Basotho culture, traditions and rituals
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Basotho culture, traditions and rituals
Summary
The Basotho are a strong, unified nation owing their traditional legacy to King Moshoeshoe I. Apart from their language, Sesotho, Basotho culture and various traditions set them apart from others. These include music and dance, marriage rituals and the Basotho blanket.
A Basotho man wears his traditional blanket and hat. The Basotho regard their blankets as 'life' - kobo ke bophelo - and wear them even in hot weather. The design of the traditional Basotho straw hat can indicate the status of a man. AP Photo/Lori Waselchuk
The southern Sotho, generally known as the Basotho, take their name meaning 'people of the dark brown river' - from the Caledon River that runs along the base of the Maluti Mountains, home to the Kingdom of Lesotho. The Basotho are a strong, unified nation whose traditional legacy is owed to King Moshoeshoe I, who became their undisputed leader in 1831.
Moshoeshoe I and his people were never defeated in battle by the Zulu, Matabele or Boers, thanks to his military strategy of withdrawing his people onto inaccessible, flat-topped mountains, from where they could defend themselves. Today, the Basotho culture and traditions are distinguished from others by their language, Sesotho (meaning South Sotho).
The Basotho live among the fertile lowlands along the Caledon River and the Maluti Mountains, which covers two thirds of Lesotho. They are ruled by King Letsie II, the present monarch of Lesotho.
Music and dance - lithoko, lipina and lifela
Many Basotho traditions have been forsaken in recent times due to colonialism and change. Others, however, still form an integral part of daily life. Basotho rituals are seldom practiced without being accompanied by music or dance. Music, among the Basotho, is not only a form of recreation, but is also integral to their culture and daily life. The Basotho delight in music and dance, which accompany many of their ceremonies and social activities.
Since music is produced by and for people, it is usually associated with any cultural activity or ritual surrounding the Basotho people, such as birth, marriage, initiation and divination. These traditions are evident from much of the Sesotho literature, which includes lithoko (praise poems), lipina (songs) and lifela (songs or melodic poetry).
Since musical sound is shaped by people's values, beliefs and traditions, the Basotho songs are known to mark cultural experiences. For example, praise singing is mostly competitive recitation of songs and poems about the experiences of Basotho men working on the mines. These praise songs are referred to as lifela tsa litsamaea naha or 'songs of the travellers'.
The most common dances are the mokorotlo, the mohobelo and the mokhibo. The mokorotlo dance is performed by men for the chief on important occasions and is also taught as a song to youths at initiation school, serving to give them courage and motivation to persevere during their isolation in the mountains. Male initiates are expected know their ancestral praises, which are recited at coming-out initiation ceremonies.
Mokorotlo is derived from the word ho korotla, meaning 'to grumble in a low voice', most appropriate during battle. In the past, Basotho men sang mokorotlo when they prepared to go to war. The mohobelo is a dance that requires endurance and energy and is also performed by men, mainly in the evening for entertainment and amusement. The makhibo is a women's dance performed on the knees, the body gently rising and falling as the hands are swept upwards in the air.
Lipina tsa tantsi are songs for which there is an informal choir, female dancers, clapping and a steady rhythm and pace.
Basotho musical instruments
Basotho songs known as lipina are usually employed as teaching devices in both the male and female initiation schools. The initiates get to learn their history, the deeds of their ancestors and the value of loyalty to their chiefs and king.
The moropa is a conical drum that is usually hollowed out from the base of an aloe tree and then covered in a single cowhide. The moropa drum is only played by women, and is the main instrument typically used during female initiation rites as it provides bass and rhythm to the singing during the performance of a rite. The maqekha is a special, secretive dance that also forms part of female initiation.
Marriage (Lenyalo)
Marriage is known as lenyalo among the Basotho and is considered a momentous occasion that is cause for celebration as it signifies not only a union between two families, but also that a new household is to be started within the village. The Basotho marriage is arranged by the family elders and depends on the reputation and standing of one's family and the particular capabilities of the woman. Both families' negotiate terms of agreement and a willingness to consent to the marriage.
In the past, many marriages occurred after elopement or when a man and his friends abducted (shobela) his chosen girl and took her to his home, where she was welcomed as if a wedding were to take place. If negotiations are successful, the boy's family will send a certain number of cattle and other gifts known as bohali (bride wealth or lobola) to the girl's parents. The marriage will only be formalised by the transfer of bohali and the payment of cattle specifically signifies that any children resulting from the marriage will be of the father's group, and not the mother's.
A feast is held, and a sheep is traditionally slaughtered on behalf of the girl (koae). The new bride gradually gets used to her new family and responsibilities and duties such as cooking, cleaning and working the fields, at all times obeying the rules of respect (hlonopho) for her husband and all elders. When she is ready to share her home with her husband, a pot of beer is placed in his house as a sign that everything for the new household is ready. Only when a child is born, is the Basotho marriage really firmly established.
Basotho blanket tradition - kobo
The traditional Basotho home is a rondavel-style hut with a low doorway, thatched roof and a courtyard fenced off by a grass door (tswhala). Women would decorate and paint the outside in striking geometric patterns and designs known as litema, a word derived from ho lema, meaning 'to cultivate'. The litema pattern, consisting of symmetrical patterns set within circular designs, is common among Basotho households. Later these designs were transferred to beadwork, braided hairstyles and - most importantly - to the blanket.
The traditional Sotho blanket is the most significant icon of Basotho culture: these are made in many colours and the intricately patterned blankets continue to hold much significance for even the most modern Basotho. Many Basotho, still true to the traditions of the past, are distinguished by the blankets they wear over their shoulders as well as by the design on their straw hats. The design of the traditional Basotho straw hat can indicate the status of a man and the hat with an intricately woven peak of the cone should only be worn by headmen (induna) or royalty.
The Basotho blanket owes its tradition to Moshoeshoe I, who was presented with one by a French missionary in 1860. He wore the gift draped over his shoulder like one would the traditional skin kaross and today the result is a common sight in Lesotho. In the past, the blankets were made of cheap yarn from old woollen coats, but today the blankets are of fine quality.
The Basotho regard their blankets as 'life' - kobo ke bophelo - and wear them even in hot weather. Today these tribal blankets are made from 90% pure wool and 10 % cotton, which keeps the body at an even temperature, does not absorb water and is also tolerant of open fires. The young boys that herd cattle and livestock high in the Maluti Mountains, even in the coldest of winters, are never found without their blankets.
The Basotho blanket has a range of functions and social meanings and carries with it many traditions and customs. The blanket is used to carry a young child on a mother's back and reflects social standing and the geographical origin of the Basotho. Young male initiates wear the sesecha blanket, which means 'brand new' (as it resembles the traditional leopard-skin kaross that symbolises royalty, strength and wisdom).
The most meaningful role of the blanket is its use in all rites of passage and as a status symbol. When a young boy goes into retreat to prepare for circumcision, he wears a special blanket called moholobela. After the ceremony he is entitled to another blanket called the lekhokolo as proof that he has reached manhood. Thereafter he would present his wife with a blanket and wear a specific blanket to identify him as a married man.
Nowadays blankets are worn at all festivities, political or church gatherings, and even over Western clothing. The new significance of the blanket is as an attribute to nationality and the pride of being a Basotho.
Sian Tiley-Nel
