Where Water Meant Survival: Hunting Lands of Sosono, Nyauyanga, and Thomas
Published Feb. 22, 2026, 8:21 p.m. by Mike Thomas
This account forms part of the documented oral history of the Pfungwe dynasty. For a broader understanding of the lineage and its ancestral migrations, see The Lost Dynasty of Pfungwe: The River That Changed a Kingdom.
For generations, the places where Sosono, Nyauyanga, Thomas, and their descendants settled were never chosen by chance. Hunting and fishing determined everything. Water meant survival, and survival meant staying close to rivers, pools, and springs.
Living near a water source ensured that fish could be caught and wildlife would gather to drink. Where animals gathered, hunters followed. These ancestral settlements were carefully positioned so that both food and game were always within reach.
The households often kept more than a dozen hunting dogs — fierce, disciplined animals trained to track and bring down large game. With such packs, hunters could pursue animals as powerful as kudu and other large antelope. Alongside hunting, families also kept cattle, strengthening their wealth and status within the community.
But water did not attract only prey. Lions followed the same paths as antelope and cattle, and where lions roamed, leopards and hyenas were never far away. Yet the homesteads were rarely threatened by scavengers. Hyenas, known for their boldness, almost never dared approach because of the presence of the dogs, whose ferocity was widely feared.
Stories of encounters with lions became part of family memory — tales retold across generations, reminding descendants that survival in those lands demanded courage, vigilance, and skill. In these landscapes, life was shaped not only by tradition and lineage, but by the rhythms of nature itself.
Lineage Context
Series: Pfungwe Dynasty Oral Histories — a continuing series preserving the ancestral narratives and historical memory of the Pfungwe lineage.
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