[Contents]CHAPTER VI.MIDWIFERY AND CHILDREN.Childbirth is an exceedingly simple process, as a rule with the Kaffir; a native woman only allowing it to interfere with her duties for a few hours. Abnormal labours are seldom heard of.Should any difficulty arise, a severe rubbing is sometimes resorted to by the women in charge.Whereas this statement holds good for the commonality and some tribes, yet in others,e.g.: The Basutos, the time and method of childbirth is very different.The woman when near her time returns to the kraal of her father, who pays the expenses if any, and of her mother, who is chief superintendent of details. Some expert old women of the tribe acts as midwife.A special hut is built and kept carefully clean. On the floor is spread a thick layer of dry cowdung to collect the lochia etc., and the woman usually sits near this in a crouching position. She may, however, be on her knees or even lying down. A firm band is tied above[98]the uterus (to keep it from rising) and this is tied lower down after the birth.The child is received into the hands of an assistant; and the umbilical cord, usually forcibly torn asunder several inches from the child’s abdomen. The cord may, however, be cut or sometimes chewed through by the midwife. The abdomen is, during the birth, rubbed and pressed, and the back assisted by an assistant.In very serious cases and only in extremis an Igqrira elemicisa is called in, who however, seldom does much more than administer herbs.To facilitate labour, and strengthen the uterine contractions, the natives administer the root of the Um-kanzi (Typha latifolia).Other herbs are used also for the purpose, one igqira being in the habit of getting his patientstupefiedby much smoking of dagga(Indian hemp).Two months after the birth of the child the mother reappears in public; but should the child be still-born, after a shorter interval.So much for the mother who usually recovers without much trouble.TheNewborn Infantis, to say the least of it curiously treated.[99]Dr.Casalisin recording the birth of 490 Basuto Children, states that of these 160 die in infancy, and one is not surprised when one considers the trying ordeals of their first few days of life.No sooner is the baby born than the points of its fingers are bled for luck. The infant is then held in the smoke of a slow fire of aromatic woods till it sneezes or coughs to show that it is not bewitched. Then commence its ablutions. It is first thoroughly rubbed all over with a solution of cowdung and then rubbed clean as possible and rolled in the skin of a goat or sheep recently killed.Then commences a course of treatment that is in violation of all laws of nature and propriety.Instead of the infant being allowed to use the mother’s milk “amasabele,” they give it sour curdled milk (a sort of koumiss or calabash milk) from the cow, the same as that used by adults. This they force down the throat of the poor little mortal by blowing it into its mouth and compelling it to swallow. This is continued for three days, and as a result the bowels become much distended and bowel complaint, often ending in death, frequently results.[100]They do this as they believe that the new “Amasebele” new mother’s milk would cake in the stomach, corrode it, and cause premature decay.So that if a child be sickly the doctor often ascribes it to the child having been fed onmothers’milk too early, which must be purged away by a course of medicine.At the end of three days the infant is allowed to take the amasebele or breast milk. During these three days if necessary, the breasts are milked by hand.The Kaffir, not content with the above extraordinary treatment is in the habit of administering drugs to the newborn infant.Thus on the day of its birth as a purgative, an infusion made by steeping in cold water the tubers of the U-jyane (Chlorophyton comosum) is administered. This is a common infantile aperient but when it is not obtainable, a paste of the leaves or an infusion of the leaves of the U-sikiki (Salvia scabia) is administered for the same purpose.The Zulus have some curious practises, with regard to children.At the age of about ten days the first “charm” is worked. It consists of partly burying the infant at some spot near where lightning has[101]been known to strike. The hole need not be more than a few inches deep. The mother places her naked infant in the hole, when the Isanuse chewing some medicine roots, squirts it over the child, muttering an incantation as he does so.The child is then taken up by the father, who is usually present, and handed to the mother. When the ceremony is over, on leaving the spot, no one dare look back, lest the efficacy of the charm be spoiled. This operation is supposed to instil courage into the unwitting heart of the little one; such courage, that even when lightning, the most fearful of all Silos (beasts) is flashing on every side, and the thunder roars as if the very earth would burst, he or she may not momentarily close an eye.The temporary burying of a child at a later age is thought to be a deterrent of diseases more especially of fevers and colds.Mothers of children take their little ones, of any age up to five or six years, early in the morning some little distance from home, and dig holes in which each child is placed separately, and into which earth is thrown until the child can only move its arms and[102]head, the body being in an upright position. The mothers then walk away, singing songs and behold them from afar, when they return and release them.Another charm to prevent sickness is one which is sometimes called “Umtshopi.”Young maidens are here the performers. When “Umtshopi” is to be played, these maids rise early in the morning and go to some brook or riverside where grows, a kind of long, broad leaved rush, which they pull, and fashion into a fantastic kind of dress, thus:—A rope is plaited sufficient to go round her waist, on this she works the reeds, so as, to form a fringe or kind of kilt which will touch the ground when she moves. Another is made to fasten round the chest under the arms, and a third thickly worked is worn round the neck so as to conceal the arms and bust. A hat is then made in the same manner, only the rushes are burned so as to stand up, thus giving the girl in this green costume, the appearance of a moving bunch of grasses.Each girl being thus arrayed, they set out on a round of calls to the kraals of the neighbourhood. Each chants a weird song, dancing, gyrating in a most fantastic manner,[103]frequently increasing the effect of their grotesque appearance by wild whoops and unearthly yells, until the smaller children begin to scream of sheer fright; for now the mothers forcibly lay down on the ground all the younger ones, who cannot be persuaded to do so, and an Umtonjane jumps over each one, from the tiny mite just learning to crawl, to urchins of from twelve to fourteen years of age.After all the little ones of the kraal have been “jumped” the performers go off and kindling a fire, burn their “Umtshopi,” a process of some difficulty and duration owing to the greeness of the reeds. Any garment or ornament which a girl may happen to wear while playing “Umtshopi” must be burnt, otherwise the efficacy of the charm is quite destroyed.Among the charms practiced to prevent sickness from visiting a kraal is the “Umkuba” or custom of the girls herding the cattle for a day. No special season of the year is chosen for this custom. It is merely enacted when diseases are known to be prevalent. On such an occasion, all the girls and unmarried women of a kraal rise early in the morning, dress themselves entirely in their brothers’[104]or men’s skins, and taking their “knobkerries” and sticks, open the cattle pen or kraal, and drive the cattle away from the vicinity of the homestead, none of these soidisant herds returning home until sunset, when they bring the cattle back. No one of the opposite sex dares go near the girls on this day, or speak to them.Seriouslydeformed childrenare left in the open veldt with the hope that the spirits, who bewitched them will relent and