THE INTLOMBE, DANCE OF CIRCUMCISED YOUNG MEN

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The initiate is taught the dance: garments are made of palm leaves that strapped around his waist nine times. He will be involved in the ritual for a full year, beginning from the time of his circumcision, which usually occurs during the eating of the first fruits. He graduates at about the beginning of the ploughing season.

Ke...afikelwe ke amakhwenkwe ngoku lixesha lokuba ma kaluke ke...abe ngamadoda...ngo'^[1203] nje ke akuba alusiwe angamadoda...aqalisa ke ebukhwetheni uze kuthi ebukhwetheni atshiliswe akhelelwe imihlambi yomthi olisundu emilanjeni...lo mthi ke kuneengcibi zokuwenza okokuba ube ngumbhinqo womkhwetha...ke ingcibi le yenza lo mthi...ukuba ube ngumbhinqo iyaqeshwa kuqale ke ngoku kufunwe iintambo ezinokuthandelwa esinqeni kalithoba ngonje ke ezo ntambo zenziwe ke ngoluzi ibe nkulu ilingane okokuba lo mkhwetha iza kuba ngunyaka kuthathela ukwaluka kwawo ukuqaliswa ngokutyiwa kukwindla kwaluswe...ukuze bonke ke ukususela apho ubusika bonke uya kuma entwasahlobo...kuqhutywa loo nto kufuneka umkhwetha aphume kundima zokuqala ukulima...nxa kulinywa iindima zokuqala zilinywa ngabakhwetha apho kungayi mfazi...kuba kuthathwa imbewu isiwe ziintombi ebakhwetheni emasimini...kuba unina womkhwetha akayi apho kukh' umkhwetha ngesiXhosa...kungoku athi nomkhwetha lowo izinto nxa ungumkhwetha angazibizi ngamagama...ahlonityiswe...athi amanzi^[1204] angawabizi ngohlobo lawo yonk' into nenyama angatsho ukuthi yinyama athi yikruza...necuba angatsho ukuthi licuba athi lifoza nenqawe angatsho ukuthi yinqawe athi lipheko...loo nto ke yonke kwa nkwenkwe akatsh' ukuthi yinkwenkwe ukuthi yinqalathi kwa ntonga akatsho ukuthi yintonga umkhwetha uthi ngumkrolo loo nto ke yonk' into ebizwayo nangaliphi na igama akalibizi eliya eb' elibiza ngoku angumkhwetha zijikwa zonke izinto uze azibize akuphuma...baza kuthi ke batshile ngalo mthi ulisundu wenziweyo yile ngcibi iqeshwayo...umkhweth' uqeshelwa kowako wonke noba bangaphi na...ibhatalwe ingcibi kowabo mkhweth' uze ke kwenziwe neengcambane neempondo kwa ngalo mthi mnye phof'...ukuze ke ngoku baphume nxa bephumile yatsha indlu yabo...babe ngamarwala afundiswayo emzini ziintombi ukususela oko ihambela loo nto ngaphambilana...kuthi ngoku bahambe kuthiwe bayatshintsha^[1205] babuye ekutshintsheni...babe ngamakrwala angabafana ukuze ngoku bahambe...nto yimbi igama layo ibe yintlombe^[1206] ...into engeyo^[1207] yamakhwenkwe into engeyamadodan'^[1208] amatsh' amancinci...bahambe ke neentombi zabo ezo ba'^[1209] betshotsha ngazo babiye^[1210] baphuma kwa nazo ngoku zazicheba iinwele zaphuma iinwele ezintsha zokokuba ngoku zizintombi zabafana...ngoku ke bakufika entlombeni kuyaxhentswa ke entlombeni zombele iintombi...zifake iiwatsha kusithiwa ziintombi zamadodana...loo nto ke kuthi apha entlombeni kuxhentswe nayo ingene ngomgqibelo...iphume ngecawe...ingena ebusuku ngomgqibelo iyokuphuma emfuthulanga ngecawe...kanti ide iqhube ifune ukuphuma emini ngecawe ngobukhulu bayo kwakunye nokokuba ibe ziindidi ngeendidi nabo abafana abo...kuba kwa bona bahamba nendawo ngendawo kudityanwe apho ngentlombe leyo...apha ke ebafaneni kuphathwa intonga qha kunye namabunguza amahle anga wokuxhentsa isidoda ingekho nto iyinto enje ngokokuba...kungekho nto ke iyinto yokungathi yeyokulwa akubethwana ngabafana...bona benza ihombo ecubhukileyo yesidoda...efuna