566 INITIATION RITES OF THE BAPEDI. 



kneel and receive their rations on the outstretched pahns of both 

 hands placed side by side, and await the word of command to 

 commence eating. When every boy has been served, the Miditi 

 cry " Hlagarn " (Eat), and the Initiates stntT the food into their 

 mouths. Sometimes the boys are allowed to help themselves from 

 the bowls, but they may only do so by scooping out the pap with 

 their two hands placed together in the ])osition described above. 

 Sometimes the pap is cooked with milk. In this case it is called 

 Kgongvjuna tonoiia (Little Bull). While it is being eaten the 

 boys are thrashed with the long MorctJoa rods afore-mentioned, 

 the Miditi crying " Di kgoma" all the while. The ceremony is 

 called the Scnana thrashing. When eating ordinary pap boiled 

 wtih water, the boys are thraslied in the same way, but the cry 

 of '' Seremela" is used by the Mid III. Occasionally as a change 

 in the monotony of the diet, the boys are allowed to toast their 

 porridge at the fire. (See Apjiendix, Note R. ) 



After the meal is over the Miditi collect the wooden bowls, 

 and with the fliitlsl l)rushes they scrub off all the whitewash in 

 order to give the women more work and trouble. When asked 

 by the girls what has happened to the dishes, they are told that 

 the}' have been " T.icked by the Kgonut'' for no blame can be 

 attached to anything done " by the Kgoma.'' 



Eacli Initiate slcei)s on the spot apportioned to him by the 

 fireside. On the word of command " Tsal!" (.Sleep), each boy 

 throws himself down on his back with his legs wide apart, and 

 feet towards the fire, and remains there naked and \\ ithout cover- 

 ing of any kind, all through the night. 1^he iire is kept up, how- 

 ever, and ])rovides a certain amount of warmth. All are sup- 

 posed to sleep until they are awakened in the early morning, but 

 frequently the Miditi, who seem to be fiends incarnate, devise all 

 manner of cruel tricks to be played ui)on the defenceless Badi- 

 kana. One of these pranks is to awaken the Initiates secretly, 

 (without the knowledge of the Rabadia, who would severely 

 punish the Miditi were they to be found out), and to drive them 

 forth out of the enclosure to some deep pool of water, where they 

 are forced to enter the water and completely submerge them- 

 selves (Kgotla). The moment they rise from the water they 

 are mercilessly beaten across the head and forced to " duck " 

 again. When tired of this, the Miditi give the order, " Tsa ka 

 tsang!" In obeying this order, the Initiates are forced to wash 

 the wounds left by the circumcision, and to scrape ofif any scab 

 that may have formed — a most painful ])roceeding! 



Beaten as they are from the time they awake till all are 

 asleep, cruelly knocked about and tortured, the Badikana have 

 no spirit of rebellion left in them, and they dare not report the 

 excessive tortures of the Miditi to the Rabadia. 



The Initiates are awakened very early in the morning, and 

 sent forth, guarded by Miditi, to fetch water. The water is 

 carried in horns. On their return to the Lodge, they again sing 