either cure them or take them away. Usually carnivora manage the latter alternative.The method of doctoring children though curious is on the whole rational.When the child is sick, emetics or purgatives are used. If the former, the usual way of laying the child on its back and holding its nose is adopted. If the latter, a decoction is prepared, a short piece of small reed is obtained. The mother takes the liquor into her mouth and inserting one end of the reed into the child’s fundament, blows the mixture into the bowels giving the picanini what she thinks sufficient.The Placentais burned, with the lochia mixed with cowdung, and as far as I can find out there is no superstition attached to its[105]disposal such as exists in the Highlands of Scotland and in Ireland. The infant is first rolled in a fresh goat skin and no special treatment of the navel adopted.Mother’s Milk.Deficiency is almost unknown, but a foster mother is usually ready to supply the needful in such a case.When the infant dies, or is still-born, the breasts are emptied by the mother or an older child and allowed to dry up as soon as possible. No herbs are used specially for that purpose.Pregnancies.Dr.Casalisgives some useful statistics on this subject amongst the Basutos.100 women, chosen hap-hazard, had 490 children, 215 boys, 275 girls, of which 330 were alive and 160 dead.Of the 100 women, 30 had from 8–9 children; 62 had from 3–6; and 7 from 1–2.Six had twins, and only one was sterile, but as many as 45 had aborted at one time or another during her child-bearing period. And he remarks “The relative frequency of girls to boys is not abnormal; nor is the number of pregnancies unusually large, in fact one would[106]expect a larger amongst savages, were it not for the fact that here a mother suckles her babe for two years, and so usually avoids pregnancy for that period. The Sesuto have a proverb,‘Many babes spoil the womb.’”Sterility, is extremely rare and a great disgrace to Mosuto woman, who will do anything rather than be considered sterile.The general practice of Kaffir tribes is to send the sterile wife back to her father if she prove sterile after a fair trial; and to demand back the “lobola”i.e.her cost price.Twinsare not looked upon with favour although if they be females they are welcomed.In this connection, one must remember that the female is the labourer, and when she marries, her father receives several head of cattle as “lobola,” or purchase price of his daughter: hence their welcome.Miscarriagesare mostly attributed to witchcraft, but the sufferers therefrom are sometimes treated medicinally.a.The Um-kwinti (Gazania pinnata) is drunk in infusion of all its parts.b.The Isi-kolokoto (Sansevieriathyrsiflora) an infusion of the root being used.[107]c.The In-gcelwane (Bulbine latifolia) of which a decoction of the root and stalk is taken.Menstruation.The first arrival of this, the average age being 14 years, is made the occasion of great ceremonies, which vary, however, greatly in different tribes, thus:—Amongst the Sesutos, the maiden is sent to the Native school (kept for the purpose by a woman), and turned in what is known as a “Bale.” Much difficulty is experienced in finding out what exactly takes place; but from what one gathers, there is no removal of parts, as in circumcision in the male. The result of the treatment is that the labia minora are considerably elongated, sometimes very much so, and the female thus converted into an animal of lust and desire. It is notorious that the Basuto women are excessively immoral. According to them adultery is not an immoral act, unless there has been complete possession.Ho fuba in Sesuto (adultery) means to have complete intercourse, and if followed by conception is punished usually by fining. A few head of cattle or less, clearing the culprit even if she be a wife.[108]Papali (play), however, is an innocent flirt, and here the elongated labia minora comes into use.An old Basuto once said “Were it not for this custom all our woman would repeatedly become pregnant, and thus spoil their children.”Chiefs frequently lend their wives to their headmen, that they may “raise children to their kraal.”Among the Zulus and most of the other Bantu tribes the custom is different.The maid is confined with others in a separate hut. She has her own mat to lie on, made of a peculiar kind of grass called “Nxopo,” her own cooking pot and eating utensils. Only her nearest female relatives are allowed to approach. She never touches flesh with her hands, using for this purpose a forked stick, and she never uses milk.(This practice of never using milk at menstrual periods is almost universal throughout the Bantu races and most strictly adhered to. I cannot find out any stated reason for it.)She is not allowed to go near the father’s hut, nor to wander near the kraals of the calves or cattle, or the other huts.[109]A special beast is killed for her, and the first cut, viz.:—A slice from between the right shoulder and the ribs is reserved for her use. No one is allowed to use the meat before her share is removed.On the tenth day she covers up her face and goes to her home,precededby her nurse.Sour milk (a sort of Koumis) is poured out for her. She drinks some, gargles her throat and spits it out on to some dry cowdung.Her nurse follows suit and then runs out, calling out “So and so has drunk milk, so and so has drunk milk.”The second stage, that of rejoicing and, sad to relate, general immorality then commences. The friends are called together and the girls now “Intonyani,” dress themselves in fantastic fashion in reeds, go through wild dancing with much feasting and dancing and excitement. Then follow orgies impossible in civilization. The old people go to their huts, content to leave these newly fledged maidens and the youths of the gathering to spend the night together. Free love becomes the order of the day. Complete connection is not supposed to take place, and should a girl conceive as a result,[110]the reputed father may be forced to marry her, and pay a fair premium “lobola” to the father. This is not, however, essential, a fine often being accepted.During the few days of this “Intonyane” festival the “Intonyanis” go about from kraal to kraal. It is now the custom of the mothers to lay their scared infants on the ground for the girls to jump over them, thus performing “Umtshopi”i.e.charming away sickness.After their ceremonies all the articles including dress, hut, fork, mat, &c., &c., of the “Intonyane” used during the ceremony must be burned.Circumcision“Ubukweta” is universally practised amongst the Bantus. Its origin is lost in antiquity, and it is held by many as proof that the Bantu is thedescendantof peoples, who emigrated from central Asia and are allied to the Jewish nations.This rite is performed on the boys at puberty, and is partly civil, in that it introduces boys to the rights of manhood; and partly religious in that it imposes on them the responsibility of[111]conforming to all the rights and ceremonies of their superstition.It is performed by one of the old men of the tribe by cutting. The instrument used being by no means sharp; but the wish to be, or appear a man, prevents signs of suffering. The hemorrhage is stopped by application ofastringentjuices mixed with clay; or in some tribes by winding from the point of the glans up round the penis a long strip of pliable goat skin, which article is afterwards much valued and carefully preserved.A number of youths from the same kraal are done at the same time, and during the healing process are set apart from their fellows in a locality some distance from the kraals, where they must provide for themselves in every way. They are then called “Abakweta” and keep many restrictions and observances, which I do not propose to describe here, suffice it to say that when the soreness passes off, they are allowed unlimited licence, and as a consequence the rite has very much degenerated into an unthinkably immoral custom. Free love with the Abakweta not being considered improper amongst the young women and “Intonyane.”[112]
