Photos from Our World

The iNcwala or First Fruits Ceremony in Swaziland (part 2)

The men and boys who have collected the "lusekwane" shrub that night return to the Royal capital of Lobamba, singing a specific iNcwala song that may not be sung any other time of the year. They have a rest and, after a dance followed by a surging forward of the "emabutfo", the traditional regiments, the warriors leave their shields and also go for breakfast.

The young men and boys then march with their lusekwane shrubs towards the "sibaya", the cattle byre, that is the focal point of the ceremony. They loudly sing the iNcwala song and there is an element of show here, where young men try to impress by the size of the lusekwane they have carried all the way from where they cut it; there are almost whole trees among them. The girls especially watch them of course and notice if the lusekwane has wilted: a sign the boy carrying it may have had sexual relations, something he shouldn't have done. Some ribald joking may be made at his expense. They march into the "sibaya" and throw their lusekwane on a pile at one of the walls. Old men will later build an enclosure from these, where the King will undergo certain rituals at the main day of the ceremony.

The Swazi warrior regiments, men and boys, keep dancing afterwards, although some of the younger ones may have had enough and sit down to rest, after having had a long march and almost no sleep the night before....

Continuing....

	Boys with lusekwane	Tired boys	Surging regiments	Watching the shields
	Bringing lusekwane	Marching into sibaya	Throwing lusekwane	Dancing regiments
	"Emabutfo"	Two generations	Malinga in iNcwala	Tired youngster

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