“I’d like to thank all parents who have supported and encouraged their children to respect and observe the Reed Dance and for believing in me as their King. I heard the number 40,000… 15,000 and 120,000.

The march to the arena displays 40,000+ women in perfect step with one another, stomping and singing to the beat of their own march. Ruling since 1986, Mtswati III became the youngest monarch in the world when crowned at the age of 18.

As far as the business goes, the vendors buy their products wholesale from the ones who go out and gather the items.
It’s as if you were in an echo chamber, and it gives the area a charm that’s hard to put into works. The King is very direct and nothing is left to the imagination. If you take your own vehicle it gives you the flexibility to leave when you’re ready. The smells of meat being cooked and herbs meant for burning, singe your nostrils, while people shout out for you to look into their shop and try on their bracelets.

At that time the King acknowledges the maidens loyalty and gives them his blessings. “Most of us know that this year the ceremony is a little different from past years, this is caused by the fact that we are celebrating 12 years since the re-introduction if this ceremony. The idea of marching to honor the country and their history as a nation seems too romantic to pass up. One portion of the big-brother-Swazi-announcement was that young women are better off being trained as mothers early on. It has been rumored in the media that the dance is often where the King chooses a new bride; while it is not the cultural significance of the ceremony, current King Mtswati III has chosen at least three of his current brides from the dance. They are given a full day to rest, and the final two days are filled with pageantry, music and dancing in front of both the Queen Mother and his highness, the King. Swaziland’s Umhlanga Reed Dance. After days of panic, her mother was informed that she had been retrieved to perform royal duties for the king, and that she could not see her. From what I’ve been told, the entirety of the ceremony does not have to be completed by those who choose to participate [and yes it is voluntary, as the announcer frequently emphasizes through the loud speaker during the festivities]. https://eshowe.com/event/traditional-zulu-wedding-2-june-2018/. Maidens learn and understand the songs while the young princesses lead the virgins. The women sit by bushels of apples and buckets of grains to be sold; usually while stringing together a traditional beaded necklace. By then they are experienced chief maidens who act as advisors to the younger maidens – and are ready for married life. The tour to the Zulu Reed Dance leaves from Sugar Hill Manor and Zululand Backpackers in Eshowe at 8.00 am on the day of the Reed Dance, and returns before 7.00 pm, or when there is a consensus amongst the visitors.

Toward the completion of the event, the King honors the maidens and shows his appreciation for their loyalty by walking through the circles with his entourage, bowing in front of each group of girls. You do not want to step between a young girl and her opportunity to meet the King face-to-face. More than 25 000 Zulu virgins gather at the King’s Enyokeni Traditional Residence for this very colourful and meaningful ceremony every September which promotes respect for young women, and preserves the custom of keeping girls as virgins until marriage. The objects, all foreign to me, hung from the ceiling and covered any counter space available. This is done whilst delivering reed sticks, singing and dancing. It is an opportunity for the girls of the country and surrounding areas to celebrate their culture, and perhaps find a husband. With that, guards will collect her from the crowds and take her off to the palace, where she will be made a fiancé.

The Zulu Reed Dance ceremony is the key element of keeping young girls virgins until they are ready to get married. Tens of thousands participate in the week-long event; the last two days of which are the only two open to the public. Perched in an enclosed area above the produce vendors, sits a vibrant shopping mecca of hand-made, traditional, Swaziland crafts. Far outside of the Ezulwini Valley, seemingly shut off from the rest of the world are small, agricultural towns.

If an eligible maiden (eligible meaning that she does not have children, and is not married or engaged to another) chooses not to participate, the king’s messengers (or Indvuna) arrive at the home of those refraining involvement to collect one cow.
Please note that the Zulu Kings Reed dance is now on the 9th of September (https://eshowe.com/event/zulu-kings-reed-dance-2017/). At this stage the maidens are taught by senior females how to behave themselves and be proud of their virginity and naked bodies. The maidens wear ‘izigege’ and ‘izinculuba’ that show their bottoms. On the day of the ceremony the girls start walking to the main hut of the King’s palace. Full regimental attire, precise timing and uncompromised posture are required. I’m thinking the last one was an exaggeration, but you tell me. When asked how many more there were, he replied: “more than I could count!” The number seems inconsequential to the people of Swazi. The true finale to the Umhlanga happens the day after the two public days. The national parks of Swaziland are often overlooked by tourists because of the popular Kruger National Park, which is right over the border. Most of the maidens walked with swords; royalty usually wielded the real deal, while many others used lookalikes. This ceremony is still close to the heart of many traditional leaders and citizens. We are fighting against the high number of orphans, we know the Government and councils are constantly making us aware of ways to prevent the spread of this disease once one has it. The girls participating are distinguished by their variations on traditional dress which represent the regions they traveled from. Day 1 of the two-day pageantry didn’t give the King much interaction between the women, other than a seat observing from a distance and a final bow to the maidens as the day concluded. Today however, the traditions have been modified slightly, allowing the girls to be shuttled to the riverbank after walking half of the distance; upon retrieving the reeds they again are allowed to be shuttled back half of the distance. I encourage you to keep on doing so. Thank you to all who have helped make this day possible. Traditional ceremonies like this occur just beneath Swazi, in South Africa, as well. In 2001, the King invoked a new ordinance stating that it was now illegal for those under the age of 18 and unmarried to engage in any sexual acts. Whether for tribute to the king, their country, their sisters, themselves, or for the hell of a good time; we have witnessed a display of enthusiasm for country that need prove itself to no outsider. They are led by the senior princess. The rumors that the ceremony is for the King to pick a new bride are not considered to be true in the eyes of the people of the country, however it is a possibility. Shields and beaded necklaces sit in piles, while the walls are lined seamlessly with original Swazi paintings, printed fabrics, Mswati III clothing and carved wooden models of Africa’s “big five.”. A portion of the ceremony requires the girls to hike to a riverbank some 70 kilometers away, gather reeds and return them to the doorstep of the Queen Mother in order to help repair some of the traditional structures within the royal compound. Zulu Maiden In Umemulo Traditional Beaded Accessories and Yellow Patterned Skirt Anita.


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