Ndembu Symbolism

The Ndembu Isoma ritual is used to cure a woman of infertility in their society. Initially hearing of the Isoma ritual one would not think that this a straightforward ritual, however, as Turner describes the process it is clear the ritual is more complicated and rich in symbolism than one would think. The symbolism quickly becomes complicated with most being polysemic and oppositions. To begin it is best to have an overview of how the Ndembu believe the women have become infertile. It is believed that women who either quarrels herself or within a group and has forgotten her shades, a senior deceased matrilineal kinswoman, is at risk of losing her procreative power. Another way a woman is thought to become infertile is when she comes to close …show more content…
One of which is the kapwipu tree that is used because of its hardness. The hardness of the tree from Ndembu symbolizes strength, in the Isoma ritual the tree symbolizes the desired health and strength for the patient. There is also the use of fruit bearing trees which symbolizes the notion to make the woman fruitful once more. The trees must also be ones that the bark string cannot be taken from because it would tie-up the fertility of the patient, but also the bark strings are associated with Muweng’i, the personification of man, which will further harm the woman’s ability to procreate. An example of a fruit bearing tree that’s used in the ritual is the musoli tree. The fruit produced by the tree attract animals, which the hunting cult believes that it is intended to make animals appear, while in the Isoma ritual it is believed to make children appear for the patient. Although there are many different ecological symbols that can be associated with this ceremony I would like to mention one more, the mupapala. The mupapla is symbolic of the patient’s condition, she is wandering without children, something she must not do anymore. This medicine is thought to help the woman to be in her appropriate role in life and status in their