RELIGION / CULTURE #2 RE: SANGOMAS SNAKE RITUAL - KHEKHEKHE

Record ID: 883156

  • Title: RELIGION / CULTURE #2 RE: SANGOMAS SNAKE RITUAL - KHEKHEKHE
  • Date: 23rd February 2005
  • Summary: RELIGION / CULTURE #2 RE: SANGOMAS SNAKE RITUAL - KHEKHEKHE
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  • City: Kwazulu-Natal
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: 05FEB23R04
  • Story Text:RELIGION / CULTURE #2 re: SANGOMAS SNAKE RITUAL - KHEKHEKHE

    TAPE 2

    00.46.16 VARIOUS OF VULUKUKHANYA WITH THE SNAKES continues
    00.01.49 VARIOUS OF KHEKHEKHE LEAVING HIS BEDROOM AND ASSISTED BY HIS SONS CARRIED TO ANOTHER PART OF THE HOMESTEAD
    00.02.43 VULUKUKHANYA LEAD THE SANGOMAS TO THE ARENA OF THE RITUAL
    00.04.27 VARIOUS OF THE RITUAL CEREMONY WITH SANGOMAS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND GUESTS
    00.04.51 VARIOUS OF VULUKUKHANYA PERFORMING THE SNAKE RITUAL
    00.05.44 SOME OF THE WIVES
    00.05.59 VARIOUS OF THE SANGOMAS SINGING AND DANCING
    00.06.38 VULUKUKHANYA BITING SNAKE’S HEAD
    00.07.03 WIVES SINGING AND DANCING
    00.07.14 VARIOUS OF VULUKUKHANYA PERFORMING THE SNAKE RITUAL
    CLOSE UP OF SOME OF THE WIVES
    VARIOUS WIDES OF THE CEREMONY
    00.10.36 MORE OF THE WIVES SINGING AND DANCING
    00.11.47 MEDIUM SHOTS OF DANCERS DRESSED IN RED AND PAINTED WHITE. NICE SHOTS OF DANCERS’ FEET.
    00.12.20 MORE OF THE WIVES DANCING
    00.16.06 WIDE SHOTS OF RITUAL
    00.17.28 MEDIUM SHOTS OF WIVES
    00.17.34 WIVES DANCING AND SINGING
    00.22.00 GRANDCHILDREN DRUMMING AND BLOWING A METAL HORN
    00.22.40 MORE SINGING AND DANCING
    00.23.20 CLOSE UP SHOTS OF DANCERS’ FEET
    00.24.17 MORE SHOTS OF GRANDCHILDREN DRUMMING AND BLOWING A METAL HORN.
    00.25.11 CLOSE UP SHOTS OF DANCERS’ FACES
    00.25.20 CLOSE UPS OF MEN DANCING
    00.25.41 SPECTATORS WATCHING
    00.26.13 INTERVIEW WITH VULUKUKHANYA MTHETHWA, SON TAKING OVER THE THRONE SAYING “ This is a traditional ceremony that dates back a long time ago since the advent of God, it’s a ceremony that depicts our humaneness, our self esteem and where we come from as also in the olden days all tribes had different traditional customs.. QUESTION .. It does not discriminate, all races are welcome to attend and rejoice with us .. QUESTION .. It’s a traditional ceremony that depicts our customs, like for instance if one has cattle, when one gets hurt one knows that that’s a bad omen and bad things might happen to or in that family, so it’s our custom, it’s a traditional prayer.. QUESTION .. The snake ritual was my father’s gift that made him conduct these ceremonies annually. These ceremonies have been there even during the days of our ancestrol kings like Jobe and Dingiswayo, but eventually were discontinued for some reasons. My father revived them by hunting these snakes which to him represent our ancestors and also ancestrol way of living.. QUESTION .. I think it’s just a gift from God that I was selected should now take the throne from my father as I’m not the only son, there are elder ones as well, It’s just a load that should carry as is also my father’s wish .. QUESTION ..As I explained, this is now hereditary, just like if one has grey being young, that’s hereditary .. QUESTION .. We’ll continue healing people … my father taught me the traditional healing skill when I was about twenty-three years old, that’s when I started healing people .. QUESTION .. The patients consult the other sangomas and I prescribe the medicines .. QUESTION .. This spear has been there since our ancestrol kings like Dingiswayo but got lost during the wars. My father, Khekhekhe, revived the carrying of this spear by the leader of the household. So, as the now the one chosen, Ill have to look after this spear and will pass it on to a suitable person when the time comes.”
    00.31.15 VARIOUS OF THE GRAVEYARD WHERE MEMBERS OF THE MTHETHWA FAMILY AND ALSO WITH ONE OF THE PREVIOUS ZULU KINGS, KING DINGISWAYO WERE BURIED.
    00.31.34 VARIOUS OF THE TRADITIONAL HERBS MARKET IN DURBAN (THIS IS THE MAIN SUPPLYING MARKET FOR THE MOSTLY URBAN SANGOMA COMMUNITY AND IT’S ESTIMATED THAT BETWEEN 20 000 AND 30 000 PEOPLE IN KWAZULU-NATAL DERIVE INCOME FROM TRADING INDIGENOUS PLANTS. MOST OF THESE ARE RURAL BLACK WOMEN , THE MOST MARGINALIZED GROUP IN SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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