[Contents]CHAPTER VI.MIDWIFERY AND CHILDREN.Childbirth is an exceedingly simple process, as a rule with the Kaffir; a native woman only allowing it to interfere with her duties for a few hours. Abnormal labours are seldom heard of.Should any difficulty arise, a severe rubbing is sometimes resorted to by the women in charge.Whereas this statement holds good for the commonality and some tribes, yet in others,e.g.: The Basutos, the time and method of childbirth is very different.The woman when near her time returns to the kraal of her father, who pays the expenses if any, and of her mother, who is chief superintendent of details. Some expert old women of the tribe acts as midwife.A special hut is built and kept carefully clean. On the floor is spread a thick layer of dry cowdung to collect the lochia etc., and the woman usually sits near this in a crouching position. She may, however, be on her knees or even lying down. A firm band is tied above[98]the uterus (to keep it from rising) and this is tied lower down after the birth.The child is received into the hands of an assistant; and the umbilical cord, usually forcibly torn asunder several inches from the child’s abdomen. The cord may, however, be cut or sometimes chewed through by the midwife. The abdomen is, during the birth, rubbed and pressed, and the back assisted by an assistant.In very serious cases and only in extremis an Igqrira elemicisa is called in, who however, seldom does much more than administer herbs.To facilitate labour, and strengthen the uterine contractions, the natives administer the root of the Um-kanzi (Typha latifolia).Other herbs are used also for the purpose, one igqira being in the habit of getting his patientstupefiedby much smoking of dagga(Indian hemp).Two months after the birth of the child the mother reappears in public; but should the child be still-born, after a shorter interval.So much for the mother who usually recovers without much trouble.TheNewborn Infantis, to say the least of it curiously treated.[99]Dr.Casalisin recording the birth of 490 Basuto Children, states that of these 160 die in infancy, and one is not surprised when one considers the trying ordeals of their first few days of life.No sooner is the baby born than the points of its fingers are bled for luck. The infant is then held in the smoke of a slow fire of aromatic woods till it sneezes or coughs to show that it is not bewitched. Then commence its ablutions. It is first thoroughly rubbed all over with a solution of cowdung and then rubbed clean as possible and rolled in the skin of a goat or sheep recently killed.Then commences a course of treatment that is in violation of all laws of nature and propriety.Instead of the infant being allowed to use the mother’s milk “amasabele,” they give it sour curdled milk (a sort of koumiss or calabash milk) from the cow, the same as that used by adults. This they force down the throat of the poor little mortal by blowing it into its mouth and compelling it to swallow. This is continued for three days, and as a result the bowels become much distended and bowel complaint, often ending in death, frequently results.[100]They do this as they believe that the new “Amasebele” new mother’s milk would cake in the stomach, corrode it, and cause premature decay.So that if a child be sickly the doctor often ascribes it to the child having been fed onmothers’milk too early, which must be purged away by a course of medicine.At the end of three days the infant is allowed to take the amasebele or breast milk. During these three days if necessary, the breasts are milked by hand.The Kaffir, not content with the above extraordinary treatment is in the habit of administering drugs to the newborn infant.Thus on the day of its birth as a purgative, an infusion made by steeping in cold water the tubers of the U-jyane (Chlorophyton comosum) is administered. This is a common infantile aperient but when it is not obtainable, a paste of the leaves or an infusion of the leaves of the U-sikiki (Salvia scabia) is administered for the same purpose.The Zulus have some curious practises, with regard to children.At the age of about ten days the first “charm” is worked. It consists of partly burying the infant at some spot near where lightning has[101]been known to strike. The hole need not be more than a few inches deep. The mother places her naked infant in the hole, when the Isanuse chewing some medicine roots, squirts it over the child, muttering an incantation as he does so.The child is then taken up by the father, who is usually present, and handed to the mother. When the ceremony is over, on leaving the spot, no one dare look back, lest the efficacy of the charm be spoiled. This operation is supposed to instil courage into the unwitting heart of the little one; such courage, that even when lightning, the most fearful of all Silos (beasts) is flashing on every side, and the thunder roars as if the very earth would burst, he or she may not momentarily close an eye.The temporary burying of a child at a later age is thought to be a deterrent of diseases more especially of fevers and colds.Mothers of children take their little ones, of any age up to five or six years, early in the morning some little distance from home, and dig holes in which each child is placed separately, and into which earth is thrown until the child can only move its arms and[102]head, the body being in an upright position. The mothers then walk away, singing songs and behold them from afar, when they return and release them.Another charm to prevent sickness is one which is sometimes called “Umtshopi.”Young maidens are here the performers. When “Umtshopi” is to be played, these maids rise early in the morning and go to some brook or riverside where grows, a kind of long, broad leaved rush, which they pull, and fashion into a fantastic kind of dress, thus:—A rope is plaited sufficient to go round her waist, on this she works the reeds, so as, to form a fringe or kind of kilt which will touch the ground when she moves. Another is made to fasten round the chest under the arms, and a third thickly worked is worn round the neck so as to conceal the arms and bust. A hat is then made in the same manner, only the rushes are burned so as to stand up, thus giving the girl in this green costume, the appearance of a moving bunch of grasses.Each girl being thus arrayed, they set out on a round of calls to the kraals of the neighbourhood. Each chants a weird song, dancing, gyrating in a most fantastic manner,[103]frequently increasing the effect of their grotesque appearance by wild whoops and unearthly yells, until the smaller children begin to scream of sheer fright; for now the mothers forcibly lay down on the ground all the younger ones, who cannot be persuaded to do so, and an Umtonjane jumps over each one, from the tiny mite just learning to crawl, to urchins of from twelve to fourteen years of age.After all the little ones of the kraal have been “jumped” the performers go off and kindling a fire, burn their “Umtshopi,” a process of some difficulty and duration owing to the greeness of the reeds. Any garment or ornament which a girl may happen to wear while playing “Umtshopi” must be burnt, otherwise the efficacy of the charm is quite destroyed.Among the charms practiced to prevent sickness from visiting a kraal is the “Umkuba” or custom of the girls herding the cattle for a day. No special season of the year is chosen for this custom. It is merely enacted when diseases are known to be prevalent. On such an occasion, all the girls and unmarried women of a kraal rise early in the morning, dress themselves entirely in their brothers’[104]or men’s skins, and taking their “knobkerries” and sticks, open the cattle pen or kraal, and drive the cattle away from the vicinity of the homestead, none of these soidisant herds returning home until sunset, when they bring the cattle back. No one of the opposite sex dares go near the girls on this day, or speak to them.Seriouslydeformed childrenare left in the open veldt with the hope that the spirits, who bewitched them will relent and either cure them or