Xhosa people

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the Pakistani ethnic group, see Khosa.
Further information: Xhosa language
Xhosa

Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Desmond Tutu
Total population
8,104,752 (2011 Census)
Regions with significant populations
Eastern Cape: 5 092 152
Western Cape: 1 403 233
Gauteng: 796 841
Free State: 201 145
Kwazulu-Natal: 340 832
(2001 estimates
1
)
Languages
Xhosa (many also speak Zulu, English, and/orAfrikaans)
Religion
African Traditional Religion, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Nguni, Basotho, Zulu, other Bantu peoples
Person umXhosa
People amaXhosa
Language isiXhosa
The Xhosa people (English /ks/ or/kos/;
[1][2][3]
Xhosa

( listen)) are aBantu ethnic

group of Southern Africa living in south-east South Africa, and in the last two centuries
throughout the southern and central-southern parts of the country.
The Xhosa people are divided into several tribes with related yet distinct heritages. The main
tribes are the Mpondo, Mpondomise, Bomvana, Xesibe, and Thembu. In addition,
the Bhaca andMfengu have adopted the Xhosa language.
[4]
The name "Xhosa" comes from that
of a legendary leader called uXhosa. There is also a theory that, prior to that, the
name xhosa came from a word meaning "fierce" or "angry" in someSan language. The Xhosa
refer to themselves as the amaXhosa, and to their language asisiXhosa.
Presently approximately 8 million Xhosa are distributed across the country, and the Xhosa
language is South Africa's second-most-populous home language, after Zulu, to which Xhosa is
closely related. The pre-1994apartheid system of Bantustans denied Xhosas South African
citizenship, but enabled them to have self-governing "homelands" namely; Transkei and Ciskei,
now both a part of the Eastern CapeProvince where most Xhosa remain. Many Xhosa live
in Cape Town (iKapa in Xhosa), East London (iMonti), and Port Elizabeth (iBhayi).
As of 2003 the majority of Xhosa speakers, approximately 5.3 million, lived in the Eastern Cape,
followed by the Western Cape (approximately 1 million), Gauteng (671,045), the Free
State (246,192), KwaZulu-Natal (219,826), North West (214,461), Mpumalanga (46,553),
theNorthern Cape (51,228), and Limpopo (14,225).
[5]

Contents
[hide]
1 History
2 Language
3 Folklore and religion
4 Rites of passage
5 Traditional diet
o 5.1 Xhosa Dishes
6 Arts and crafts
7 Xhosas in modern society
8 Notable Xhosa
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
History[edit]
The Xhosa are part of the South African Nguni migration which slowly moved south from the
region around the Great Lakes, displacing the original Khoisan hunter gatherers of Southern
Africa. Xhosa peoples were well established by the time of the Dutch arrival in the mid-17th
century, and occupied much of eastern South Africa from the Fish River to land inhabited by
Zulu-speakers south of the modern city of Durban.
[4]

The Xhosa and white settlers first encountered one another around Somerset East in the early
18th century. In the late 18th century Afrikaner trekboers migrating outwards from Cape Town
came into conflict with Xhosa pastoralists around the Great Fish River region of the Eastern
Cape. Following more than 20 years of intermittent conflict, from 1811 to 1812 the Xhosas were
forced east by British colonial forces in the Third Frontier War.
In the years following, many Xhosa-speaking clans were pushed west by expansion of theZulus,
as the northern Nguni put pressure on the southern Nguni as part of the historical process known
as the mfecane, or "scattering". The Xhosa-speaking southern Nguni people had initially split into
the Gcaleka and the Rharhabe (who had moved westwards across the Kei river). Further
subdivisions were made more complicated by the arrival of groups like theMfengu and
the Bhaca from the Mfecane wars. These newcomers came to speak the Xhosa language, and
are sometimes considered to be Xhosa. Xhosa unity and ability to resist colonial expansion was
further weakened by the famines and political divisions that followed the cattle-killing
movement of 1856. Historians now view this movement as a millennialistresponse both directly to
a lung disease spreading among Xhosa cattle at the time, and less directly to the stress to Xhosa
society caused by the continuing loss of their territory and autonomy.
[citation needed]

Some historians argue that this early absorption into the wage economy is the ultimate origin of
the long history of trade union membership and political leadership among Xhosa people.
[citation
needed]
That history manifests itself today in high degrees of Xhosa representation in the
leadership of the African National Congress, South Africa's ruling political party.
Language[edit]
Main article: Xhosa language


