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Zimbabwean traditional Bute - Spiritual Snuff
.jpg) Bute is ground tobacco or snuff, but when it is for spiritual use it is called Bute reMudzimu, Bute reDare, Bute raPasi, Bute reMhepo, Bute remativi mana, Bute revaShavi, Bute reMhondoro.
above: bute mbishi risina kubikwa muzambara (ground spiritual snuff in a Zambara (spiritual wooden plate), before being cooked)
left: VaManyame VaRubwe varikugadzira bute remidzimu (Manyame VaRubwe making spiritual snuff)
Zimbaremabwe produce snuff for use in healing. It is for people who use snuff to pray, which is popular in many African countries, especially Zimbabwe. We can sell snuff to people who like to pray. When we sell it we also give advice on how to use it in a spiritual way. The snuff we sell is meant to heal; it is meant to be the solution to a situation or a prayer. According to our experience, the snuff we sell is meant to give guidance and protection through the powerful spirits of Yah (God).
We advise you to take our snuff with a balance to health, to use it only for spiritual purposes and not to overtake it. We are aware that it is so important to be healthy; don't let our snuff bring damages to your body, but let our snuff bring guidance and love to your life.
As some of us know, snuff started from Europeans, it was not original to Africa. So people should not worry to take it as it is perfectly legal. It is still available in shops, though in Europe it is not spiritual. Our snuff is prepared spiritually and made by hand from the field to the final product. When snuff came to Zimbabwe, it was with the European farmers who wanted to plough tobacco in the rich soil of Africa. They brought their seeds and export huge bales of tobacco back to Europe for making a lot of cigarettes, which are killing Europeans as well as Africans. We are aware that before white people brought tobacco and snuff to Africa, our ancestors never used snuff in their prayers. Our ancestors used water, rapoco meal, and other ways which were used at that time, but haven't had a chance to be passed on to us, as our culture has been disturbed by the coming of Europeans to Africa, which remodelled African cultures and changed so many good practices that had been followed and passed on from generation to generation.
The reason why we use snuff spiritually in our prayers is because some of our ancestors began using snuff for their prayers as well as rapoco meal. So many of our ancestors died using spiritual snuff in their prayers under Yah (God), so we believe that it is good to respect these ancestors by following their ways. But it is also important for modern Zimbabweans to know this history. Snuff was not the only way to reach Yah for our ancestors, but snuff was a modern way which was brought to our ancestors. Europeans didnt bring tobacco only, but many other crops like maize, sugar cane, groundnuts, different types of beans, other types of water melons, types of greens like covo, rape, cabbages, sweet cabbages and so many different types of fruit such as grapes, apples, oranges, lemons, mangoes, peaches pawpaw etc. They also brought other types of animals, such as cattle which were not from our culture.
When Europeans came, they brought all of these things including tobacco, so we are not putting a blame for snuff only. Our ancestors began using snuff at the same time as they began using other European crops and fruits. At the time they were not aware that snuff could cause such damage to health when over taken, as they didnt have scientific labs to test it. During that time, some clever ancestors may have realised through spiritual dreams and visions, that snuff could be hazardous, but many people have prayed with good hearts, using snuff in a spiritual way, but over taking it, without knowing of its damages. It affected and killed so many people, and this is still continuing today. There is even a tobacco industry in Zimbabwe which manufactures uncooked snuff. I believe that this industry secretly is killing so many people; the industry should learn how to cook snuff properly, this would at least limit the nicotene levels in the snuff. Our ancestors have already been cooking snuff and coming into our spiritual dreams and visions, telling us to cook snuff. So this snuff industry should behave like an African industry by learning to cook it for the benefit of peoples health.
In Zimbaremabwe we treat and prepare snuff traditionally, we keep its culture. We produce it for two levels of use. The first is for people to buy and use for themselves, for their prayers.
The second type is particularly for our healing; it is connected and blessed by Ngara spirits.
They are both prepared traditionally but the second type is very valuable to us for healing, for the qualities it gains from the spiritual connections.
Bute, spiritual snuff can bring many blessings and information about the spiritual life.
Preperation of Bute
left: Chambwa chebute remidzimu muzambara VaManyame VaRubwe (Manyame VaRubwe showing snuff chambwa in a spiritual wooden plate)
To prepare Bute for spiritual use we have to keep clean throughout the process, by clean we mean not having sex, for two nights before starting and throughout the whole process. When we prepare bute we start with Chambwa. This is made from tobacco plants, which are compressed into a cone shape and allowed to dry. When we pray for the chambwa(s), we pray to our ancestors and Yah (God), asking that the snuff that we make brings blessings and good things to people who use it. Then after the praying, the chambwa remains in the Nhumba (healing or prayer room) for one night; during that night we sleep with our mind focussed, still on the meditation for the chambwa. In our dreams we look forward to meeting the ancestors, to say that the chambwa is good to be used for making snuff for people.
