Inkwenkwe is the third stage. It refers to a
boy from 6 – 13 years. Boys
make the most of their boyhood roaming many miles along the countryside,
looking after livestock (see fig 1) in particular they learn everything is
there to learn about the natural environment, names and kinds of birds, names
of animals and their behavior, kinds of wood, which are the strong, names of
trees, which are the sticks good for hunting. You can make a simple distinction
of a boy by a carefree attitude and by wearing less clothing which is
particularly a skirt made out of a goatskin (see fig 2); he may always carry a
stick showing that he is responsible for herding livestock. (Elliot, 1970)
 |
| Figure 1 - Elliot, A., (1970:37) Inkwenkwe. Umalusi (the shepherd)(The magical World of the Xhosa) |
|
Figure 2 - Putter, A., (2012) Inkwenkwe 'A Shepherd' wearing goatskin.
No comments:
Post a Comment