Ukuthwasa kwe-Byale
Ngosuku lapho iseshini sokuqalwa kwamadoda e-Pedi bogwera iphelile, i-yale (ukuqala kwamantombazane) yaqala. Amantombazane kuphela ayesebenzela umkhosi wokukhulelwa ayengakwazi ukuqaliswa. Esizwa abesifazane asebekhulile, i-yale yayiqondiswa umkami oyinhloko yesikhulu. Nakuba inhloko yayinomthwalo wemfanelo jikelele kanye negunya le-yale, wayengazibandakanye ngqo kuyo nganoma iyiphi indlela. Amantombazane ayebizelwa ku-kgoro wenkosi ngokushaya uphondo (phalafala).
Bathunyelwa endaweni eyimfihlo emagumbini lapho izinwele zabo zaqedwa khona. Omama wabo wabanika i-apron esikhwameni esikhethekile (kgakgo) ababeyigqoka ngaphambili, ihlanganiswe ne-back-apron (nthepana). Babebuye bagqoke ihembe elifushane elikhinyayo (i-gentswana noma i-nyebelese).
Isitayela esiphundu sasiqale sathunyelwa izithunywa zevangeli kodwa sesibe yisigqoko sokugqoka esichaza ukujwayela kwendabuko. Imizimba yabo yayigcwele ingxube ye-ocher obomvu namafutha, okwathi ngemva kwalokho kwakudingeka baqoqe izinkuni babuyele ekomkhulu lenkosi ebusuku. Ngaphambi kokushona kwelanga bahlonywe ngezinga futhi baphathwa ngemithi evikelayo.
Lokhu kwalandelwa ukuchithwa komuntu ngamunye ku-order rank, ngaphambi kokuba kuhanjiswe emagodini. Ezindaweni ezifihliwe, bathola ukwesaba okusokayo okwenza ukuthi kutholakale abafana. Amantombazane ayezobe esetjenziswa endaweni yokulala lapho ahlangene khona ngenyanga. Ngalesi sikhathi bathola imfundo esemthethweni emsebenzini nasemisebenzini yabesifazane.
Bafundiswa ukuhlonipha bonke abantu, ikakhulukazi induna, banikezwa imfundo ezindabeni zobulili futhi bahlolwe ukukhuthazela. Ukucula nokudansa kwakudlala indima ebalulekile kwi-yale kanye nedramu ekhethekile (i-moropa), eyayivame ukugcinwa yinhloko, isetshenziselwe lokhu.
Ngemuva Kwamkutu
Ngemuva kokuhlukaniswa, amantombazane ahlamba futhi ahlanganyele emasikweni futhi avunyelwe ukubuyela ekhaya. Ngezikhathi zendabuko imilenze yabo yayiboshelwe ndawonye emadolweni futhi imizimba yamantombazane yayiboshwe entanyeni kuya emaqotsheni emasimini otshani. Kwadingeka bahlale kuleli sigaba sokuguquka kwezinyanga ezingu-9, noma kuze kube sekuvuneni.
Ezikhathini zamuva lesi sikhathi sesifushane kakhulu, ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zokufunda esikoleni. Ngalesi sikhathi abaqalayo basiza omama ngemini emisebenzini yabo futhi bahlala umhlalaphansi ebusuku kusivalo esikhethekile (thupantlo) esakhiwe ngemuva kwemizi yawo yonke ikoro. Lapha izifundo zabo zaqhubeka ngezihlobo ezikhethekile zokuqala kanye nokuphindaphindiwe kwamafomu.
Ekuphethweni kwe-yale, abaqalayo bahlehlisiwe emasimini izinsuku ezingaba ngu-10 ngenkathi kubonakaliswa ama-dikomana (izimfihlo zokuqala) kubo. Ama-initiates ahlanganiswe ku-regiment, umholi wayo owayengumdala oqalayo. Izinwele zabo zaphinde zagcoba futhi zageza, ngemva kwalokho zagcwala ngamanoni kanye nama-ocher. Baya enkolweni yasebukhosini, lapho bahlala khona izinsuku ezimbili.
Phakathi nalesi sikhathi i-initiate yaziwa njenge-sealoga. Uma lesi sikhathi sesiphelile, bahlamba emfuleni isikhathi sokugcina. Abazali babo banikeza izingubo ezintsha, ezazihlanganisa i-apron enezintambo zentombazane engashadile ngaphambili futhi, efika ezinsikeni, i-apron yangaphambili yabesifazane abashadile (nthepa). Bembethe inguquko ejwayelekile yehembe eliphosiwe (i-hempe noma i-nyebelese).
Bashintsha izinwele zabo ku-droppo, lapho izinwele zabunjwa zibe yibhande elingaphansi kwekhanda kanye nezinwele ezingemuva nezinwele. Lokhu kwakungumhlahlandlela wansuku zonke wabesifazane abashadile nabashadile, kodwa ukusetshenziswa kwawo manje kuvinjelwe ekuqalisweni ngokwaso. Intombazane eqalisiwe manje ibizwa ngokuthi yi-mothepa, isiteji esiholela ekuqalisweni okugcwele (kgarebe).
Emva kwalokhu intombazane yayifanele ukushada. Ama-Pedi amantombazane adlula ngezigaba zokuthuthukiswa futhi ahlanganiswe emphakathini: ilanga (umntwana); mosetsana (intombazane); i-ithumasa (intombazane engabanjwanga); kgarebe (intombi evuthiwe); sealoga (ilungu lesikhashana sokushintshwa); i-mothepa (intombi eqalisiwe); kgarebe (intombi ngokuqaphela isimo sakhe sokuvuthwa). Kodwa-ke, owesifazane wathola isimo sokuba owesifazane (mosadi) kuphela lapho eseshadile futhi ebelethe ingane.
Translated by Nsika Khoza