“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” ~Albert Einstein
What I have heard and read about the traditional Xhosa Initiation known as Ulwaluko, is basically all I am allowed to know. This is the secretive Xhosa ritual where a boy becomes a man.
A young teenage boy longs for the day to go through his initiation. Why? Because until he participates in this process, he is referred to as inkwenkwe (boy) regardless of his age. He will never be looked at or respected as a man in the Xhosa culture until he has had his Ulwaluko.
So, what is involved in Ulwaluko? Here is what I know…
At 18 years old, a boy is allowed and encouraged to go to “the mountain” or “the bush” (woods) for his Ulwaluko. Several ceremonies take place before he leaves. The family gathers to seek blessings from the ancestors and see the boy off. While away, the young boy is reintroduced to the ancestors and ‘uQamata’ (the supreme being among the Xhosa people). He is taught about the history of his people and learns discipline. He is also taught how to be a family man and a responsible person who contributes positively to society.
The boy is in seclusion with other initiates (abakhwetha) in a remote area away from any towns or villages for a 3 – 4 week period. This usually takes place in December or July when the boys are not in school. No women or un-initiated boys are allowed any where near there. The traditional “doctor” and the person chosen to look after each of the boys are the only other men there.
While there, the boys are stripped of their old clothes and covered in a white mud and a blanket. They call upon their ancestors, slaughter goats as offerings and consume African beer.
Sometime in the midst of the 3-4 weeks, the boys are circumcised. With a knife. No pain medication. No noise.
You may be wondering if this practice is only done nowadays by those less educated. Those in remote villages in South Africa. No. It is a tradition that all Xhosa people cling to. It is important. Special. Relevant. Yet, risky.
Each year, many boys die or develop major infections from this unsanitary practice taking place in the bush. Often they don’t seek medical attention, because they fear it is a sign of weakness.
Once the “Man” returns home, all of his clothes and bedding are burned. He must wear new clothes and sleep in new bedding, ridding himself of all of his boyish things.
The “Man” then wears the traditional attire of a sport coat, pants and hat for a period of 3-6 months signifying his manhood. Each family determines the length of time this must be worn by their son. They may also require that he wear a brownish-red paint on his face. I have seen some boys walking around with and some without the face paint. Schools and employers allow the men to wear the traditional attire instead of the school uniform or work clothes during that time.
The Ulwaluko can be quite a financial strain on families. The initiation, ceremonies and clothing can cost upwards of $1000 U.S. This is taxing on a society where so many of the people are already living in poverty. Because it is so important, families will sacrifice many things, including food, to save the money to send their son to “the mountain.” Some must wait years after turning 18, while their family struggles to save enough money.
It is all very interesting to me. Especially the question, “What happens when Christian Beliefs and Cultural Rituals don’t align?” This ancient tradition has caused my Christian Xhosa friends to struggle with the fact that their son will some day participate in his own Ulwaluko.
In the religions of traditional Xhosa people, God is rarely involved in everyday life and may only be approached through ancestral intermediaries who are honored through ritual sacrifices. Basically animals are slaughtered and offered up to the ancestors. It is the ancestors that are being worshiped, not God.
As Christians we believe that God is very much a part of our every day lives. At the very moment that Christ died, the temple curtain (through which only the Highest of Priests could go) was torn in two from top to bottom (Mark 15:38). This shows us that the barrier between man and God was destroyed forever. Because of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, all those that love Him can come into God’s presence at any time! We only worship God.
For my Christian Xhosa friends, the importance of this Xhosa Cultural Ritual signifying the crossing from boyhood to manhood will result in them allowing their son to have his Ulwaluko when the time comes. Their hope is that the Christian foundation they lay before him over these years will help him stand strong and abstain from any rituals that go against their Christian beliefs during his time “on the mountain”.
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
We serve an awesome God! ~ Tracy Cooper
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