Tshivhamboni na - IN THE COUNCIL HUT AND IN THE DWELLING HUT   Many of these milayo are first heard at vhusha and tshikanda, so that their inclusion at domba is in the nature of revision. Girls often recite the 'answers' without the usual interjection "Fhira' ri ye, Khomba!", and so the rhythmic play on words in the first four (Nos. 69-72) creates an impression of verse. Nos. 69-73 should be recited by each girl as she stands outside the entrance of the council hut which faces the public courtyard (khoro). Every girl who is undergoing vhusha, even if she has finished domba, must kneel down humbly (-losha) before and after reciting these milayo. Their importance as passwords for entering the council hut was stressed by a master who said "Ni dzhena nga milayo" (you enter by means of the milayo). No. 69 teaches that a mature woman must kneel whenever she enters tshivhambo. Nos. 70-72 refer to the novice's new sexual roles: as they are recited, the novice touches respectively the left, right, and cross-beams of the door-frame. After No. 73, but not before, she steps over the doorstep into the hut, and is greeted with ululations.   69 Tshiukhuvha doorstep: Tshankhukhu tsho khukhula khomba, thungamamu a i khukhulwi the tripper has tripped up the maiden; the girl [with budding breasts] does not trip. 70 Ngeno here, on this side: Munzeru munzerula khomba, thungamamu a i nzerulwi the stripper strips off the maiden; the girl is not stripped. 71 Ngeo over there, on that side: (sometimes munna) khomba, thungamamu a i the tearer [man] tears off the maiden; the girl is not torn. 72 Tshiaramo the top cross-beam over the door: tsho tzika khomba, thungamamu a i tzikwi that which breaks me has pressed down on the maiden; the girl has not been pressed down. 73 Vhukupe the mud floor: a) Vhasadzi married woman. b) Vho-mmane my mother's sister or co-wife [whom a girl approaches when she first menstruates].   Three alternative milayo are given below. Several others for the council hut have been published by van Warmelo (1932:49-51).   69a Tshiukhuvha doorstep: Musadzi married woman. 72a Tshiaramo the top cross-beam over the door: Munna man. 72b Tshiaramo the top cross-beam over the door: a) - marunda ( - mahada) it broke my neck [shoulders]. b) Nyasimpwanye marunda anga the presser down of my neck. 74 i no ya tshivhamboni the path that leads up to the council hut: Lutsinga lwa vhatukana the long vein of boys [referring to the penis and in particular the urethra].   Most of the milayo which refer to the door, do not apply to a council hut, whose two entrances can be closed only by people standing in the way. Thus they refer to features of an ordinary hut (), although they are often included under the general rubric, tshivhamboni. means 'doorway', and can refer to the entrance of any hut, but vothi refers only to the wooden door itself.   75 wo (vothi yo) valwa the doorway [door] was closed: Musadzi a na thumbu a pregnant woman. 76 wo (vothi yo) vulwa the doorway [door] was open: Musadzi o vhofholowa a woman has given birth. 77 uyu na ? this doorway and that? [i.e. the one leading on to the courtyard, and the other leading up to the chief's place]: Uyu ndi mubva-khomba: ndi mubva-vhakegulu this is the exit for maidens, and that is for old ladies. In other words, one door of the council hut must be used by women who menstruate, and the other by those who do not. 78 Vothi the door: a) midza / an iron amulet has swallowed the strings. b) a crocodile. is an iron amulet attached to a string worn round the neck. Each amulet represents a deceased ancestor. 79 Mabuli a vothi the holes in the door: Ningo dza the nostrils of a crocodile. 80 Muhanga-mmbwa wa vothi wa the upper part of the door frame: Munna o siaho vhura dzundeni a man who has left his bow in the chief's field. 81 Wa fhasi the lower part of the door-frame: Munna a songo siaho vhura dzundeni a man who has not left his bow in the chief's field. 82 Mutshila wa vothi the hinge-pin of the door: Mutshende penis. 83 Tshiuludza na tshivhaso the apex of the roof (where the poles come together) and the fire-place: () khomba dza -mekanywe there the maidens are brought together. This refers to the apex of the roof, where the soot from the fire collects. 