Welcome to the Lovedu culture where rain queens are not just leaders but masters of weather. Oral traditions have the Lovedu being formed by Dzugudini – the daughter of the chief of the Monomotapa (part of the Karanga Empire) who were based near Maulwi in Zimbabwe. Dzugudini fled south when she fell pregnant while still unmarried. Rather than face the wrath of her father the chief, Dzugudini and her followers started a trek which ultimately ended amongst the Sotho. She didn’t travel, however, unprepared – Dzugudini’s mother stole the chief’s rain charms and sacred beads, and taught her daughter their use.
The first paramount chief of the Lovedu was Dzugudini’s son, Makaphimo, who according to oral tradition set up his court at Khumeloni. He was aided by his younger brothers: Mahash, who was the first to sow seeds and developed the Lovedu’s skill in agriculture, and Mudiga, who protected the homestead and drove off the lions.
The timeline given by oral tradition is imprecise, but it is believed that the separation of the Lovedu from the Karanga Empire took place in the early 1600s.
Makaphimo, the first in a line of male rulers which lasted until 1800, was succeeded by his son Muhale. Oral tradition names just a few others: Peduli, Khiali, and Mugede. Mugede was the last of the male line. With the royal rain-making abilities apparently in decline, Mugede decided to rejuvenate the process by committing incest with his daughter. The daughter became the first in a line of Lovedu Rain Queens, known by the ceremonial name Mudjadji, which means ‘ruler-of-the-day’. Alternative spellings include Mujaji, Modjadji, and Modhadje
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