Three girls, one man and a goat

Sunday evening as we were peacefully planning our lessons, our neighbor Sebongile dragged us and our cameras over to her house because we HAD to see something…Thank God for that!

The first thing we spot is a dead goat!

The lovely, fluffy goat I passed earlier in the day, strapped to a pole in the garden. Now slaughtered and split open on the ground! Not a favourite amongst the veggies in the group.

Next we see the whole extended neighbor family, standing in a circle around a lady sitting on a chair, only wearing a skirt and bra. She’s surrounded by pots of liquids, herbs, plants, bones and a bottle of whisky and coke! A group of women are dancing rhythmically and steadily, whistling and shaking. A growing group of curious children are forming on the other side of the fence.

… And in the circle, there is the traditional medicine man! I tell you, if you like me, picture an old bearded man with a stick in his hand and beads around his ankles you are totally wrong! This man … the local witch doctor… is VERY good looking… and young!!!

Well, sorry the digression … The ceremony was to bring back the ancestors after our neighbor’s uncle passed away. Apparently they leave when somebody dies and need to be brought back to the family again after the funeral. This is how to do it if you feel the need:

Put a woman, a relative of the dead, on a white plastic chair in the middle of a circle of people.
Smudge her body and hair with the bile from a goat’s gall bladder and a good few liters of goat’s blood.
Wash her with a foamy herb mix.
Light a herb bush and let her breathe in the smoke from it.
Spit whisky and coke in her face and on the burning bush, whilst singing and dancing rhythmically.
Cover her ankles and neck in beads. (The ancestors will then recognize her soul and find the way back to her).

Bring out a gas cooker and put a pot of herbs to boil.
Cover the lady and the pot under several heavy blankets for half an hour steam bath. Make sure you check whether it is hot enough…
Check that she’s properly steamed before removing the blankets.
Let her shake and twitch and scream like possessed!
Let the dancing witch ladies throw themselves around, screaming and shaking like possessed.
Let all relatives throw themselves around, including the very drunk cousin and the 80y old grandmamma with no teeth and nose full of snuff like possessed.
Stop suddenly, and let the ancestors successfully return, conveniently just before dark.

I write it jokefully, but it was pretty amazing to witness a ceremony like this. And that, not in the middle of the jungle, but in our neighbor’s garden. I’m very thankful to them for inviting us over and allowing us to be part something that was very special for them (…and us.) An experience never to forget!


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Apart from this the highlight of this week has been teaching the children Welsh dances and songs, preparing for the “Parade of Nations” to be taking place on Moshoshoe’s day (equiv of St. David’s day/ 17.Mai) Tuesday 11. 03.


Hope you’re all fine.