take them away. Usually carnivora manage the latter alternative.The method of doctoring children though curious is on the whole rational.When the child is sick, emetics or purgatives are used. If the former, the usual way of laying the child on its back and holding its nose is adopted. If the latter, a decoction is prepared, a short piece of small reed is obtained. The mother takes the liquor into her mouth and inserting one end of the reed into the child’s fundament, blows the mixture into the bowels giving the picanini what she thinks sufficient.The Placentais burned, with the lochia mixed with cowdung, and as far as I can find out there is no superstition attached to its[105]disposal such as exists in the Highlands of Scotland and in Ireland. The infant is first rolled in a fresh goat skin and no special treatment of the navel adopted.Mother’s Milk.Deficiency is almost unknown, but a foster mother is usually ready to supply the needful in such a case.When the infant dies, or is still-born, the breasts are emptied by the mother or an older child and allowed to dry up as soon as possible. No herbs are used specially for that purpose.Pregnancies.Dr.Casalisgives some useful statistics on this subject amongst the Basutos.100 women, chosen hap-hazard, had 490 children, 215 boys, 275 girls, of which 330 were alive and 160 dead.Of the 100 women, 30 had from 8–9 children; 62 had from 3–6; and 7 from 1–2.Six had twins, and only one was sterile, but as many as 45 had aborted at one time or another during her child-bearing period. And he remarks “The relative frequency of girls to boys is not abnormal; nor is the number of pregnancies unusually large, in fact one would[106]expect a larger amongst savages, were it not for the fact that here a mother suckles her babe for two years, and so usually avoids pregnancy for that period. The Sesuto have a proverb,‘Many babes spoil the womb.’”Sterility, is extremely rare and a great disgrace to Mosuto woman, who will do anything rather than be considered sterile.The general practice of Kaffir tribes is to send the sterile wife back to her father if she prove sterile after a fair trial; and to demand back the “lobola”i.e.her cost price.Twinsare not looked upon with favour although if they be females they are welcomed.In this connection, one must remember that the female is the labourer, and when she marries, her father receives several head of cattle as “lobola,” or purchase price of his daughter: hence their welcome.Miscarriagesare mostly attributed to witchcraft, but the sufferers therefrom are sometimes treated medicinally.a.The Um-kwinti (Gazania pinnata) is drunk in infusion of all its parts.b.The Isi-kolokoto (Sansevieriathyrsiflora) an infusion of the root being used.[107]c.The In-gcelwane (Bulbine latifolia) of which a decoction of the root and stalk is taken.Menstruation.The first arrival of this, the average age being 14 years, is made the occasion of great ceremonies, which vary, however, greatly in different tribes, thus:—Amongst the Sesutos, the maiden is sent to the Native school (kept for the purpose by a woman), and turned in what is known as a “Bale.” Much difficulty is experienced in finding out what exactly takes place; but from what one gathers, there is no removal of parts, as in circumcision in the male. The result of the treatment is that the labia minora are considerably elongated, sometimes very much so, and the female thus converted into an animal of lust and desire. It is notorious that the Basuto women are excessively immoral. According to them adultery is not an immoral act, unless there has been complete possession.Ho fuba in Sesuto (adultery) means to have complete intercourse, and if followed by conception is punished usually by fining. A few head of cattle or less, clearing the culprit even if she be a wife.[108]Papali (play), however, is an innocent flirt, and here the elongated labia minora comes into use.An old Basuto once said “Were it not for this custom all our woman would repeatedly become pregnant, and thus spoil their children.”Chiefs frequently lend their wives to their headmen, that they may “raise children to their kraal.”Among the Zulus and most of the other Bantu tribes the custom is different.The maid is confined with others in a separate hut. She has her own mat to lie on, made of a peculiar kind of grass called “Nxopo,” her own cooking pot and eating utensils. Only her nearest female relatives are allowed to approach. She never touches flesh with her hands, using for this purpose a forked stick, and she never uses milk.(This practice of never using milk at menstrual periods is almost universal throughout the Bantu races and most strictly adhered to. I cannot find out any stated reason for it.)She is not allowed to go near the father’s hut, nor to wander near the kraals of the calves or cattle, or the other huts.[109]A special beast is killed for her, and the first cut, viz.:—A slice from between the right shoulder and the ribs is reserved for her use. No one is allowed to use the meat before her share is removed.On the tenth day she covers up her face and goes to her home,precededby her nurse.Sour milk (a sort of Koumis) is poured out for her. She drinks some, gargles her throat and spits it out on to some dry cowdung.Her nurse follows suit and then runs out, calling out “So and so has drunk milk, so and so has drunk milk.”The second stage, that of rejoicing and, sad to relate, general immorality then commences. The friends are called together and the girls now “Intonyani,” dress themselves in fantastic fashion in reeds, go through wild dancing with much feasting and dancing and excitement. Then follow orgies impossible in civilization. The old people go to their huts, content to leave these newly fledged maidens and the youths of the gathering to spend the night together. Free love becomes the order of the day. Complete connection is not supposed to take place, and should a girl conceive as a result,[110]the reputed father may be forced to marry her, and pay a fair premium “lobola” to the father. This is not, however, essential, a fine often being accepted.During the few days of this “Intonyane” festival the “Intonyanis” go about from kraal to kraal. It is now the custom of the mothers to lay their scared infants on the ground for the girls to jump over them, thus performing “Umtshopi”i.e.charming away sickness.After their ceremonies all the articles including dress, hut, fork, mat, &c., &c., of the “Intonyane” used during the ceremony must be burned.Circumcision“Ubukweta” is universally practised amongst the Bantus. Its origin is lost in antiquity, and it is held by many as proof that the Bantu is thedescendantof peoples, who emigrated from central Asia and are allied to the Jewish nations.This rite is performed on the boys at puberty, and is partly civil, in that it introduces boys to the rights of manhood; and partly religious in that it imposes on them the responsibility of[111]conforming to all the rights and ceremonies of their superstition.It is performed by one of the old men of the tribe by cutting. The instrument used being by no means sharp; but the wish to be, or appear a man, prevents signs of suffering. The hemorrhage is stopped by application ofastringentjuices mixed with clay; or in some tribes by winding from the point of the glans up round the penis a long strip of pliable goat skin, which article is afterwards much valued and carefully preserved.A number of youths from the same kraal are done at the same time, and during the healing process are set apart from their fellows in a locality some distance from the kraals, where they must provide for themselves in every way. They are then called “Abakweta” and keep many restrictions and observances, which I do not propose to describe here, suffice it to say that when the soreness passes off, they are allowed unlimited licence, and as a consequence the rite has very much degenerated into an unthinkably immoral custom. Free love with the Abakweta not being considered improper amongst the young women and “Intonyane.”[112]
CHAPTER VI.MIDWIFERY AND CHILDREN.