84 Fhasi tshivaso the fire-place below: a) Musidzana a girl. b) Musadzi a lad. 85 tshiuludzani the apex of the roof above: a) a lad. b) Munna a man. Nos. 84 and 85 seem to be more in the nature of an explanation of No. 83, because fire milayo are given as follows 86 Tshivhaso the fire-place: a) Shimba ndau the lion's paw. b) Khubvukhubvuni ya (? of a child).   Thereafter, Nos. 39-43 may be given, or simply a statement such as "Hoyu mulilo u re ha fhano tshivhamboni: u kha fana na wa khoroni" (This fire of yours which is here in the council hut: is just the same as that in the courtyard). Note that mulilo refers specifically to the fire and not to the fire-place.   87 Mutumbu wa tshivhambo, haya (mavu) as for the body [lit. corpse] of the council hut, this mud plastering: Thindi () dza vhathu the flesh [meat] of human beings. 88 e na ngao the water with which you mixed the clay: Malofha a vhathu human blood. 89 Mbalelo the wattling (which is put along the walls of the hut): Mbabvu dza vhathu human ribs. 90 Mbalelo dzi songo swikaho wattling which has not been joined: Munna a sa koni an impotent man. 91 Basha tsinde the poles that support the walls [lit. tree trunk]: a) Marambo a vhathu human bones. b) Mufhanda muri wo fhandaho Thovhela na Tshishonge the rain tree [Lonchocarpus capassa Rolfe] that marked the boundary between [lit. separated] Thovhela and Tshishonge. (See No. 48.) 92 Basha the poles of the roof: muri wo Thovhela na Tshishonge the large tree that built for Thovhela and Tshishonge. (See No. 48). 93 Muthambi (muleme) wa fhasi the rack near the courtyard [lit. below]: Mulala-vhungu the Milky Way. 94 Muthambi (muleme) wa the rack near the chief's place [lit. above]: Musinga-vhadzimu, ndi mugo wa Vho-Luvhimbi a rainbow, which is the staff of Vho-Luvhimbi.   Compare Nos. 93 and 94 with Nos. 33 and 34. Muleme is the name of a tree, but in this context the racks may be called muleme because of a rite of domba, called mulemeni, in which each novice must hang from them like a bat (mulemalema). The Milky Way and the rainbow are compared to the male and female principles, but I found some confusion among masters of initiation as to which was which: some said that the Milky Way represented the softness of the female and the rainbow the erection of the male, whilst others argued that the whiteness of the Milky Way was male and the colours (especially red) of the rainbow represented the female.   95 () the carved wood with the spike (at the apex of the roof): Ndamba-lupenyo lightening conductor (lit. refuser of lightning). 96 Tshidzinge-dzinge tsha the wattling that is twisted round and binds the poles at the apex of the roof: a) Tshinnyo tsha khomba a maiden's little fanny. b) Khumba snail shell. 97 Luvhalelo lwo tevhelelaho: ndi mathabwane the next ring of wattling [second from the top] which is called mathabwane: Netshikulwe (a man's name). 98 Luvhalelo lwo tevhelelaho: ndi the next ring of wattling (third from the top), which is called : Tsimbi ntswu black iron (wire). (This refers to the soot on the wattling.) 99 Hatsi ho fulelaho the grass with which the roof is thatched: Lufhe a species of long grass. 100 Dzina the name of the roof: Matidze-ndi-si-vhulawe: ndi bonze Nya- Matidze-I-will-not-be-killed: the long hair-do of Nyamulanalwo. 101 Yo tumuliwaho hatsi where the grass is trimmed (i.e. the edge of the roof): Tsie dza vhalidzi the eyelashes of mourners. 102 Mvula I tshi bva hatsini kha when the rain comes through the grass on the roof: Domba tshinyala: vhasidzana vha hone vho tshinywa nga Domba has been spoilt: some girls there have been deflowered by boys. 103 Arali ni tshi vhona hu na If you see an axe (in the hut): Famba muthu a person's shoulder-blade. 104 wa the axe-handle: lwa muthu a person's elbow. 105 a whetstone: Tshikalaha tsha a little old man's forehead. 106 a block of wood for cutting things on: Tshikalahe tsha khundu a little old man's waist. 107 Tshisiamelo headrest: Kungwa-, ndi mbudzi-ya-midzimu the one tied to the hut, the goat for sacrifice to the ancestor-spirits. 108 Shevho (mukumba) a dressed hide (a hide): Mbudzi pfumbu ya musanda the blue-grey goat of the chief's place. 109 Thovho a grass mat: Muali wa musanda the one who spreads out at the chief's place. 110 Tshitimbi tshidala a string of blue and white beads: Mukegulu a sa vhoni an old lady who no longer sees her monthlies.  Next  To return, click 'Back' in the browser.