Watch The Gule Wamkulu

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Malawi is a country rich in the different cultures of its diverse population. It is of paramount importance that each visitor to the region exposes him/herself to different aspects of the cultures on show within the country’s borders.

One of the most unique and interesting cultural events that attracts a lot of interest from tourists and Malawi citizens alike is the Gule Wamkulu. The Gule Wamkulu is performed by the Chewa and Mang'anja of Malawi and is associated with heavily carved masks, feathers and skin paint. It is an important event in Malawian culture.

Gule Wamkulu”, literally meaning “big dance”, have become a sort of title for secret societies of traditional Chewa religious practices. The Gule Wamkulu ceremonies consist of formally organized dances to admire the remarkable physical abilities of these individuals – considered to be adept at their dance as a result of their spiritual state. Informally, Gule Wamkulu, or “Gule” is a term associated with anyone who participates in the rituals of these secret societies. The peak season for Gule occurs in July, with young men dressed as ancestral animals, trees, or in masks of ancestral spirits. The Gule themselves are initiated through formal ceremony into this society. Gule are considered to be in ‘animal state’ when they are dressed in such attire, and are not to be approached. If one has the misfortune of passing a Gule on the road, traditional behavior consists of dropping a few coins for the Gule – never handing them the money directly for fear they will grab you and take you to the cemetery for ritual purposes. Generally, it is best to avoid Gule in informal situations. In their animal or ancestral state, they are unpredictable.

These events are great tourist attractions, especially in the Chewa and Mang’anja regions in Malawi like the region surrounding the mountain of Kapirintiwa, which lies on the borders of Malawi and Mozambique, and which the Chewa believe God (Chiuta) created the life we see on earth today.