Childbirth is an exceedingly simple process, as a rule with the Kaffir; a native woman only allowing it to interfere with her duties for a few hours. Abnormal labours are seldom heard of.Should any difficulty arise, a severe rubbing is sometimes resorted to by the women in charge.Whereas this statement holds good for the commonality and some tribes, yet in others,e.g.: The Basutos, the time and method of childbirth is very different.The woman when near her time returns to the kraal of her father, who pays the expenses if any, and of her mother, who is chief superintendent of details. Some expert old women of the tribe acts as midwife.A special hut is built and kept carefully clean. On the floor is spread a thick layer of dry cowdung to collect the lochia etc., and the woman usually sits near this in a crouching position. She may, however, be on her knees or even lying down. A firm band is tied above[98]the uterus (to keep it from rising) and this is tied lower down after the birth.The child is received into the hands of an assistant; and the umbilical cord, usually forcibly torn asunder several inches from the child’s abdomen. The cord may, however, be cut or sometimes chewed through by the midwife. The abdomen is, during the birth, rubbed and pressed, and the back assisted by an assistant.In very serious cases and only in extremis an Igqrira elemicisa is called in, who however, seldom does much more than administer herbs.To facilitate labour, and strengthen the uterine contractions, the natives administer the root of the Um-kanzi (Typha latifolia).Other herbs are used also for the purpose, one igqira being in the habit of getting his patientstupefiedby much smoking of dagga(Indian hemp).Two months after the birth of the child the mother reappears in public; but should the child be still-born, after a shorter interval.So much for the mother who usually recovers without much trouble.TheNewborn Infantis, to say the least of it curiously treated.[99]Dr.Casalisin recording the birth of 490 Basuto Children, states that of these 160 die in infancy, and one is not surprised when one considers the trying ordeals of their first few days of life.No sooner is the baby born than the points of its fingers are bled for luck. The infant is then held in the smoke of a slow fire of aromatic woods till it sneezes or coughs to show that it is not bewitched. Then commence its ablutions. It is first thoroughly rubbed all over with a solution of cowdung and then rubbed clean as possible and rolled in the skin of a goat or sheep recently killed.Then commences a course of treatment that is in violation of all laws of nature and propriety.Instead of the infant being allowed to use the mother’s milk “amasabele,” they give it sour curdled milk (a sort of koumiss or calabash milk) from the cow, the same as that used by adults. This they force down the throat of the poor little mortal by blowing it into its mouth and compelling it to swallow. This is continued for three days, and as a result the bowels become much distended and bowel complaint, often ending in death, frequently results.[100]They do this as they believe that the new “Amasebele” new mother’s milk would cake in the stomach, corrode it, and cause premature decay.So that if a child be sickly the doctor often ascribes it to the child having been fed onmothers’milk too early, which must be purged away by a course of medicine.At the end of three days the infant is allowed to take the amasebele or breast milk. During these three days if necessary, the breasts are milked by hand.The Kaffir, not content with the above extraordinary treatment is in the habit of administering drugs to the newborn infant.Thus on the day of its birth as a purgative, an infusion made by steeping in cold water the tubers of the U-jyane (Chlorophyton comosum) is administered. This is a common infantile aperient but when it is not obtainable, a paste of the leaves or an infusion of the leaves of the U-sikiki (Salvia scabia) is administered for the same purpose.The Zulus have some curious practises, with regard to children.At the age of about ten days the first “charm” is worked. It consists of partly burying the infant at some spot near where lightning has[101]been known to strike. The hole need not be more than a few inches deep. The mother places her naked infant in the hole, when the Isanuse chewing some medicine roots, squirts it over the child, muttering an incantation as he does so.The child is then taken up by the father, who is usually present, and handed to the mother. When the ceremony is over, on leaving the spot, no one dare look back, lest the efficacy of the charm be spoiled. This operation is supposed to instil courage into the unwitting heart of the little one; such courage, that even when lightning, the most fearful of all Silos (beasts) is flashing on every side, and the thunder roars as if the very earth would burst, he or she may not momentarily close an eye.The temporary burying of a child at a later age is thought to be a deterrent of diseases more especially of fevers and colds.Mothers of children take their little ones, of any age up to five or six years, early in the morning some little distance from home, and dig holes in which each child is placed separately, and into which earth is thrown until the child can only move its arms and[102]head, the body being in an upright position. The mothers then walk away, singing songs and behold them from afar, when they return and release them.Another charm to prevent sickness is one which is sometimes called “Umtshopi.”Young maidens are here the performers. When “Umtshopi” is to be played, these maids rise early in the morning and go to some brook or riverside where grows, a kind of long, broad leaved rush, which they pull, and fashion into a fantastic kind of dress, thus:—A rope is plaited sufficient to go round her waist, on this she works the reeds, so as, to form a fringe or kind of kilt which will touch the ground when she moves. Another is made to fasten round the chest under the arms, and a third thickly worked is worn round the neck so as to conceal the arms and bust. A hat is then made in the same manner, only the rushes are burned so as to stand up, thus giving the girl in this green costume, the appearance of a moving bunch of grasses.Each girl being thus arrayed, they set out on a round of calls to the kraals of the neighbourhood. Each chants a weird song, dancing, gyrating in a most fantastic manner,[103]frequently increasing the effect of their grotesque appearance by wild whoops and unearthly yells, until the smaller children begin to scream of sheer fright; for now the mothers forcibly lay down on the ground all the younger ones, who cannot be persuaded to do so, and an Umtonjane jumps over each one, from the tiny mite just learning to crawl, to urchins of from twelve to fourteen years of age.After all the little ones of the kraal have been “jumped” the performers go off and kindling a fire, burn their “Umtshopi,” a process of some difficulty and duration owing to the greeness of the reeds. Any garment or ornament which a girl may happen to wear while playing “Umtshopi” must be burnt, otherwise the efficacy of the charm is quite destroyed.Among the charms practiced to prevent sickness from visiting a kraal is the “Umkuba” or custom of the girls herding the cattle for a day. No special season of the year is chosen for this custom. It is merely enacted when diseases are known to be prevalent. On such an occasion, all the girls and unmarried women of a kraal rise early in the morning, dress themselves entirely in their brothers’[104]or men’s skins, and taking their “knobkerries” and sticks, open the cattle pen or kraal, and drive the cattle away from the vicinity of the homestead, none of these soidisant herds returning home until sunset, when they bring the cattle back. No one of the opposite sex dares go near the girls on this day, or speak to them.Seriouslydeformed childrenare left in the open veldt with the hope that the spirits, who bewitched them will relent and either cure them or take them away. Usually carnivora manage the latter alternative.The method of doctoring