rilALLUS CULT AMONGST T 11 K IJAN'TL'. 1 ^j 



from defeated kraals). A water-melon is cut. pieces of which 

 may be sucked by those suffering' from faintness because of loss 

 of blood. When all is over they are told the old formula: Sco ki 

 Tiroanc-tiyoa-inayoiigoaua magoshi a go fcla ha d'wiloc sco. 

 meaning : " All chiefs and all men of all times have been marked 

 by this mark." X'ow they are called Madikaiia (the hidden ones ). 

 No eye is allowed to look upon them, except those who have 

 formerly gone through this process. Women and Mashiboro 

 (uncircumcised ) mvist run away whenever they hear the special 

 songs and hymns, singing which they roam over berg and dale. 

 The elder boys (last and second last before these) now com- 

 mence to thrash each other, as also the freshlings, with cruel big 

 rods. Hymns and songs, fixed from the oldest times, in praise 

 of manliness, in praise of the female parts — exceedingly indecent 

 — are now sung from early to late during their ceaseless excur- 

 sion from sunrise to sunset. 



After the operation, skins or blankets are cut into broad 

 strips reaching from hip to knee, and called Motsliabelo. The 

 thin lines to keep these must be so tied that nothing of them can 

 be seen. Their name is Kgoyaiia. whicli means: " What is hidd.eii 

 must not be seen ! " 



The first thing to be done after the circumcision is this: The 

 elder boys must hurry to the place, the most sacred place of their 

 home, the sleeping and eating place, called ]\[pato. This is a kind 

 of kraal, made of big branches freshly cut. with two openings, 

 one for the old circumcised and one for this year's boys. Any of 

 the latter entering by the other opening is mercilessly killed (even 

 now). As soon as the elder boys arrive, after the ceremony, they 

 start kindling the " holy fire," never by matches, but always by 

 rubbing two sticks (one of hard, one of soft wood ) till a flame 

 appears. This fire must never be allowed to die out during the 

 three months, day or night. During rain they cover it as best 

 the}' can. This is the only fire to be used by them, no second fire 

 or firebrand otherwise taken may be used. When the Madikaiia 

 are brought there, everybody is shown his own sitting, kneeling, 

 and sleeping place, in the same^ rank and order in which they have 

 been circumcised. They are ordered to sleep on their back with 

 widely spread out legs, taking great care that no blood touches 

 any other part of their bodies. Only the riding Chief's eldest son 

 is allowed to use a blanket in the night. Before sleeping they 

 are allowed only to kneel, but not to sit. Plenty of food is given 

 them; in fact, they are purposely fattened like pigs, because it is 

 a shame to bring them back to their home in a meagre condition. 

 The porridge is cut with sticks by the elder boys and given into 

 their open hands. On the day of New Moon no food at all is 

 eaten — it is a fast-day. If during the eating a boy coughs, all 

 eating is at once stopped. All teaching is thrashed into them. 

 The greatest amount of thrashing is accompanied by: "Obey 