above: mazambara matatu ebute remidzimu mbishi risina kubikwa (3 wooden plates of uncooked ground spiritual snuff)
left: Manyame VaRubwe varikudzvura bute (grinding bute (spiritual snuff)
Now when the ancestor agrees that the chambwa is good, we then destroy it and grind it to powder. During the time of grinding the chambwa, the person doing the grinding should be faithful to our culture, and they do this without talking. It is a meditation, you are wishing blessings and praying for the snuff. Then it is put into containers called Bikiro, or Dende reDare (a natural gourd), and the snuff is cooked in a specific way. There is a special way to prepare the cooking pot and the fireplace for which you need advice.
above: matende matatu emabikiro ebute remidzimu (3 gourd containers of spiritual snuff being cooked)
left: dende rebikiro rebute remidzimu pamoto (the gourd of spiritual snuff cooking on the fire)
Cooking is like grinding, a meditation and time to wish blessings; the person should be faithful and remain without talking until the whole process is done. The cooking process also reduces the nicotene content; when it is cooked properly, it has much less nicotene and is Ok to take. According to our ancestors, well cooked snuff is better than cigarettes, in terms of health. After the cooking we put the snuff back in the Nhumba (healing or prayer room), and this is when you can start to talk again. It is important not to taste it yet. During the whole process until the snuff has been collected from the bush in the final stage, we do not sniff or take the snuff.
When the snuff is back in the Nhumba, this is when Manyame Linos Wengara takes it to the bush to bless it and pray for it. The snuff is left under a tree for one night and certain prayers should be said. When we return home, it is also a meditating night, to listen to dreams. You should be told by ancestors that the snuff is blessed. In the morning you collect the snuff and return it to the Nhumba. To do this process of preparing snuff it is important that you are properly connected to your spirits. In the Nhumba, snuff is kept in mudende, the natural gourd containers. For taking ourside and sharing with people we transfer snuff to nhekwe, containers made from cow horn.
Dende / Bikiro reDare (traditional snuff gourd) should always stay in the Nhumba (spiritual room) and should always stay clean. Noone should cross over it, even if the room is crowded. If a person jumps it, then the snuff is dead. Also women who are on period should not enter the Nhumba until their period is over, as it will also finish the use of the snuff; they should also not use snuff for their prayers during those days. Men and women who have just had sex should also not enter the Nhumba until they have bathed.
left: nhekwe dzina dzebute remidzimu nematende maviri ebute remidzimu (4 small cow horn containers (nhekwe) and 2 large gourd containers (dende), for spiritual snuff
We transfer some snuff from the dende to a nhekwe, a small container made of cow horn. This you can keep in a pocket with you, and it is from this that you can take and share with people who share your faith. But giving to someone who clashes with you in faith doesn't affect you, you can still give. Sharing your snuff is a way of sharing your gifts from your spirits with others. Some may not even have faith in you, but by sharing your snuff they are sharing your gifts.
The nhekwe can go with you anywhere, however if you have sex, you should bath your body first before touching it again. If you do touch it after sex, you should cleanse yourself, and then empty out the nhekwe before cleansing it and refilling it from the dende. Manyame Linos Wengara never takes mudende from the nhumba unless it is for healing, ceremonies or a spiritual occasion, and then it is kept very carefully to keep it clean. Often when people from other cultures see these containers, from nhekwe to dende, they may think that we pray to idols, but these are not idols. We use snuff for guidance, during the praying time we put it on the earth to share with our good ancestors, from the earth spirits to water spirits, sky spirits and Yah (God). We always have to keep the snuff clean as we know that the spirits we pray to are cleaner than the snuff we use. We could do so many prayers with the spirits not approaching, just because the snuff we are using is not clean. The spirits are there, but it is our snuff blocking us from seeing them.
Our big reason for selling snuff on the website is that many people like to use snuff for prayers, yet they end up with dirty, or unspiritual snuff. It can be made by so many people, perhaps for business only, without prayers or regard to its spiritual use. We want people to use spiritual snuff. We can also sell nhekwe, as these are a good way to keep snuff, as our ancestors were using the cow horns that were available.
Snuff from Zimbaremabwe is available from £5 for two table spoons. The snuff from Zimbaremabwe is spiritual and traditionally made, and it is intended for the promotion of culture and for people to pray for themselves.
Snuff from Manyame is for £20. This is only available to people who connect and have faith in Manyame Linos Wengara. It is for people who are happy to share his visions and are aware of his spiritual life and the process of making the snuff. This snuff from Manyame is different as it is for his healing life and is connected to and blessed by Ngara spirits.
 Both types of snuff can be used in traditional ways. It can be sniffed, a little can be put in pure clean water to cleanse our bodies, and it can be put on the earth when you go to pray in the bush. We are happy to advise our friends and customers on how to use our snuff for spiritual ways.
left: Manyame VaRubwe ne nhekwe chena varikuisa bute remudzimu rakabikwa muchanja kuti vafembe (Manyame VaRubwe with a white nhekwe snuff container, putting spiritually cooked snuff in his hand to sniff it)
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