Indlela Yokutshata
Ngokwe sintu, indoda yayi mkhethelwa umfazi wayo wokuqala. Ukuba unakho ukulobola abanye abafazi, wayezikhethela abo bafazi. Amadoda aphuma kusapho olutyebileyo ayeqale ajonge imvelaphi yomfazi aza kuwatshata. Kwakukhethwa ukutshatwa intombi yomnakubo mfana, intombi kadade botata womfana okanye intombi kamnakubo tata wakulo mfana.
Umtshato ololuhlobo wawuthetha ukuba ilobola izakuhlala kwakubuhlanti obusetyenziswa ngutata womfana kunye nomnakubo tata womfana. Inkoliso yemitshato yayiququzelelwa ngamaqela azalanayo. Yayiye ibe lusapho lwakulo ndoda oluya kulo ntombi. Ukuthwalwa kwentombi yaye iyinto eqhelekileyo, kodwa akusathwalwa kule mihla.
Into eyayibalulekile xa kuthwala intombi yayikukuba abantu bakulo ndoda/mkhwenyana bathumele ilobola (bogadi) kusapho lwentombi. Umtshato wawuqinisekiswa xa sele kuhlawulwe ilobola/bogadi. Oku kwakusenzelwa inzala yentombi leyo (hayi kuba kwakuthengwa intombi) ukuba ibe yeyosapho lomyeni.
Ngabantwana bomfazi olotyolweyo kuphela abanelungelo lokuba yinxalenye yosapho lwakulo myeni wakhe. Ukuba umfazi wohlulakele kukuzala umntwana, abantu bakowabo kwakufuneka ukuba bafake udade wabo endaweni yakhe okanye kongezwe ngodade wabo, okanye kujikiswe ibogadi. Ibogadi yayihlawulwa ngeenkomo ubukhulu becala, nangona amanye amaqela ohlanga lwabaTswana (Ingakumbu amaNgwaketse kunye namKwena) ayefaka neegusha.
Namhlanje, xa kuhlawulwa ilobola, iintsapho ezimbini ziye zivumelane ngemali yephepha kunye neenkomo. Inani lemfuyo lalingahlenga hlengiswa okanye kuxoxwe ngalo, usapho lwakulo myeni lwaluzigqibela ukuba likhupha iinkomo ezingaphi kulo makoti. Usapho lwakulo makoti lwalungena mazwi angako kwinani leenkomo ezikhutshwayo.
Babeye bakhalaze ke kodwa ukuba babona ngathi usapho lwakulo mkhwenyana lunganakho ukukhupha ngaphezulu. Intlawulo yayivamise ukuza ngexesha elinye, xa umakoti asiya kuhlala nomyeni wakhe. Izilwanyana (nezazihlala zilinani elingenamnqakathi) zazibotshwa ngutata womkhwenyana nowayeye acele abantakwabo ukuba bafake isandla.
Wayelindela inkomo enye esuka kumalume womkhwenyana, kuba kakade iinkomo ezifunyenwe lusapho lwakhe ngethuba kulotyolwa udade wabo (umama womkhwenyana) bezisetyenziswe ukulobol umyeni wakhe umalume lowo. Ezi nkomo zaziye zithunyelwe emzini wotata wentombi, nalapho zazigcinwa ixesha elithile nguyise wentombi.
Emva kokuba zandile zazala, utata wentombi wayezabela usapho lwakhe kunye nosapho olusondeleyo lomama wentombi. Olu sapho lwakulo mama wentombi lunikwa iinkomo iba lolo lalucelwe ukuba lifake isandla kwi bogadi yomnakubo ntombi le itshatayo ngoku. Umalume wentombi omdala uye abe namabango akhethekileyo mayelana neenkomo ezifunyenweyo zebogadi ye ntombi.
Isithembu
Xa indoda inabafazi ababini nangaphezulu, umfazi ngamnye wayenegunya lokuba ne lapa lakhe — Izindlum iintsimi, iinkomo, kunye nezixhobo zaphakathi nekhaya ezisetyenziswa nguye kunye nabantwana bakhe. Kodwa ke, ibhinqa elithunyelwe ukuza kuthatha indawo yomfazi obhubhe engenabo abantwana, okanye oze kuzalela umfazi ongazaliyo abantwana, wayeye ayokuhlala kwi lapa lomfazi aye kungenela endaweni yakhe.
Xa kubhubhe umfazi omdala, izinto ze lapa lakhe ziwela ebantwaneni bakhe. Abafazi besithembu babevamise ukunikwa izikhundla ngokwe xesha abaxhwile ngalo (hayi abatshatwe ngalo). Oku ke kwakusenza abafazi bakruthane ngezikhundla, ingakumbi emva kokubhubha komyeni.
Umfazi oxwhilwe kuqala kwakufanele ukuba ibenguye undlunkulu, aze unyana wakhe ibenguye indlalifa yezinto ezingabiwanga zika tata wakhe. Noxa kunjalo ukruthwano mayelana nokuba ngubani indlalifa lwaluxhaphakile emva kokubhubha kweendoda ebisisityebi okanye enamandla eluntwini. Oonyana bale ndoda kunye nabafazi babeshiyeka besilwa ngamafa.
Kwathi xa urhulumente wocalulo enika amagunya akhethekileyo kwiinkosi, ezinye ii-anthropologist zazifumana zirhintyeleke phakathi kolu kruthwano. Nkqu nase zinkundleni xa amadoda efuna ukulwela igunya lokuba yindlalifa yobukhosi emva koyise, babeye babize ezi anthropologist ukuba zize kungqinisisa ukuba ngowuphi oyena nyana omdala nokumele ukuba yindlalifa yobukhosi.
Translated by Zizipho Silwana