After the last day of domba, when the girls have been dressed in their passing-out uniform and have paid their fees at the chief's place, they to the home of the master of initiation. If there are girls who come from far, this may be done in the late afternoon of the last day, as well as on the following morning. Each girl pays him (25 cents in 1958), and he gives them the milayo of the concluding rites of domba and of the uniform that they are wearing, especially the bangles and the married woman's skirt (tshirivha). This event is called mahundoni. Mahundo is said to be the same as mapfundo = knots; but it also could be derived from -hunda (close up, draw together) and refer to the tying of the skirt and of the bangles that are both worn over the head and attached to the tassels of the skirt. It also refers to the final state of the girls at the end of initiation, now ready for marriage and child-birth: the references to tying up (-vhofha) are the opposite of those referring to child-birth, in which a woman 'comes undone' (-vhofholowa). The milayo of the leather skirt are sometimes called milayo ya tshikanda (piece of leather or hide), and they may be given at tshikanda, the intermediary initiation school. In several parts of Vendaland, they are not given by the master of initiation, but by the old ladies when the girls return home. In view of what I have suggested about the history of Venda girls' initiation schools, it may be significant that those masters of initiation who are members of the pre-conquest clans, conduct this final rite of domba at their own homes. It is an assertion of the pattern of authority which existed before the schools were nationalised by the ancestors of the present ruling clans. There is a similar situation for the rites of the girls' school, sungwi, which has been introduced to Vendaland during the last century: these are still held entirely at the home of the 'owner' and organiser of the school, who is always a doctor. The married woman's leather skirt is referred to as tshirivha, nguvho, and tshikanda. The master points to its different parts as he gives the milayo. Patterns of decorations and the position of the parts differ from one skirt to another. The photo (above) shows a group of new graduates in uniform outside a trading store on the main road from Louis Trichart to Sibasa.

213	Tshikanda tshi si sukiwa the leather skin before it is dressed:	Vhasidzana vha tshi khou kwevha girls who are still lengthening their labia. (See No. 134.)
214	Arali mahundo a vhofhiwa hafa if the knots are tied here [he points to the two flaps at the top corners of the skirt]:	Muthu o imelwaho nga a woman whose monthlies have stopped [i.e. she is expecting a baby, and will become 'untied' only when it is born].

This mulayo explains the real meaning of mahundone, and also emphasises that a fundamental aim of domba is to prepare girls for child-birth. Before giving the milayo Nos. 214-218, the 'hind-legs' at the top are bound with the cord that goes round the waist, and grains of maize are inserted.

215	Ngomu hu na thoro: thoro tshena inside [the flaps of the skirt] there are [sewn] grains of maize: the white grains:	Vhanna men.
216	Thoro tswuku the red grains:	Vhasadzi women.
217	Thoro ntswu the black grains:	Vhakegulu old ladies.
218	Vha tshi khakhamula if they undo them [to reveal the seeds inside]:	Lu khou lila lutshetshe an infant is crying.
219	Thambo dzo vhofhaho the rope which holds up the skirt:	Muvhofho wa vhafumakadzi the girdle worn after child-birth by married noblewomen.
220	Mutshila wa nguvho the tail of the skirt [in the middle]:	Luunzhi wa Denga Denga's spike [lit. awl].
221	Zwinyili (dzinyeli) hezwi na hezwi the tabs that are sewn on either side [of the tail at the top]:	Zwitshende zwa zwitukana the testicles of little boys.
222	Zwinyili zwa hangei fhasi those tabs at the bottom corners:	Milevhe ya vhasidzana na vhasadzi: ndi makwevhelo the labia of girls and women: which have been pulled. (See No. 134.)
One master always added comments at this point, such as: "those things you spent all day pulling. Wasn't it a waste of time! You must forget all that sort of thing now, despite it, spit at it. Don't ever do it again. You've grown up."
223	the tassels hanging at the side:	Mutshila wa kholomo a cow's tail.
224	Fhasi ha at the tips of the tassels:	dza thunzi flies' heads.
225	Vhukunda hovhu the bangles attached to the tassels:	Vhanna men
226	a tshirivha the eyes of the skirt [the two 'buttons' near the bottom]:	Ndalama dza large Venda cowrie shells [worn as ornaments].
227	Murungo wa nguvho the seam of the skirt [sewn two or three inches above the 'eyes']:	Murungo wa vhatukana the urethra of boys.
228	Haya (, mapulumbu) these rough areas where the skin has been cut [pointing to the incised decorations]:	dza thunzi flies' heads.
229	Vhukati ha nguvho the centre of the skin [where there are often circular decorations]:	Tshigala-phende where the privy parts sit.
230	Danga fumi the ten concentric circles [of the decorations] [I never saw one single circle, but rather two patterns, each with five circles]:	Tshilivhu tsha khomba. Arali wa dzula nga , wa tou kuvhatedza: tshi tswuka nga malofha a vhasadzi a maiden's vulva. If you sit down when you are menstruating, you must cover yourself carefully: and be sure that your skirt is not soiled with women's blood.

