Song No. 17

 1 i a pharama.
   It lies spread-eagled.
 Chorus:  Mutei ndi barapara.
   The novice is a silly little show-off.

The movement for this song is a succession of hops, in which the arms are held back and the legs kicked up backwards against the buttocks. (When I showed my photograph to women in another district, they said that the girl should have had her arms folded.)


One explanation is that after a girl has passed vhusha, she must walk and not run up to the ruler's head-quarters (a restriction common at most respectable girls' schools in England also!). Nor may she play Touch (bune) and other children's games on the way.

 


Next Song: Vhusha Song No. 18

 Video Clip

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