children though curious is on the whole rational.When the child is sick, emetics or purgatives are used. If the former, the usual way of laying the child on its back and holding its nose is adopted. If the latter, a decoction is prepared, a short piece of small reed is obtained. The mother takes the liquor into her mouth and inserting one end of the reed into the child’s fundament, blows the mixture into the bowels giving the picanini what she thinks sufficient.The Placentais burned, with the lochia mixed with cowdung, and as far as I can find out there is no superstition attached to its[105]disposal such as exists in the Highlands of Scotland and in Ireland. The infant is first rolled in a fresh goat skin and no special treatment of the navel adopted.Mother’s Milk.Deficiency is almost unknown, but a foster mother is usually ready to supply the needful in such a case.When the infant dies, or is still-born, the breasts are emptied by the mother or an older child and allowed to dry up as soon as possible. No herbs are used specially for that purpose.Pregnancies.Dr.Casalisgives some useful statistics on this subject amongst the Basutos.100 women, chosen hap-hazard, had 490 children, 215 boys, 275 girls, of which 330 were alive and 160 dead.Of the 100 women, 30 had from 8–9 children; 62 had from 3–6; and 7 from 1–2.Six had twins, and only one was sterile, but as many as 45 had aborted at one time or another during her child-bearing period. And he remarks “The relative frequency of girls to boys is not abnormal; nor is the number of pregnancies unusually large, in fact one would[106]expect a larger amongst savages, were it not for the fact that here a mother suckles her babe for two years, and so usually avoids pregnancy for that period. The Sesuto have a proverb,‘Many babes spoil the womb.’”Sterility, is extremely rare and a great disgrace to Mosuto woman, who will do anything rather than be considered sterile.The general practice of Kaffir tribes is to send the sterile wife back to her father if she prove sterile after a fair trial; and to demand back the “lobola”i.e.her cost price.Twinsare not looked upon with favour although if they be females they are welcomed.In this connection, one must remember that the female is the labourer, and when she marries, her father receives several head of cattle as “lobola,” or purchase price of his daughter: hence their welcome.Miscarriagesare mostly attributed to witchcraft, but the sufferers therefrom are sometimes treated medicinally.a.The Um-kwinti (Gazania pinnata) is drunk in infusion of all its parts.b.The Isi-kolokoto (Sansevieriathyrsiflora) an infusion of the root being used.[107]c.The In-gcelwane (Bulbine latifolia) of which a decoction of the root and stalk is taken.Menstruation.The first arrival of this, the average age being 14 years, is made the occasion of great ceremonies, which vary, however, greatly in different tribes, thus:—Amongst the Sesutos, the maiden is sent to the Native school (kept for the purpose by a woman), and turned in what is known as a “Bale.” Much difficulty is experienced in finding out what exactly takes place; but from what one gathers, there is no removal of parts, as in circumcision in the male. The result of the treatment is that the labia minora are considerably elongated, sometimes very much so, and the female thus converted into an animal of lust and desire. It is notorious that the Basuto women are excessively immoral. According to them adultery is not an immoral act, unless there has been complete possession.Ho fuba in Sesuto (adultery) means to have complete intercourse, and if followed by conception is punished usually by fining. A few head of cattle or less, clearing the culprit even if she be a wife.[108]Papali (play), however, is an innocent flirt, and here the elongated labia minora comes into use.An old Basuto once said “Were it not for this custom all our woman would repeatedly become pregnant, and thus spoil their children.”Chiefs frequently lend their wives to their headmen, that they may “raise children to their kraal.”Among the Zulus and most of the other Bantu tribes the custom is different.The maid is confined with others in a separate hut. She has her own mat to lie on, made of a peculiar kind of grass called “Nxopo,” her own cooking pot and eating utensils. Only her nearest female relatives are allowed to approach. She never touches flesh with her hands, using for this purpose a forked stick, and she never uses milk.(This practice of never using milk at menstrual periods is almost universal throughout the Bantu races and most strictly adhered to. I cannot find out any stated reason for it.)She is not allowed to go near the father’s hut, nor to wander near the kraals of the calves or cattle, or the other huts.[109]A special beast is killed for her, and the first cut, viz.:—A slice from between the right shoulder and the ribs is reserved for her use. No one is allowed to use the meat before her share is removed.On the tenth day she covers up her face and goes to her home,precededby her nurse.Sour milk (a sort of Koumis) is poured out for her. She drinks some, gargles her throat and spits it out on to some dry cowdung.Her nurse follows suit and then runs out, calling out “So and so has drunk milk, so and so has drunk milk.”The second stage, that of rejoicing and, sad to relate, general immorality then commences. The friends are called together and the girls now “Intonyani,” dress themselves in fantastic fashion in reeds, go through wild dancing with much feasting and dancing and excitement. Then follow orgies impossible in civilization. The old people go to their huts, content to leave these newly fledged maidens and the youths of the gathering to spend the night together. Free love becomes the order of the day. Complete connection is not supposed to take place, and should a girl conceive as a result,[110]the reputed father may be forced to marry her, and pay a fair premium “lobola” to the father. This is not, however, essential, a fine often being accepted.During the few days of this “Intonyane” festival the “Intonyanis” go about from kraal to kraal. It is now the custom of the mothers to lay their scared infants on the ground for the girls to jump over them, thus performing “Umtshopi”i.e.charming away sickness.After their ceremonies all the articles including dress, hut, fork, mat, &c., &c., of the “Intonyane” used during the ceremony must be burned.Circumcision“Ubukweta” is universally practised amongst the Bantus. Its origin is lost in antiquity, and it is held by many as proof that the Bantu is thedescendantof peoples, who emigrated from central Asia and are allied to the Jewish nations.This rite is performed on the boys at puberty, and is partly civil, in that it introduces boys to the rights of manhood; and partly religious in that it imposes on them the responsibility of[111]conforming to all the rights and ceremonies of their superstition.It is performed by one of the old men of the tribe by cutting. The instrument used being by no means sharp; but the wish to be, or appear a man, prevents signs of suffering. The hemorrhage is stopped by application ofastringentjuices mixed with clay; or in some tribes by winding from the point of the glans up round the penis a long strip of pliable goat skin, which article is afterwards much valued and carefully preserved.A number of youths from the same kraal are done at the same time, and during the healing process are set apart from their fellows in a locality some distance from the kraals, where they must provide for themselves in every way. They are then called “Abakweta” and keep many restrictions and observances, which I do not propose to describe here, suffice it to say that when the soreness passes off, they are allowed unlimited licence, and as a consequence the rite has very much degenerated into an unthinkably immoral custom. Free love with the Abakweta not being considered improper amongst the young women and “Intonyane.”[112]
Childbirth is an exceedingly simple process, as a rule with the Kaffir; a native woman only allowing it to interfere with her duties for a few hours. Abnormal labours are seldom heard of.
