Beliefs & customs

The Burial

In those primitive days of feudal times, even in days of leisure and peace, men and boys did not sit down heavily on the ground. They always "satup" even in the "Khotla" while eating, so as to be able to leap up instantly at any call of alarm.

The dead body for interment was wound up in an ox skin, bound with ropes of the "moli grass" and placed "sitting up" in the grave, sop as to be able to rise up instantly o the day when it would be summoned to do so. Under no circumstances should the corpse be buried lying stretched out in the grave The corpse was gently lowered down into the grave and supported on all sides with the ground dug out to keep it firmly "sitting up". A few grains of the seeds of the "mabele", occasionally maize, sugar cane, pumpkin seeds and a tuft of ordinamy dog grass twisted into a tiny ring were thrown beside the body in the grave. His or her snuff box, if any, was also placed at the side of the body.

The corpse was placed sitting up in such a way as to half face the east, so that the rising sun might slightly cast its rays on the corpse's right cheek. Some of the binding ropes about the head were gently cut through with a knife so that the covering of the face could be slightly opened to prevent suffocation. The ground was then thrown in as far as the level of the head. Lastly a small flat stone was placed directly above the center of the head and the grave was filled up with sand.

In each case the ground dug out of the grave should all be brought back to fill it up again, so that none of it remained scattered about. The surroundings should be swept clean and all particles of earth remaining placed on the newly covered grave. However, should it happen that much of the ground remained, it was carefully removed and scattered thinly over the grass at some distance from the grave so as to prevent evildoers from taking any of it to do mischief over the corpse. A mound of stones was over the grave and a higher stone planted at the top end' to mark the head side. In certain cases the dogs would smell out the putrefied body which was not too deep in the ground and would scratch at the grave. In these cases it was necessary to crush the bitter roots of the "leshokhoa" plant, which were dipped in water and sprinkled over the grave, or placed in pans "mangetana", around the grave.

An unfortunate man who died stretched out without people to help him to close his mouth and eyelids, or fold his arms and legs, had the stiff muscles at the back of the knees joint gently cut through with a knife, so as to allow the body to be easily positioned sitting up in the grave. Now in modern times, since the heir is the first to let flow his blood at all incision ceremonies in the family, it is also his privilege to be the first to throw a handful or spadeful of soil into the grave. The rest of the family, beginning with the eldest, follows after him, after which everyone can then take part in filling up the grave. The custom of the olden times was that the person who placed the corpse into the I grave had to be purified or compensated as explained later. At the same time, this showed the public the lineage and succession of the family in case of any dispute afterwards. An imposter, "hoja metlakana", who falsely claimed and took upon himself this exceptional privilege which did not lawfully belong to him, would be condemned by the ancestral gods. Invariably such a man became stupid, dull or even insane. The pan that bore the seeds in the grave was placed above the grave.

Embryos

Embryos are buried in old broken earthen pots. The smallest may even be placed in an old horn of an ox and then buried. Only women, who have acted as midwives during the confinement may perform the burial. The burial takes place in the early hours of the morning or about nightfall. Graves or holes are dug by the woman on an ash hill outside the premises. A man, if needed, may help dig out the hole, but cannot attend the burial.