Ulwaluko i-Byale - Ulwaluko lwama Ntombi
Ngosuku lokugqibela lokuphela kolwaluko lwama Pedi ibogwera, ibyale (ulwaluko lweentombi) luyaqala. Kuphela zintombi ezithe zenzelwa isiko lokuphuma kubuntombazana ezinelungelo lokwenzelwa isiko lolwaluko. Ngokuncediswa ngoomama abadala, ibyale yayikhokhelwa yinkosikazi yokuqala yenkosi. Nangona inkosi yayinoxanduva negunya kwi byale yayi ngabiyiyo ingxenye yalomsebenzi konke konke. Intombi zazibizelwa kwi kgoro yenkosi ngokuthi kukhaliswe ixilongo lempi (phalafala).
Babesisiwa kwindawo eyodwa ebaleni apho zazi chetywa inwele intloko yonke. Omama babo babebanikeza ifaskoti ekhethekileyo yofele lesilwanyana (kgakgo) ebabeyinxiba ngaphambili, idityaniswe nefaskoti yangemva (nthepana). Babenxiba ihempe emfutshane ehonjisiweyo eyaziwa ngokuba yi (gentswana okanye nyebelese).
Uhlobo oluhonjisiweyo lwaqala ngexesha labefundisi abaziwa ngokuba ngonomishini kodwa kengoku sele iyingxenye yesinxibo sesintu. Imizimba yayiqatywa imbola ebomvu namafutha, emveni koko kwakufuneka bayokutheza iinkuni, ze baphinde babuyele endlini yenkosi (kgoro) kwangobo busuku. Phambi kokuba ilanga liphume babe foliswa ngendlela banikezwe amayeza okuba khusela.
Oku kwakulandela kukubethwa nganye ngokulandelelelana kwabo, phambi kokusiwa emadlelweni. Kwindawo eyodwa, kulapho babesoluswa khona, ngendlela eyoyikisayo elinganisa xa kusoluswa amakhwenkwe. Iintombi zazithathwa zisiwe kwindlu yabucala ixesha elingange nyanga. Ngelixesha babefumana umyalelo ongqongqo ngemisebeni yomama. Babefundiswa ukuhlonipha onke amadoda, ingakumbi inkosi, banikezwe imiyalelo malunga nocantsi kunye nokuhlolwa. Umculo nomdaniso wawudlala indima ebalulekileyo kwi byale kunye negubu elikhethekileyo (moropa), elalivame ukugcinwa yinkosi, lalisetyenziswa ngemini ezinje.
Emveni Kokubekelwa Bucala
Emveni kokubekelwa bucala, iintombi zazivasa kwaye zithatha inxaxheba kwimisebenzi yesintu, emveni koko zivunyelwe ukubuyela ekhaya. Ngamaxesha akudala imilenze yayibotshwa idityaniswe emadolweni ze imizimba igqunywe ukususela enyanyeni ukuya emaqatheni kumondlalo wengca.
Kwakufanele bahlale kulemeko yotshintsho iinyanga ezilithoba, okanye de isivuno sivunwe. Kumaxesha angoku elixesha libalifutshane kakhulu, kwenzelwa ukuhlangabezana nabafundayo. Ngelixesha abakhwetha babencedisa oomama emini kwimisebenzi yabo baphumle ebusuku kwindawo ekhethekileyo eyaziwa ngokuba yi (thupantlo) eyakhiwa kumakhaya wazo zonke iikgoro.
Apho ke imfundiso yabo yayiqhubeka ngohlobo lweengoma ezikhethekileyo zolwaluko nemingqingqo ephinda-phindwayo. Xa kuphela ibyale, abakhwetha babe bekelwa bucala ebaleni iintsuku ezilishumi (10) logama bevezelwa iidikomana (iimfihlelo zolwaluko). Abakhwetha babefakwa kwimikhosi, inkokheli ingumkhwetha omdala/ophezulu.
Kwakhona iinwee zazichetywa bavase, emveni koko bafakwe umhlaba namafutha. Babeqhubeka kwindlu nkulu ye kgoro, apho babehlala khona iintsuku ezimbini. Ngelixesha umkhwetha wawusaziwa njenge sealoga. Emveni kokuba elixesha lidlulile, bavasa emlanjeni okokugqibela. Abazali babanike iimpahla ezintsha, ezaziquka ifaskoti enemitya yentombi engatshatanga ngaphambili, ifikelela emaqatheni, umva womfazi otshatileyo (nthepa).
Babenxiba ihempe efanayo ehonjisiweyo kodwa ende (hempe okanye nyebelese). Babetshintsha indlela ezenziw ngayo iinwele benze itlopo, apho inwele zenziwa iqhuba elithe manca ngaphezulu kwentloko inwele ezingemva nasecaleni zichetywe. Oku kwakufudula iyindlela yokuhombisa intloko kwabatshatileyo, kodwa ukusetyeniswa kwayo ngoku kuphelelwa lulwaluko kuphela.
Intombi eyalukileyo ibisaziwa njengo mothepa, inqanaba elikhokhela kulwaluko olupheleleyo (kgarebe). Emveni koku intombi ibanegunya lokutshata. Amantombazana ama Pedi ayedlula amanqanaba okukhula kunye nokwaziwa ekuhlaleni: lesea (umntwana); mosetsana (intombazana); lethumasa (intombi engolukanga); kgarebe (intombi endala engatshatanga); sealoga (ilungu lomsebenzi wesintu wethutyana); mothepa (intombi eyolukileyo); kgarebe (intombi engatshatanga kwaye enikezwa intlonipho ngoku khula kwakhe). Kodwa ke, intombi ifumana igama lobufazi (mosadi) emveni kokuba etshatile wazala nomtwana.
Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie