By What happens at Ndebele initiation school?
In the evening, the girls gather around a fire, wearing a blanket given to them for initiation, while the guides are stripped naked. They sing songs before launching into a tirade of abuse and cursing against males, the concept of masculinity and male sexual organs, and women who have not been initiated.
What is the name of the Ndebele initiation ceremony?
Rites of passage or initiation ceremonies are practiced among the Ndebele; Ukuwela is a male initiation that marks the passage from childhood to adult status. Through the process of initiation, young boys are inducted into traditional lore and the deep mysteries of the group.
What is the purpose of initiation school?
Speaking on POWER Talk on Wednesday, traditional expert chief Letsia Moloi says the purpose of initiation is to prepare young boys for manhood and life. “In initiation schools we make preparations for the young ones to become adults. They are given skills and the right way of living.”
What happens in Xhosa initiation?
The Xhosa male initiation ritual consists of various stages such as pre-initiation preparation, the circumcision operation itself, seclusion in the initiation cultural setting and reintegration into society.
What is the process of Umemulo?
Umemulo is not just a birthday party; it is a process that involves years of planning from the moment a girl hits puberty at around 13 or 14 years of age. Immediately she starts her menstrual cycle, the countdown to her Umemulo begins and ends with the actual ceremony once she turns 21.
What the initiation celebrates or observes?
Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense it can also signify a transformation in which the initiate is ‘reborn’ into a new role.
Is Ndebele and Zulu the same?
Northern Ndebele is related to the Zulu language, spoken in South Africa. Northern Ndebele and Southern Ndebele (or Transvaal Ndebele), which is spoken in South Africa, are separate but related languages with some degree of mutual intelligibility, although the former is more closely related to Zulu.
What are Ndebele people called?
Ndebele, also called Ndebele of Zimbabwe, or Ndebele Proper, formerly Matabele, Bantu-speaking people of southwestern Zimbabwe who now live primarily around the city of Bulawayo. They originated early in the 19th century as an offshoot of the Nguni of Natal.
What is male initiation?
The cultural practice of male initiation involves circumcision. Male initiation prepares young men to be responsible men in society. Its purpose is to provide for the effective regulation of customary initiation practices.
At what age does the person attend initiation?
The initiation practices of isiXhosa, Basotho and amaHlubi2 are the most dominant in the Western Cape. No particular age is specified for these rites (boys between the ages3 of 18 and above undergo initiation).
What happens at initiation?
Initiation is a ceremony where new members are brought into full membership of a sorority. During your new member process, you will learn public information about your chosen sorority – founders’ names, where and when the organization was founded, its colors, its philanthropies and so on.
What happens before Umemulo?
In modern South Africa, most girls take crash course days or weeks before their umemulo to learn this dance. The Omkhonto is a spear that she has to throw in front of different people who are then required to present a gift.