What is the Ndebele initiation ceremony?

Male initiation ‘wela or ingoma’ is conducted among the Ndzundza Ndebele roughly every four years, and the boys are usually 15 to 18 years old. Their names have to be registered with the paramount chief ‘king’. At the chief’s residence, the initiates conduct rituals, symbolically bidding farewell to their boyhood.

How do you say thank you in Ndebele?

A collection of useful phrases in Northern Ndebele, a Bantu language spoken mainly in Zimbabwe. Key to abbreviations: sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person)….Useful phrases in Northern Ndebele.

What makes Ndebele culture unique?

The Ndebele are well known for their outstanding craftsmanship, their decorative homes, and their distinctive and highly colourful mode of dress and ornamentation. Esther Mahlangu is an Ndebele woman and an internationally renowned painter and decorator.

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 do Ndebele believe in?

Ancestral spirits are important in Ndebele religious life, and offerings and sacrifices are made to the ancestors for protection, good health, and happiness. Ancestral spirits come back to the world in the form of dreams, illnesses, and sometimes snakes. The Ndebele also believe in the use of magic.

How do you say yes in Ndebele?

A collection of useful phrases in Southern Ndebele, a Bantu language spoken by in South Africa. Key to abbreviations: sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person)….Useful phrases in Southern Ndebele.

What is the purpose of initiation?

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.

What is the main function of Ndebele beadwork?

Beadwork has been used to carry all sorts of other meanings – communicating social and cultural messages about the wearer’s age, marital status or regional origin, for example. Once married, an Ndebele woman might be expected to wear a beaded blanket cape like this one.

What is the Ndebele culture?

The Ndebele are ancient offshoots of the main Nguni-speaking peoples and began migrations to the Transvaal region in the 17th century. Ndebele. Ndebele women posing before a traditional painted dwelling at a cultural village, Loopspruit, Gauteng, South Africa.

Where are the Ndebele originated?

Zimbabwe
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.

How does initiation work in the Ndebele tribe?

Male initiates from the Ndebele tribe. Initiation is still practised among both males and females in Ndebele society, marking the passage from childhood to adult status. At the conclusion of the rites, the initiate is allowed to become sexually active and to begin the protracted process of engagement and marriage.

Are there any English translators for the Ndebele language?

All our Ndebele translators have undergone an approval and testing process to ensure their competence and they are audited at random. Axis Translations translates into and from Ndebele with all language combinations. It may be an letter in the Ndebele language that requires translation into English or a Portuguese brochure translation into Ndebele.

What was the rite of passage for the Ndebele?

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.

Why did the Ndebele people convert to Christianity?

Some Ndebele people converted to Christianity under colonialism and missionary influence. However, although there are many Christian converts, ancestral beliefs have not disappeared. Instead, there has been a mixture of traditional beliefs and Christianity.