The Lion, the First Chief, and the Mutupo

In the beginning, the first Shona chief was establishing his village. A great and powerful Lion, the spirit guardian of that land, confronted him. The Lion did not attack but tested the man's wisdom and courage. The man, instead of fighting, offered the Lion a share of his first harvest and the milk from his best cow. He showed respect, not fear. The Lion, seeing that the man was wise and generous, made a pact with him. "You and your descendants will be the chiefs of this land," the Lion declared. "I will be your guardian. You will be known as the 'People of the Lion' (vanhu veShumba). You will respect me, and you will never kill or eat my kind, and I, in turn, will protect your people." This is how the Shumba (Lion) clan, one of the most powerful Shona royal clans, was established. Their totem, or mutupo, became the Lion, and the story of this pact is the foundation of their identity and their claim to leadership.