ISIBONGO | a Gift and a Curse

[A Smallanyana Thread]

#CultureShock @VumaFM

Izibongo zethu, our Surnames are a direct reflection of the history of our lineages. For this specific thread I will start by referencing from the work of Nobuhle Ndimande-Hlongwane, Dean and Head of School of Arts at UKZN who published "A Semantic Analysis of Zulu Surnames".

Emandulo we never had surnames. You would be recognised according to who your father was or where you were from e.g Yeshua Bin Yusuf (Jesus son of Joseph), uThokozani kaKhehla, Michaela of Atlantica.

Surnames originated as labels, from natural phenomena, from qualities of Ubuntu

Some surnames originated from customs, and others from clan praises.

Below are some Examples:

1. Surnames from labels

Sibiya (To be surrounded): Identified with what they had. Because they had so many cattle, the cattle-kraal became too small for the cattle and as a....

...result the cattles surrounded the household.

2. Ntuli (dust): Identified as the people of the cloud of dust because when they came to the Zulu king they were accompanied by a herd of cattle which caused the cloud of dust.

2. Surnames from natural phenomena:

Ndlovu: Derived from elephants
Mkhize (drizzle): Formulated because the people lived where it drizzled
Mzolo (Dew): People of the dew

3. Surnames from qualities of Ubuntu:

Lamula (To mediate): Bringing people together, to be a mediator.

Thembela: Originating from the verb "themba" which is to believe.

4. Surnames originating from Customs:

Khuzwayo (express disapproval): Was introduced after the person named Khuzwayo because of his bad behaviour.
Magwaza (To stab): people of this family originally belong...

...to the Langeni family. In this extended family it happened that there was inter-marriage between the relatives and such an action was was disapproved of according to Zulu customs.

5. Surnames from clan names:

Ngcobo: Fuze
Dlamini: Nkosi
Ndimande: Gcwensa
Hadebe: Mthimkhulu

Before we bite into the meat of our topic I would like to express my absolute respect and gratitude to the work of Nobuhle Ndimande-Hlongwane and I urge you to look up her work "A Semantic Analysis of Zulu Surnames" online.

Sithi Makwande

We, the children, suffer from the repercussions of the sins of our elders. The secrets that, at times, they go to the grave with come back to haunt us. More so in this generation, it seems more and more of us are being tasked with fixing our lineages.

Sithwele Umthwalo Osindayo.

With regards to Surnames, there still is a lot confusion, denial, and outright rejection that stems from our reactions in anger to the actions of elders.

What we never realise from the on set is that Surnames carry with them a blessing passed down from generation to generation.

1. When one is born in wedlock, from parents abashade ngokuphelele (The Bride left home through the ritual of elders slaughtering a goat and using inyongo nomswane of that goat to "give permission" to their daughter to leave her family and be united with the Groom's family).

The same ritual is done by the Groom's family to welcome their new Bride. Generally a cow is also slaughtered at the Groom's family house and the new Bride will pierce the stomach of the cow as a symbol that she will increase the family.

The child born from that union will carry the Surname of their FATHER.

2. If ubaba paid lobola for umama but did not go through with the entire marriage ritual to qualify the marriage as Umshado Ophelele, the child born from that union will carry the Surname of their MOTHER!

This causes friction with a lot of men under the impression that umshado wesintu yilobola! Ilobola is ASKING for the Bride's hand. Ukugcagca (Complete Union) is cementing the union spiritually and uniting AmaThongo from both sides of the families to watch over this union.

Usually if the father insists on calling the children that come from the union between him and his wife by his Surname, those children bayabangwa because the Guides from the paternal side will side with their son and Guides from the maternal will demand proper ritual be observed

3. If ubaba married umama ngoMshado Ophelele BUT during the negotiations there were some outstanding gifts or lobola money that was promised to be settled later but didn't - that child will be called by the father's surname (ngoba umakoti uphume ngenyongo, wageniswa ngenyongo)

...but the child will experience stumbling blocks especially in their young adult life until ubaba makes a decision yokuthi ayoshweleza (to admit fault and ask for forgiveness) and do right by his wife, his wife's family, and his children.

4. If ubaba nomama were dating and you came along but ubaba had no intention to marry umama - then you will be called by your mother's surname.

NOW....

A lot of people insist that they want to be called by their father's surname and push their mothers ngenkani.

Keep in mind that life has its ups and downs and sometimes it's not being called by your mother's surname that brings you what you insist to call "bad luck". In fact, in most cases going with your mother's surname in this case might be your saving grace.

5. If umama had an affair while married and a child came out of that affair, then that child will be called by the surname yalapho ashadelwe/ agane khona!

Same applies if ubaba la ekhaya has an affair with a married woman and a child is born out of that affair.

Let's leave some space for a Pt. 2, right?

There's a lot to digest from this Pt. 1 of the Thread.

Philani. Kwande Ukukhanya Njalo