Secret Initiation Songs of the Shangana-Tsonga Circumcision Rite

ous African groups. The group referred here are Shangana-Tsonga, who adopted name of an ancient chieftain as a distinguishing prefix. They number about 1,200,000 in Mozambique and 700,000 in Transvaal. From 19681970 they were subject of a folkloristic study I conducted under a grant from Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. The Tsonga mzrhundzu circumcision rite is a mandatory initiation into manhood, and severe hazing that accompanies it may be related intensity of Tsonga mother-son tie, which is broken at this time. The rite is organized every five years by a visiting Pedi medicine man known as muxeki (from ku xeka, to cut with a knife). Licensed by local chief, he receives payment in cattle, goats, fowl, beer, or cash and also collects small payments from novices, who are known as va ka hogo. The term, an obscenity with sexual connotations, derives from shouts of hogo! which novices are required direct at women approaching lodge bring food. The learning of a group of secret circumcision songs is considered an extremely important part of this rite of passage; songs contain much verbal symbolism and, as a form of credential in later life and in strange villages, they constitute proof that circumcision was not acquired in a white man's clinic. Failure learn songs results in social ostracism and ineligibility for marriage. Drum accompaniment is not used for fear of violating secrecy prescriptions. The songs given here were tape-recorded by recent initiates who agreed divulge songs and their secret meanings only after much hesitation and because the University says that it will help people understand us. When chief's council and visiting medicine man have agreed upon time of rite, instructions are sent out for uncircumcised boys, youths, and young men assemble. The novices are first shaved, then beaten in line, chief's nephew first. This and order of marching reflect social status and hier

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