Paper 1 · The Spirit World and Ancestors
Which of the following is given as a reason why the host of a shave is under pressure to practise the gift rather than ignore it?
Athe gift is believed to pass to a rival family if it is left unused
Brefusing to use the gift is believed to bring illness and repeated misfortune
Cthe diviner who first identified the spirit may reclaim the fee that was paid
Dthe chief imposes a fine in cattle on any household that ignores a spirit
Explanation: A spirit that has been accepted but not served is believed to withdraw its protection, so the host falls ill or meets continual misfortune until the gift is used. That religious compulsion is part of why a shave is described as pushing a person into a trade.
Derived from ZIMSEC Family and Religious Studies Paper 1, November 2020, Q1