Should any difficulty arise, a severe rubbing is sometimes resorted to by the women in charge.
Whereas this statement holds good for the commonality and some tribes, yet in others,e.g.: The Basutos, the time and method of childbirth is very different.
The woman when near her time returns to the kraal of her father, who pays the expenses if any, and of her mother, who is chief superintendent of details. Some expert old women of the tribe acts as midwife.
A special hut is built and kept carefully clean. On the floor is spread a thick layer of dry cowdung to collect the lochia etc., and the woman usually sits near this in a crouching position. She may, however, be on her knees or even lying down. A firm band is tied above[98]the uterus (to keep it from rising) and this is tied lower down after the birth.
The child is received into the hands of an assistant; and the umbilical cord, usually forcibly torn asunder several inches from the child’s abdomen. The cord may, however, be cut or sometimes chewed through by the midwife. The abdomen is, during the birth, rubbed and pressed, and the back assisted by an assistant.
In very serious cases and only in extremis an Igqrira elemicisa is called in, who however, seldom does much more than administer herbs.
To facilitate labour, and strengthen the uterine contractions, the natives administer the root of the Um-kanzi (Typha latifolia).
Other herbs are used also for the purpose, one igqira being in the habit of getting his patientstupefiedby much smoking of dagga(Indian hemp).
Two months after the birth of the child the mother reappears in public; but should the child be still-born, after a shorter interval.
So much for the mother who usually recovers without much trouble.
TheNewborn Infantis, to say the least of it curiously treated.[99]
Dr.Casalisin recording the birth of 490 Basuto Children, states that of these 160 die in infancy, and one is not surprised when one considers the trying ordeals of their first few days of life.
No sooner is the baby born than the points of its fingers are bled for luck. The infant is then held in the smoke of a slow fire of aromatic woods till it sneezes or coughs to show that it is not bewitched. Then commence its ablutions. It is first thoroughly rubbed all over with a solution of cowdung and then rubbed clean as possible and rolled in the skin of a goat or sheep recently killed.
Then commences a course of treatment that is in violation of all laws of nature and propriety.
Instead of the infant being allowed to use the mother’s milk “amasabele,” they give it sour curdled milk (a sort of koumiss or calabash milk) from the cow, the same as that used by adults. This they force down the throat of the poor little mortal by blowing it into its mouth and compelling it to swallow. This is continued for three days, and as a result the bowels become much distended and bowel complaint, often ending in death, frequently results.[100]
They do this as they believe that the new “Amasebele” new mother’s milk would cake in the stomach, corrode it, and cause premature decay.
So that if a child be sickly the doctor often ascribes it to the child having been fed onmothers’milk too early, which must be purged away by a course of medicine.
At the end of three days the infant is allowed to take the amasebele or breast milk. During these three days if necessary, the breasts are milked by hand.
The Kaffir, not content with the above extraordinary treatment is in the habit of administering drugs to the newborn infant.
Thus on the day of its birth as a purgative, an infusion made by steeping in cold water the tubers of the U-jyane (Chlorophyton comosum) is administered. This is a common infantile aperient but when it is not obtainable, a paste of the leaves or an infusion of the leaves of the U-sikiki (Salvia scabia) is administered for the same purpose.
The Zulus have some curious practises, with regard to children.
At the age of about ten days the first “charm” is worked. It consists of partly burying the infant at some spot near where lightning has[101]been known to strike. The hole need not be more than a few inches deep. The mother places her naked infant in the hole, when the Isanuse chewing some medicine roots, squirts it over the child, muttering an incantation as he does so.
The child is then taken up by the father, who is usually present, and handed to the mother. When the ceremony is over, on leaving the spot, no one dare look back, lest the efficacy of the charm be spoiled. This operation is supposed to instil courage into the unwitting heart of the little one; such courage, that even when lightning, the most fearful of all Silos (beasts) is flashing on every side, and the thunder roars as if the very earth would burst, he or she may not momentarily close an eye.
The temporary burying of a child at a later age is thought to be a deterrent of diseases more especially of fevers and colds.
Mothers of children take their little ones, of any age up to five or six years, early in the morning some little distance from home, and dig holes in which each child is placed separately, and into which earth is thrown until the child can only move its arms and[102]head, the body being in an upright position. The mothers then walk away, singing songs and behold them from afar, when they return and release them.
Another charm to prevent sickness is one which is sometimes called “Umtshopi.”
Young maidens are here the performers. When “Umtshopi” is to be played, these maids rise early in the morning and go to some brook or riverside where grows, a kind of long, broad leaved rush, which they pull, and fashion into a fantastic kind of dress, thus:—
A rope is plaited sufficient to go round her waist, on this she works the reeds, so as, to form a fringe or kind of kilt which will touch the ground when she moves. Another is made to fasten round the chest under the arms, and a third thickly worked is worn round the neck so as to conceal the arms and bust. A hat is then made in the same manner, only the rushes are burned so as to stand up, thus giving the girl in this green costume, the appearance of a moving bunch of grasses.
Each girl being thus arrayed, they set out on a round of calls to the kraals of the neighbourhood. Each chants a weird song, dancing, gyrating in a most fantastic manner,[103]frequently increasing the effect of their grotesque appearance by wild whoops and unearthly yells, until the smaller children begin to scream of sheer fright; for now the mothers forcibly lay down on the ground all the younger ones, who cannot be persuaded to do so, and an Umtonjane jumps over each one, from the tiny mite just learning to crawl, to urchins of from twelve to fourteen years of age.
After all the little ones of the kraal have been “jumped” the performers go off and kindling a fire, burn their “Umtshopi,” a process of some difficulty and duration owing to the greeness of the reeds. Any garment or ornament which a girl may happen to wear while playing “Umtshopi” must be burnt, otherwise the efficacy of the charm is quite destroyed.
Among the charms practiced to prevent sickness from visiting a kraal is the “Umkuba” or custom of the girls herding the cattle for a day. No special season of the year is chosen for this custom. It is merely enacted when diseases are known to be prevalent. On such an occasion, all the girls and unmarried women of a kraal rise early in the morning, dress themselves entirely in their brothers’[104]or men’s skins, and taking their “knobkerries” and sticks, open the cattle pen or kraal, and drive the cattle away from the vicinity of the homestead, none of these soidisant herds returning home until sunset, when they bring the cattle back. No one of the opposite sex dares go near the girls on this day, or speak to them.
Seriouslydeformed childrenare left in the open veldt with the hope that the spirits, who bewitched them will relent and either cure them or take them away. Usually carnivora manage the latter alternative.
The method of doctoring children though curious is on the whole rational.