Map of South Africa showing the primary Xhosa language speech area in green
Xhosa is an agglutinative tonal language of the Bantu family. While the Xhosas call their
language "isiXhosa", it is usually referred to as "Xhosa" in English. Written Xhosa uses a Latin
alphabetbased system. Xhosa is spoken by about 18% of the South African population, and has
some mutual intelligibilitywith Zulu, especially Zulu spoken in urban areas. Many Xhosa
speakers, particularly those living in urban areas, also speak Zulu and/or Afrikaans and/or
English.
Among its features, the Xhosa language famously has fifteen click sounds, originally borrowed
from now extinct Khoisan languages of the region. Xhosa has eighteen click consonants,
pronounced at three places in the mouth: a series of dental clicks, written with the letter "c"; a
series of alveolar clicks, written with the letter "q"; and a series oflateral clicks, written with the
letter "x". There is a simple inventory of five vowels (a, e, i, o, u). Some vowels however may be
silent. In other words, they can be present in written language but hardly audible in spoken
language. This happens especially at the end of the word. This is because the tone of most
Xhosa words is lowest at the end.
Folklore and religion[edit]
Traditional Xhosa culture includes diviners known as amagqirha. This job is mostly taken by
women, who spend five years in apprenticeship. There are also herbalists amaxhwele,
prophets izanuse, and healers inyanga for the community.
The Xhosas have a strong oral tradition with many stories of ancestral heroes; according to
tradition, the leader from whose name the Xhosa people take their name was the first King of the
nation. One of Xhosa's descendents named Phalo gave birth to two sons Gcaleka, the heir and
Rharabe a son from the Right Hand house. Rharhabe the warrior wanted Gcaleka's throne but
was defeated and banished and settled in the Amathole Mountains. Maxhobayakhawuleza
Sandile Aa! Zanesizwe is the King in the Great Place in Mngqesha. The Zwelonke Sigcawu was
crowned King of the Xhosa on 18 June 2010.
[4]

The key figure in the Xhosa oral tradition is the imbongi (plural: iimbongi) or praise
singer.Iimbongi traditionally live close to the chief's "great place" (the cultural and political focus
of his activity); they accompany the chief on important occasions - the imbongi Zolani Mkiva
preceded Nelson Mandela at his Presidential inauguration in 1994. Iimbongis' poetry,
calledimibongo, praises the actions and adventures of chiefs and ancestors.
[4]

The supreme being is called uThixo or uQamata. Ancestors act as intermediaries and play a part
in the lives of the living; they are honoured in rituals. Dreams play an important role in divination
and contact with ancestors. Traditional religious practice features rituals, initiations, and feasts.
Modern rituals typically pertain to matters of illness and psychological well-being.
Christian missionaries established outposts among the Xhosa in the 1820s, and the
first Bibletranslation was in the mid-1850s, partially done by Henry Hare Dugmore. Xhosa did not
convert in great numbers until the 20th century, but now many are Christian, particularly within
the African Initiated Churches such as the Zion Christian Church. Some denominations combine
Christianity with traditional beliefs.
Rites of passage[edit]
Further information: Xhosa clan names
The Xhosa are a South African cultural group who emphasize traditional practices and customs
inherited from their forefathers. Each person within the Xhosa culture has his or her place which
is recognized by the entire community. Starting from birth, a Xhosa person goes through
graduation stages which recognize his growth and assign him a recognized place in the
community. Each stage is marked by a specific ritual aimed at introducing the individual to their
counterparts and hence to the ancestors. Starting from imbeleko, a ritual performed to introduce
a new born to the ancestors, to umphumo, from inkwenkwe (a boy) to indoda (a man). These
rituals and ceremonies are still practiced today, but many urbanized Xhosa people do not follow
them rigidly. The ulwaluko and intonjane are also traditions which separated this tribe from the
rest of the Nguni tribes. These are performed to mark the transition from child to adulthood. Zulus
once performed the ritual but King Shaka stopped it because of war in the 1810s. In 2009 it was
reintroduced by King Goodwill Zwelithini Zulu, not as a custom, but as a medical procedure to
curb HIV infections. This topic has caused arguments and fights among Xhosa and Zulus; each
side sees itself as superior to the other because it practices or forsakes some customs.
All these rituals are symbolic of one's development. Before each is performed, the individual
spends time with community elders to prepare for the next stage. The elders' teachings are not
written, but transmitted from generation to generation by oral tradition. The Iziduko (clan) for
instancewhich matters most to the Xhosa identity (even more than names and surnames) are
trnferred from one to the other through orl trdition. Knowing your Iiduo i vitl to the
Xho nd it i conidered hme nd Uburhnu (lc-of-identity) if one doent now
one's clan. This is considered so important that when two strangers meet for the first time, the
firt identity tht get hred i Iiduo. It i o importnt tht two people with the me
surname but different clan are considered total strangers but the same two people from the same
clan but different surnames are regarded as close relatives. This forms the roots of "Ubuntu"
(neighbouring) - a behaviour synonymous to this tribe as extending a helping hand to a complete
stranger when in need. Ubuntu goes further than just helping one another - it is so deep that it
even extends to looking after and reprimanding your neighbour's child when in the wrong. Hence
the saying "it takes a village to raise a child".
One traditional ritual that is still regularly practiced is the manhood ritual, a secret rite that marks
the transition from boyhood to manhood (Ulwaluko). After ritual circumcision, the initiates
(abakwetha) live in isolation for up to several weeks, often in the mountains. During the process
of healing they smear white clay on their bodies and observe numerous taboos.
In modern times the practice has caused controversy, with over 825 circumcision- and initiation-
related deaths since 1994, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases includingHIV via the
practice of circumcising initiates with the same blade.
[6]
In March 2007, a controversial mini-
series dealing with Xhosa circumcision and initiation rites debuted onSABC. Titled Umthunzi
Wentaba, the series was taken off the air after complaints by traditional leaders that the rites are
secret and not to be revealed to non-initiates and women.
[7]
In January 2014 the
website ulwaluko.co.za was released by a Dutch medical doctor. It features a gallery of
photographs of injured penises, which sparked outrage amongst traditional leaders in
the Eastern Cape.
[8]
The South African Film and Publication Board ruled that the website was
"scientific with great educative value", addressing a "societal problem needing urgent
intervention".
[9]

