The Common Vein Copyright 2010
Introduction
Zulu Culture: Story of the Gallbladder and the Uterus
In Zululand, South Africa,the Sangoma are practitioners of folk medicine and counselling in traditional Zulu societies.Sangomas wear a headress that is adorned with goat’s gallbladder that is tied into the hair at the back of the head. Usually the gallbladder comes from the goat that was slaughtered when the Sangoma’s graduated.
The gallbladder and the uterus share the same shape and it is the belief that they are both organs that receive and give life. Their headress therefore is adorned with gallbladders to incorporate
The gallbladder for the Sangoma or Zulu doctor is like the uterus because physically it is the same shape and close to the same size, while physically, metaphysically and spiritually it is the receiver and giver of life. The artistic rendition of the Sangoma above was created by a whole mount of the gallbladder. The evolution of this work is shown above.
The evolution of the “Sangoma” artistic rendition started with a histological whole mount of the gallbladder which was colored and combined, resulting in a human face that was subsequently formed into the “Sangoma” with gallbladders shaped into her headdress.
00139c20bd.8s gallbladder doctor Sangoma uterus giver and receiver of life headress
Ashley Davidoff MD TheCommonVein.net