|
|
Girls are covered up until puberty, and boys run around naked, or wearing a pair of small shorts on (in modern times). Children undergo an ear piercing ceremony at age 7. This signifies the child’s coming of age, as their ears are 'opened' to knowledge so that they may know the ways of the world. Later these holes are often widened with large 'plug' earrings.
At the beginning of courting, girls decorate their hair with beads and mealies (corn kernels) and lengthen it with plaiting. The beads are worn to attract men. Girls also weave beads into love letters. Courting boys wear crane feathers in their hair and bead love letters (received from the favoured girl). They also carry a small courting shield.
They wear a coloured and beaded conical head dress(inhoko), and wear a black leather skirt - an isidwaba. They must cover their heads and shoulders when away from home with a beaded antelope skin (incu). They must wear fewer beads, as many beads would indicate that they were trying to attract other men.
Married men wear their hair though a ring called isicoco, forming a band around their heads.
Pregnant women wear an apron of buckskin. The buck must be killed by her husband, and the skin prepared by her father-in-law. This is said to impart the strength and grace of an antelope to the unborn child. This apron is also decorated with brass studs. When the baby is born, the ornaments are removed from the apron, and it is used as a carrying pelt for the baby.
The ‘witch-doctor’ wears a cross-over necklace made from wood and beads. She also often wears inflated goats' bladders. (see traditional medicine)
The warrior wears a skirt made from strips of animal skins called an ibeshu. He has a leopard skin head dress and a frontal apron made from wild cat’s tails (injoba). Combed cow tails are worn as arm bands and leggings(amashoba).
|