ukubukelwa nje kusithiwa abanye ziinkabi abanye ngamachule okulungisa indlu ukuba mayime kakuhle ngemithetho...emihle eqeqeshayo...ithi nentombi yomfana yahluke kwe yenkwenkwe nangokubhinqa...kuba ezabafana imibhaco yazo iyehla ime ezantsi ingaxhomekeki...loo nto ke abafana bona banamabhayana ahonjisiweyo athungiweyo nangeentsimbi...abhinqwayo ngabafana loo nto abafana bafaka iqhiya entloko nokuba yiqhiya enguthekwana ibala layo intsha ingeko kuba^[1211] ndala...nokuba yiqhiya emthubi okanye ipinki^[1212] ebafaneni...naseziintombini zabo...loo nto ke intombi yomfana uyayibona isekude yona ukuba yeyomfana laa ntombi...nomfana uyamahlula kuyise umbone ukuba ngumfana ubone ngombhinqo okuthiwa yitsiyane yesifana loo nto ke...imbutho yomfana ayifani neyenkwenkwe...bona baxoxa izinto zabo zesifana...kuthi ke entlombeni leyo yabo ngomgqibelo bahlale nabo kundawo ilali ethile ingene ngexesha layo nentombi ihlale kundawo yayo ize zona iintombi zidibane kuba zona zihlala entla endlini...abafana bona entlombeni yabo kuyandlalwa amakhuko bahlale phezu kwamakhuko into leyo eyenziweyo ngemizi izinto ezikhiwa emlanjeni...ukuze bangabinangubo zimdaka...a--- bandlalelwe lo makhuko loo nto ke kuya kombelwa ke babhinqe ke abafana iingubo ezinqeni baxhentse eziko besombelelwa ziintombi zabo ziqhwaba ngezandla ukuthi ke bajikeleze iziko elo besuka phaya bejikele apha entloko...zisuke ke iintombi kungoma yesibini ziyokothula iqhiya ebafaneni ibe ntle loo nto zihamba kancinci kakuhle okuba nomfana zingamgili...ukuze nabafan' bazilungele kakuhle ukuba mazihambe kakuhle iintombi nxa ziya kubo zifike ke zizithath'...iiqhiya ezo zonke zibashiye eziko beme ngentloko bexhentsa ke umxhentso wabo...apho ke...bayahonjiswa abafana ziintombi bathengelwa iitawuli^[1213] ...ezi tawuli zibekwe iitshefu ngaphezulu...kuziwe iintonga eziqaqelwe ngentsimbi amachakath'...ukuze umfana anikwe yintombi avana nayo...evisisana nayo...ehambisana nayo...ibe yiyo intombi esa loo nto kulo mfana ifike ke imnike apho entlombeni imnike kungalo yasekhohlo ngesiko layo loo nto...ize ibeke loo tawul' imhlophe ibeke loo tshefu ngaphezulu iphinde ithathe enye itshefu imnike esandleni sasekunene okokuba ath' akubila osule ngaleyo...le ikweli cala nale tawuli itshefu...akasuli ngayo int' ekhoyo isisihombo ukuze abafana bahonjiswe ziintombi ngezitsaba...isitsaba ke yinto enxitywa ezantsi ifakwe amahagi^[1214] ...ize baphinde abafana iintombi zibafake indyifolo...le ndyifolo kuxelwa intsimbi eyenziweyo yomqala...ize le ntsimbi ibe nde ibe nemingqi emide ehamba ifakwa amaso phakathi ize ayixwaye imingqi leyo macala omabini umfana...umfana othe wabogqitha abanye ngokuba nazo ezo ntsimbi...kuthiwe yinkabi...kwo! yinkabi okaBanibani...kucala elithile...njengoko ke ingamacala-cala...kukho okwa njalo ke nakwe icala kuthiwe nalowo yinkabi yelo cala...kukho ke ukuthi ke ngoku ibe intlombe le iyaphuma kwakuba kusile ngecawe ize ngoku kubekho igama abathi abafana ngoku kungena iketile^[1215] ...baxela bona ixesha lokuchaza kwabo izinto akukho ketile akuphungwa akutyiwa...kodwa igama lokuba beza kuthetha iinto apha zabo abachazelana zona okanye benyembana be--- bebonana nobunkabi bephikisana nangento abaphikisana ngazo bathi loo nto ukuyibiza yiketile kungena ngoku iketile...kuqale kuthi ezingomeni ezivunywa ziintombi kubekho ngoku ezovuyo iingoma ezicabelayo ekuthiwa ngamacwilo^[1216] oobani...kanti loo nto ngamacwilo kuxelwa