Lunda culture, Marriage is the major
rite of passage into responsible adulthood and is so important that it is viewed
as the focus of existence. As soon as a person has been initiated to adulthood,
and is assumed that he/she will complete his/her status by getting married.
Thus, marriage is connected to life. He, who wishes to belong to the society
and to live, must marry since marriage not only completed an individual but
also granted status to an individual. And a Lunda marriage was a communal
affair. It brings together not only two individuals but the entire community; it
is a communitarian reality. It is created, natured and enriched by the
community.
And a man can marry one or more women. And the stability of any
marriage, in a traditional Lunda culture, depends on the ability to beget
children. This is honoured even more than marriage as is evident from the
community’s treatment of spouses on the day they marry and on the they
beget their first child. Thus, procreation is the centre of marriage.
However, with the Christianisation of the Lunda People, things have
gradually changed. Of course, not totally yet but changes are observable.
Therefore, the ways, of celebrating marriage and living it, have, substantially,
known positive changes. This is, without any doubt, due to the inculturation.
32
M.P. WAGURA, About: Catholic/Muslim marriage, 20.
33
J.E. DALY, The Treasures of Vatican II: Leaders Manual, 67.
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