The Sunday News
Mzala Tom
According to Ndebele spirituality, when a person dies , the spirit, force or personality that leaves the body at death known as isithunzi/shadow wanders aimlessly until it is “brought home” (ukubuyiswa) by a special ceremony known as umbuyiso.
Umbuyiso ceremony was for the purposes of transforming and integrating isithunzi (as an idlozi, or ancestor) into the council of powerful ancestors who have control over the living. Umbuyiso ceremony had many rituals that spanned over three days.
Not everyone who died was brought back home. Umbuyiso was only done for those who died and left children behind. The purpose of umbuyiso was for the protection of children. This ceremony was done in winter after the preparation of amabele/sorghum. This was a year after burial.
Umbuyiso was a public ceremony which was announced like a wedding. The family person in charge of the ceremony, umphathankezo, prepared amabele for making umbuyiso beer. Umphathankezo scooped amabele from the granary through a ritual known as ukubanjwa.
As umphathankezo scooped amabele he/she would utter a prayer to the ancestors saying: “Lina bako . . . nanku ukudla kwenu, sibuyisa umzukulu wenu u . . . , sithi keze ebantwaneni, njengoba lisazi ukuthi wasitshiya ngomnyaka odluleyo.”
After this was done, amabele were then put inside water containers without being touched by hand. Once the beer was ready, it was poured in 10 containers and two small ones for the ancestors. Friends and relatives brought their own beer.
On the first day of the ceremony, late afternoon, all family members and close relatives started the ceremony. They took one of the beer containers for the ancestors, iqhaga and a white goat to the grave.
The goat was known as ihlahla/a branch.
At the grave they all sat down. The family leader, umphathankezo would say, “Lina bako…o…labo…Litshele lezalukazi zonke zakini ukuthi lamuhla sizelanda umntanenu u…Sithi kabuye ebantwaneni. Lawe…wako…sizekuthatha lamuhla sithi buya ebantwaneni.”
Umphathankezo will touch the beer container and say “Nanku ukudla kwenu”, touch the goat and say “Nans’ inyama yenu”.
The goat was given the beer to drink and snuff was put in its nostrils. Some of the beer was poured on it. The people would wait for the goat to urinate, which was a sign that the deceased had agreed to come home.
The remaining beer was drank by everyone until it was finished. Some would be poured on the ground as well. The snuff was also sniffed and some of it thrown on the ground for the ancestors. After the snuff was finished the goat was dragged back home.
The one dragging the goat would lead the procession saying, “Sibanibani woza ekhaya kulezinyanya, woza ebantwaneni”.
Upon arrival, a fire was prepared in front of the main house. The goat was slaughtered and the meat roasted. The umbuyiso beer was drank and finished as well. More beer from neighbours was brought and people drank and sang merrily all night. – (Source: @RealMzalaTom)
