Xhosa people

Xhosa refers to a collection of South African clans that includes a tribe called the Xhosa as well as the Bomvana, Pondo, and Thembu. They are also known as the Red Blanket People or Red Ones because they favor the color red when using body paint, and their apparel frequently includes orangey-red blankets. Once immigrants who managed to keep the fierce Zulu tribe at bay, the Xhosa became the second-largest cultural group in South Africa. The Xhosa ethnic group has several famous members, including activist and former South African president Nelson Mandela and Anglican bishop and activist Desmond Tutu.

Background

The Black South African population includes four ethnic groups: the Nguni, Tsonga, Sotho, and Venda. Nearly two-thirds of this population are Nguni, and this group is further divided into four ethnic subgroups: the Northern-Central Nguni, or Zulus; the Swazi; the Ndebele; and the Southern Nguni, or Xhosa. The Xhosa are second only to the Zulu in population.

Historians believe the Nguni people separated into different groups beginning in the 1600s because of the violent political climate and escalating warfare that occurred during the reign of Shaka Zulu. The tribal communities of that time were led by chiefs who gave their names to the tribes, and there were often rivalries among them. According to the oral tradition of the Xhosa, the followers of a chief named Twashe defeated those who followed his half-brother, Cirha, and Jwarha, another chief who supported Cirha. Cirha had founded what became the Xhosa but, according to most versions of the tale, was never fully its ruler. Some historians speculate Cirha may not have been old enough to have gone through the traditional ritual that completes a boy's transition to manhood and so was not considered a formal chief.

Twashe, his followers, and his descendants continued to expand the size and reach of the Xhosa. They became farmers and raised cattle, which became central to their economy and culture, as well as pigs, goats, poultry, and sheep. They also grew a number of crops, including grains, beans, watermelons, and pumpkins. Despite their farming lifestyle, the Xhosa moved westward as they expanded their territory by conquest or assimilation.

They encountered a challenge from the Europeans who wanted to settle land used by the Xhosa. Clashes and fighting occurred over the territory and the rights to use the water and other resources on the land. One hundred years of fighting occurred in what became known as the Cape Frontier Wars, which began in 1779 and continued through much of the nineteenth century until 1879. Nine main conflicts happened during this time. The Xhosa also fought a cultural battle against European missionaries who wanted to convert the Xhosa from their ancient beliefs to Christianity.

The Xhosa have also been engaged in a rivalry with the Zulus that has, at times, erupted into a civil war. Frequent clashes between small groups supporting different political positions continued through the end of the twentieth century. In the twenty-first century, South African governmental officials continued efforts to unify the Indigenous groups, which Nelson Mandela began during his presidency in 1994.

Overview

Historically, the Xhosa lived in tight-knit communities in round homes made of interwoven sticks covered in branches and topped with thatched roofs. Cattle ownership and trading were indicative of wealth and the foundation of the economy; this was evidenced by the way the homes were built in a protective semicircle around the cattle enclosure. Primary food sources were maize, or corn, and a fermented beer-like beverage.

Although many now practice Christianity with the addition of some of their ancient tribal practices, the Xhosa traditionally worshipped both a creator and their ancestors. Many of their rituals involved invoking the protection and guidance of the creator in great things, such as natural disasters, and the ancestors, for the daily needs of their descendants. For centuries, the Xhosa believed that their ancestors spoke to them in dreams. This nearly ruined the Xhosa people in the 1850s, when a young girl named Nongquase dreamed that the ancient warrior ancestors told her that the people should purify themselves by killing their cattle, destroying their crops, and not planting for the new season. The people acted on this prophecy, and more than twenty thousand of them died of starvation, and tens of thousands more moved away in search of food.

Traditionally, Xhosa men and women had rigid, distinct roles. Men tended to the cattle and taught the boys the skills they would need, while women tended the home, children, and farms. Males and females had specific forms of dress that reflected their age and status. For women, this included headdresses that became increasingly elaborate with age. Garments and body coloring for both men and women featured the deep red color that gained the tribe the designation as the Red Blanket People. Both genders underwent specific rites of initiation into adulthood. Historically, this included a time of seclusion for the teens, with boys being kept away for weeks at a time, as well as food restrictions. At one time, boys were circumcised in a group ceremony, but this is rarely, if at all, practiced in the twenty-first century. However, the Xhosa people still maintain some of the rights of initiation, and both boys and girls are not considered to be of responsible or marriageable age until they have completed the rights. Many Xhosa people continue to farm and raise livestock in South Africa's Eastern Cape province.

The Xhosa language is a Bantu language called isiXhosa, which includes many distinctive clicks, pops, and other sounds made with the tongue. It is one of over thirty-five spoken languages of South Africa and one of the country's twelve official languages, spoken by eight to nine million people. It is similar to a number of other African languages, and speakers of one can often understand some words of others. However, they are unique languages with different cultural roots. Fans of the Marvel Comics movies are familiar with the Xhosa language; the character Black Panther speaks it in the 2016 movie Captain America: Civil War. The character is from a fictional South African country, but one of the actors involved in the project speaks Xhosa and suggested it be used in the film.

Bibliography

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