Girls are also initiated into womanhood (Intonjane). They too are secluded, though for a shorter
period. Female initiates are not circumcised.
[4]

Other rites include the seclusion of mothers for ten days after giving birth, and the burial of
the afterbirth and umbilical cord near the village. This is reflected in the traditional greetingInkaba
yakho iphi?, literally "Where is Your Navel?" The answer "tells someone where you live, what
your clan affiliation is, and what your social status is and contains a wealth of cultural information.
Most importantly, it determines where you belong".
[10]

Traditional diet[edit]
The Xhosa settled on mountain slopes of the Amatola and the Winterberg Mountains. Many
streams drain into great rivers of this Xhosa territory including the Kei and Fish Rivers. Rich soils
and plentiful rainfall make the river basins good for farming and grazing making cattle important
and the basis of wealth.
Traditional foods include beef (Inyama yenkomo), mutton (Inyama yegusha), and goat meat
(Inyama yebhokwe), sorghum, milk (often fermented, called "amasi"), pumpkins
(amathanga),Mielie-meal (maize meal), samp (unngusho), beans (iimbotyi), vegetables,
like "rhabe", wild spinach reminiscent of sorrel, "imvomvo", the sweet sap of an aloe, or "ikhowa",
a mushroom that grows after summer rains.
[11]

Xhosa Dishes[edit]
See also: Typical South African foods and dishes
Isophi, corn with beans or peas soup
Umleqwa, a dish made with free-range chicken.
Umngqusho, a dish made from white maize and sugar beans, a staple food for the Xhosa
people.
Umphokoqo, an African salad made of maize meal.
Umqombothi, a type of beer made from fermented maize and sorghum.
Umvubo, sour milk mixed with dry pap, commonly eaten by the Xhosa.
Umbhako, mealie bread
Umfino, Wild Spinach/Cabbage called imifino, spinach mixed with mealie meal.
Arts and crafts[edit]
Traditional crafts include beadwork, weaving, woodwork and pottery.
Traditional music features drums, rattles, whistles, flutes, mouth harps, and stringed-instruments
and especially group singing accompanied by hand clapping.
[4]
There are songs for various ritual
occasions; one of the best-known Xhosa songs is a wedding song called "Qongqothwane,
performed by Miriam Makeba as "Click Song #1". Besides Makeba, several modern groups
record and perform in Xhosa. Missionaries introduced the Xhosa to Western choral
singing.
[4]
"Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika", part of the National anthem of South Africa is a Xhosa hymn
written in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga.
The first newspapers, novels, and plays in Xhosa appeared in the 19th century,
[4]
and Xhosa
poetry is also gaining renown.
Several films have been shot in the Xhosa language. U-Carmen eKhayelitsha is a modern
remake of Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen. It is shot entirely in Xhosa, and combines music from the
original opera with traditional African music. It takes place in the Cape Town township
ofKhayelitsha.
Xhosas in modern society[edit]

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2011)


Xhosa children in formerTranskei


Xhosa woman from the Transkei living in the Western Cape
Xhosa people currently make up approximately 18% of the South African population.
Under apartheid, adult literacy rates were as low as 30%,
[4]
and in 1996 studies estimated the
literacy level of first-language Xhosa speakers at approximately 50%.
[12]
There have been
advances since then, however.
Education in primary-schools serving Xhosa-speaking communities is conducted in isiXhosa, but
this is replaced by English after the early primary grades. Xhosa is still considered as a studied
subject, however, and it is possible to major in Xhosa at university level. Most of the students at
the University of Fort Hare speak isiXhosa.Rhodes University in Grahamstown, additionally,
offers courses in isiXhosa for both mother-tongue and non-mother-tongue speakers. These
courses both include a cultural studies component. Professor Russel H. Kaschula, Head of the
School of Languages at Rhodes, has published multiple papers on Xhosa culture and oral
literature.
The effects of government polices during the years of apartheid can still be seen in the poverty of
the Xhosa who still reside in the Eastern Cape. During this time, Xhosa males could only seek
employment in the mining industry as so-called migrant labourers. Since the collapse of
apartheid, individuals can move freely.
After the breakdown of apartheid, migration to Gauteng and Cape Town is increasingly common,
especially amongst rural Xhosa people.
[13]

Notable Xhosa[edit]
Main article: List of Xhosa people
See also[edit]
Languages of South Africa
South African Translators' Association
Xesibeland
References[edit]
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