Many Venda are fastidiously clean; and even if some may fall short of the ideals, cleanliness and neatness are highly valued. Thus I found that this mulayo was often followed by further advice on personal hygiene, such as the following: "You must be equally careful when you are making love to a man. You must not take your salempore cloth and spread it out, in case semen falls on to it when your lover withdraws. How will you be able to clean your cloth nicely? A little spot will still be visible."

230a

Madanga a nguvho the circular decorations on the skirt:

Magona a lutshele the knees of the green water frog.

Formerly, each novice gave the master two and a half gourds (zwikumbu) full of beer as payment for his instruction. In 1957 and 1958, he still gave the milayo of the gourd, although he received two shillings and six pence from each girl.

231	Ri a dzhia phaphana ra vhea: phaphana yo we take a small gourd of beer and put it down: when it is full:	Vhasidzana girls.
232	Ndi tshi longa muritho when the froth spills over the edge:	na musidzana a lad and a girl.
233	I tshi fhufhumela when the froth spills over the edge:	Vhanna men
234	Ndi tshi longa khavho: ndi tshi ka luthihi when I put in a calabash cup: and take a draught:	Musadzi o bebaho luthili a woman who has borne one child.
235	Ndi tshi ka luvhili the second draught:	Musadzi o bebaho luvhili a woman who has borne two children.
236	Ndi tshi ka luraru the third draught:	Musadzi a na vhana vhararu a woman with three thildren.
237	Masipho the dregs:	Vhakegulu old ladies.

These are similar to those for the winnowing tray (Nos. 210 ff.) The 'progress' of a gourd of beer is compared to the life-cycle of a woman.

238	Lubomoni the rim of the gourd:	Maremu a a sa athu naka the toothless gums of an infant.
239	Hangei madzudzeloni a phaphana there where the gourd sits nicely on the ground:	Mavhunu a vhabvana the buttocks of young married women, who have one child.
240	Ni tshi hayani: ni wana halwa vhunzhi: halwa ha muthenga. Vha ni laya vha vhuhadzi: vha muthenga When you go home: you will find that a lot of beer has been brewed for you. Your future husband's people will instruct you: they will take out that feather from your head.
241	Muthenga the feather [stuck into the novices' hair: it should be an ostrich feather]:	ya Lombe: ndi murunzi ndo ya Vhutonga nda vhuya nawo Musisida, the big bird of Lombe: that is, your shadow: I went to the south and I returned with it.
242	He wa ngaho where is it pushed in:	Munna a konaho a potent man.
243	yawo the tip of the feather:	Munna wa tsilu a fool [an impotent man].

Other milayo are the same as those for the feather on the pole (cf. Nos. 197 ff.) The rib and interior of the feather may also be called the 'spine' and 'stomach' of a crocodile. These are often followed by several of the body milayo (Nos. 181-187), beginning with that for the special tonsure (No. 181).

244	Muthenga wa nungu: tshena the porcupine quill: the white part:	Vhanna men.
245	Ntswu the black part:	Vhakegulu old ladies.
246	Mapala the big bows on the backs of your necklaces:	Mirungo ya vhatukana the urethrae of boys.
247	(phidane) the long twisted necklace hangingdown the front:	Musadzi o pfukaho , o a woman who is missing her monthlies, who is tied up (cf. No. 214, above).
248	A tshi when she untwists the long necklace:	Hu lila lutshetshe an infant cries (cf. No. 218, above).
249	Mipakato heyo: ngeno those necklaces hanging over your shoulders and across your chests: this one here [on the left].	-muroxwe a green snake.
250	Ngeo that one (on the right):	grass snake.

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