okokuba ingoma ethile yeyomfana kaBani...ingoma ethile yeyomfana kaBani...zenziwe ke ezo 'nto kusasa...kusasa emfuthulanga...kuxhentswe ke kakhulu...baxhentse babulalane apho iinkxentsi ngeenkxentsi...zabafana omnye abe lilo ichule ngokuthetha engakwazi njalo ukuxhentsa oko kodwa ihanjiswe ke le nto kakuhle apha akuxatyanwa e--- into ethethwayo ithethwa ngomlomo nekuphikiswanayo ne efunwa ukwakhiwa ne echithwayo ukuba ingenzeki ithethwa ngemilomo bagwebane ngentetho...kuveleke apho ke iciko lomfana othile othi yena akuthetha...ababonise kutsho kuse kuthiwe ke yinkabi lowo okokuba umfana onjalo uthe entlombeni akabikho laze lafika ixesha le nkcaza kusasa kulo ntlombe...ithi loo ntlombe xa bethetha kwo! imbi le ntlombe...ngokuba ngoku akakho okaBani...yena le nto ngeyibonile yonke...kwakude ke kwakho kwakhona apha umfana owayesisimanga^[1217] ...entlombeni apha umfana owayeyimbali^[1218] ngokukwenza izinto waze lo mfana wanxiba kakhulu neentsimbi ezi kodwa yena ekomnye umlambo kwahlulelwene ngalo mlambo uliQhora...yena ekwelinye icala athi nxa esiya kwelinye icala nalapho kuthiwe uyawaza kuwina^[1219] ...waze lo mfana yathi intlombe ib' idibene yathi ngenxa yokokuba akukho mfana ufikelela kuye ngokokuba adibane naye kwabonakal' okokuba intlalo yasentlombeni iza kuba mbi kuba akanamati^[1220] uyanxiba kakhulu enxiba kakhulu uyanyemba...enyemba esithi akufika endaweni iintombi zaloo ndawo aziphethule zonke zifune ukulahla abalingane bazo ngenxa yakhe...yade loo nto yathetha entlombeni nxa iintombi zifuna ukubaleka entlombeni zisithi zona azifuni kuxhentsa naye kuba yena wenza uqhushululu uqhushululu ke kukuba yena uba uthethile nentombi iya kumlahla umnt' eb' ihamba naye...zaze zathi k' iintombi azifuni...zemka entlombeni...loo nto yenza umlinganiselo ombi kuba kwaxatyanwa ngabafana bexabana ngelikakuthi^[1221] ...asingomakhwenkwe thina asingeze sithi sisentlombeni...kubonakale okokuba iintonga siza kuzinyathela...ngenxa yomntu omnye ofuna ukona ukuhlala kwasentlombeni...ke kumele uze sibe ukusuka namhlanje asisoze^[1222] siphinde siliwele iQhora siyokuxhentsa naye...yahlukana intlombe ngangokuba bethetha njalo...bathe besithi abanye ise^[1223] ke iphole ingabi shushu xa bengekho abaphesheya kweQhora...bathi abanye akuncedanga nto ukuba ibe shushu kanti isisa esikweni ese simkile kulo lesikwenkwe ngokuba ibonakal' ukuba iya endaweni yokokuba sis'ke silibale uba singamadoda...sizibambe iintonga ngokuba lo mfana akaboni mntu ke loo nto iya kusikhathaza apha esidodeni sisebenza ngomthetho asisebenzi ngeentonga...loo nto ke yabahlukanisa abafana kuba abangomakhwenkwe...baqala ke ngoku bahamba bodwa ke abafana bona kuya buywa ngo--- ngokusasa kwangecawe entlombeni kubuywe ngabo kuse lixesha kuba kufuneka umfana kub' akayonkwenkwe...azazi iinto zekhaya ezonakeleyo ngentsasa ukuze intombazana ifike ekhaya isebenze iye emlanjeni ipheke kuba 'se ilingenwe kukuba ibonwe ngumntu yende...loo nto ke yahlukana ngolo hlobo baziphatha ke bona abafana ngokunganeno kwabazali...kuba 'se besiza entweni yoba babe ngabantu abakhulu...umfana nxa ehleli ekhaya ulinde ukuphendula into ehlayo ekhayeni nxa kukho yena uyise afike 'se esithi umfana tata kufike umntu othile ethetha ngokuthi nokuthi ke ndithe kuye lo mntu akukho ndambeka ngendima yokungabikho kwakho ngolu hlobo...babonisane noyise inkwenkwe yona ayinanto ilapho...yiyo indima yokwahlukana leyo kwenkwenkwe...nomfana...ima kuloo ndawo.