Inyanga
Encyclopedia
Inyanga is a Zulu
word for a traditional herbal healer.
An inyanga (plural: izinyanga) is a traditional South African herbalist
, herb
doctor
, or medicine
man or woman. The Southern African word inyanga is related to the Central African nganga
, meaning a priest and medicine man.
systems generally are founded on the premise that illness
and disease
, both medical and psychiatric
, does not arise from chance occurrences, but through spiritual
or social
imbalances. It is the work of the healer or medicine person to diagnose and treat these imbalances, often with naturopathic, folkloric
, or folk magical remedies.
The spiritually curative medicines prescribed by an inyanga are called muti
. They may be employed in healing either the body or spiritual conditions, as warranted in the opinion of the inyanga. Muti is a term derived from a Zulu
word for "tree," and African Traditional medicine
makes extensive use of botanical products, but the medicine prescribed by an inyanga may also include other formulations, such as those which are zoological or mineral in composition. In South African English
and Afrikaans
the word muti is sometimes used as a slang term for medicine in general.
The knowledge of the inyanga, including how to collect, compound, and utilize muti, is typically passed through the generations, most often from parent to child.
In modern South African society the status of these medicine men and women has made the transition from rural to urban life, with an accompanying increase in commerce. Most izinyanga in urban area
s have shops with consulting rooms where they sell their naturaopathic medicines.
is generally used in South African English
to mean all types of traditional Southern African healers and diviners, and is sometimes applied to inyangas, the two are in fact different: An inyanga is concerned with medicines made from plants and animals, while a sangoma relies primarily on divination
for healing purposes and might also be considered a type of fortune teller.
Because sangoma training may involve work with ancestors and dreams, whereas inyanga training involves study of herbal medicines, often with a family elder, it is proverbially said that "the iinyanga learns from the living, while the sangoma learns from the dead."
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
word for a traditional herbal healer.
An inyanga (plural: izinyanga) is a traditional South African herbalist
Herbalist
An herbalist is:#A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.#One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants ....
, herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, or medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
man or woman. The Southern African word inyanga is related to the Central African nganga
Nganga
Nganga is a Bantu term for herbalist or spiritual healer in many African societies and also in many societies of the African diaspora such as those in Haiti, Brazil and Cuba....
, meaning a priest and medicine man.
System of healing
Traditional African medicineTraditional African medicine
Traditional African medicine is a holistic discipline involving indigenous herbalism and African spirituality, typically involving diviners, midwives, and herbalists...
systems generally are founded on the premise that illness
Illness
Illness is a state of poor health. Illness is sometimes considered another word for disease. Others maintain that fine distinctions exist...
and disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
, both medical and psychiatric
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
, does not arise from chance occurrences, but through spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
or social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
imbalances. It is the work of the healer or medicine person to diagnose and treat these imbalances, often with naturopathic, folkloric
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, or folk magical remedies.
The spiritually curative medicines prescribed by an inyanga are called muti
Muti
Muti is a term for traditional medicine in Southern Africa as far north as Lake Tanganyika. The word muti is derived from the Zulu word for tree, of which the root is -thi...
. They may be employed in healing either the body or spiritual conditions, as warranted in the opinion of the inyanga. Muti is a term derived from a Zulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
word for "tree," and African Traditional medicine
Traditional medicine
Traditional medicine comprises unscientific knowledge systems that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine...
makes extensive use of botanical products, but the medicine prescribed by an inyanga may also include other formulations, such as those which are zoological or mineral in composition. In South African English
South African English
The term South African English is applied to the first-language dialects of English spoken by South Africans, with the L1 English variety spoken by Zimbabweans, Zambians and Namibians, being recognised as offshoots.There is some social and regional variation within South African English...
and Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
the word muti is sometimes used as a slang term for medicine in general.
The knowledge of the inyanga, including how to collect, compound, and utilize muti, is typically passed through the generations, most often from parent to child.
In modern South African society the status of these medicine men and women has made the transition from rural to urban life, with an accompanying increase in commerce. Most izinyanga in urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s have shops with consulting rooms where they sell their naturaopathic medicines.
Comparison with Sangoma
Although the word sangomaSangoma
A sangoma is a practitioner of herbal medicine, divination and counselling in traditional Nguni societies of Southern Africa .The philosophy is based on a belief in ancestral spirits...
is generally used in South African English
South African English
The term South African English is applied to the first-language dialects of English spoken by South Africans, with the L1 English variety spoken by Zimbabweans, Zambians and Namibians, being recognised as offshoots.There is some social and regional variation within South African English...
to mean all types of traditional Southern African healers and diviners, and is sometimes applied to inyangas, the two are in fact different: An inyanga is concerned with medicines made from plants and animals, while a sangoma relies primarily on divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
for healing purposes and might also be considered a type of fortune teller.
Because sangoma training may involve work with ancestors and dreams, whereas inyanga training involves study of herbal medicines, often with a family elder, it is proverbially said that "the iinyanga learns from the living, while the sangoma learns from the dead."