When the child is sick, emetics or purgatives are used. If the former, the usual way of laying the child on its back and holding its nose is adopted. If the latter, a decoction is prepared, a short piece of small reed is obtained. The mother takes the liquor into her mouth and inserting one end of the reed into the child’s fundament, blows the mixture into the bowels giving the picanini what she thinks sufficient.
The Placentais burned, with the lochia mixed with cowdung, and as far as I can find out there is no superstition attached to its[105]disposal such as exists in the Highlands of Scotland and in Ireland. The infant is first rolled in a fresh goat skin and no special treatment of the navel adopted.
Mother’s Milk.Deficiency is almost unknown, but a foster mother is usually ready to supply the needful in such a case.
When the infant dies, or is still-born, the breasts are emptied by the mother or an older child and allowed to dry up as soon as possible. No herbs are used specially for that purpose.
Pregnancies.Dr.Casalisgives some useful statistics on this subject amongst the Basutos.
100 women, chosen hap-hazard, had 490 children, 215 boys, 275 girls, of which 330 were alive and 160 dead.
Of the 100 women, 30 had from 8–9 children; 62 had from 3–6; and 7 from 1–2.
Six had twins, and only one was sterile, but as many as 45 had aborted at one time or another during her child-bearing period. And he remarks “The relative frequency of girls to boys is not abnormal; nor is the number of pregnancies unusually large, in fact one would[106]expect a larger amongst savages, were it not for the fact that here a mother suckles her babe for two years, and so usually avoids pregnancy for that period. The Sesuto have a proverb,‘Many babes spoil the womb.’”
Sterility, is extremely rare and a great disgrace to Mosuto woman, who will do anything rather than be considered sterile.
The general practice of Kaffir tribes is to send the sterile wife back to her father if she prove sterile after a fair trial; and to demand back the “lobola”i.e.her cost price.
Twinsare not looked upon with favour although if they be females they are welcomed.
In this connection, one must remember that the female is the labourer, and when she marries, her father receives several head of cattle as “lobola,” or purchase price of his daughter: hence their welcome.
Miscarriagesare mostly attributed to witchcraft, but the sufferers therefrom are sometimes treated medicinally.
a.The Um-kwinti (Gazania pinnata) is drunk in infusion of all its parts.
b.The Isi-kolokoto (Sansevieriathyrsiflora) an infusion of the root being used.[107]
c.The In-gcelwane (Bulbine latifolia) of which a decoction of the root and stalk is taken.
Menstruation.The first arrival of this, the average age being 14 years, is made the occasion of great ceremonies, which vary, however, greatly in different tribes, thus:—Amongst the Sesutos, the maiden is sent to the Native school (kept for the purpose by a woman), and turned in what is known as a “Bale.” Much difficulty is experienced in finding out what exactly takes place; but from what one gathers, there is no removal of parts, as in circumcision in the male. The result of the treatment is that the labia minora are considerably elongated, sometimes very much so, and the female thus converted into an animal of lust and desire. It is notorious that the Basuto women are excessively immoral. According to them adultery is not an immoral act, unless there has been complete possession.
Ho fuba in Sesuto (adultery) means to have complete intercourse, and if followed by conception is punished usually by fining. A few head of cattle or less, clearing the culprit even if she be a wife.[108]
Papali (play), however, is an innocent flirt, and here the elongated labia minora comes into use.
An old Basuto once said “Were it not for this custom all our woman would repeatedly become pregnant, and thus spoil their children.”
Chiefs frequently lend their wives to their headmen, that they may “raise children to their kraal.”
Among the Zulus and most of the other Bantu tribes the custom is different.
The maid is confined with others in a separate hut. She has her own mat to lie on, made of a peculiar kind of grass called “Nxopo,” her own cooking pot and eating utensils. Only her nearest female relatives are allowed to approach. She never touches flesh with her hands, using for this purpose a forked stick, and she never uses milk.
(This practice of never using milk at menstrual periods is almost universal throughout the Bantu races and most strictly adhered to. I cannot find out any stated reason for it.)
She is not allowed to go near the father’s hut, nor to wander near the kraals of the calves or cattle, or the other huts.[109]
A special beast is killed for her, and the first cut, viz.:—A slice from between the right shoulder and the ribs is reserved for her use. No one is allowed to use the meat before her share is removed.
On the tenth day she covers up her face and goes to her home,precededby her nurse.Sour milk (a sort of Koumis) is poured out for her. She drinks some, gargles her throat and spits it out on to some dry cowdung.
Her nurse follows suit and then runs out, calling out “So and so has drunk milk, so and so has drunk milk.”
The second stage, that of rejoicing and, sad to relate, general immorality then commences. The friends are called together and the girls now “Intonyani,” dress themselves in fantastic fashion in reeds, go through wild dancing with much feasting and dancing and excitement. Then follow orgies impossible in civilization. The old people go to their huts, content to leave these newly fledged maidens and the youths of the gathering to spend the night together. Free love becomes the order of the day. Complete connection is not supposed to take place, and should a girl conceive as a result,[110]the reputed father may be forced to marry her, and pay a fair premium “lobola” to the father. This is not, however, essential, a fine often being accepted.
During the few days of this “Intonyane” festival the “Intonyanis” go about from kraal to kraal. It is now the custom of the mothers to lay their scared infants on the ground for the girls to jump over them, thus performing “Umtshopi”i.e.charming away sickness.
After their ceremonies all the articles including dress, hut, fork, mat, &c., &c., of the “Intonyane” used during the ceremony must be burned.
Circumcision“Ubukweta” is universally practised amongst the Bantus. Its origin is lost in antiquity, and it is held by many as proof that the Bantu is thedescendantof peoples, who emigrated from central Asia and are allied to the Jewish nations.
This rite is performed on the boys at puberty, and is partly civil, in that it introduces boys to the rights of manhood; and partly religious in that it imposes on them the responsibility of[111]conforming to all the rights and ceremonies of their superstition.
It is performed by one of the old men of the tribe by cutting. The instrument used being by no means sharp; but the wish to be, or appear a man, prevents signs of suffering. The hemorrhage is stopped by application ofastringentjuices mixed with clay; or in some tribes by winding from the point of the glans up round the penis a long strip of pliable goat skin, which article is afterwards much valued and carefully preserved.
A number of youths from the same kraal are done at the same time, and during the healing process are set apart from their fellows in a locality some distance from the kraals, where they must provide for themselves in every way. They are then called “Abakweta” and keep many restrictions and observances, which I do not propose to describe here, suffice it to say that when the soreness passes off, they are allowed unlimited licence, and as a consequence the rite has very much degenerated into an unthinkably immoral custom. Free love with the Abakweta not being considered improper amongst the young women and “Intonyane.”[112]