Culture shock

I’ve got a real thing for ancient civilisations and cultures. Although my initial interest may have been prompted by Eric Bana in Troy and Orlando Bloom in Kingdom of Heaven – the fact remains – ancient history rocks.

There’s something fascinating about the daily life of civilisations thousands of years ago – were they motivated by the same things as us? Our fundamental drives are innate – so it seems logical to assume that however repressed or decadent their lifestyles may have been, they had similar concerns to all of us.

What really hooks me in is the way in which their lives were so completely immersed in mythology and spirituality. Whether it be the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Aztecs or Mayans – their entire world centred around complete devotion to the spiritual realm.

Which is why my most recent task at work, a feature on cultural tourism in Limpopo, has been an absolute joy to write. Despite a fair amount of travelling around South Africa, and even Limpopo, I had no idea such a rich culture, still clinging onto its mythological beliefs from so long ago, still existed just a few hours from Jozi.

So my dear readers – it is time for you to get a brief class in VhaVenda Culture 101…

Mphephu village is a sacred burial ground for VhaVenda chiefs. An interesting burial ritual is practiced here. Many years ago, a VhaVenda chief noticed that crocodiles swallowed rocks – and he decided that this was the reason for its strength. So he decided to swallow a small white rock himself. As part of the Mphephu burial ceremony, the chief is put on top of a wooden stack, until the body has completely decomposed. Eventually, the white rock fell out of the deceased chief’s decomposed stomach – and it became tradition for his successor to swallow the same white rock to inherit his strength. This tradition still continues.

Also in Limpopo, you will find the Thathe Vondo sacred forest. No one walks in the sacred forest for fear of disturbing its two resident guards and the ancestral spirits, one of which is a white lion, a spirit of the deceased Chief Nethathe. The second is the lightning bird, known as Ndadzi, which flies on wings of thunders, its eyes flash lighting and in its beak it bears the rain. If it lays an egg at the foot of a tree, it instantly bursts into flames.

Other sacred spots include Lwamondo hill – where a troop of sacred baboons keep watch for the local community. Their task is to warn the local people of intruders, and the baboons have been protected by the VhaVenda for many years.

Lastly, Lake Fundudzi, the sacred lake. It is believed that once a leper came to the local village to beg for food. When he was refused, he put a curse on the village, and the floods engulfed the entire settlement. The VhaVenda believe that the dead live on at the bottom of its sacred water. It is also believed that it is home to the God of Fertility, the python – who must be offered plenty of beer and virgins in order to be kept content. The VhaVenda people will not look on the lake directly, but instead will only view it by looking through their legs. They also will not touch its waters, as they believe they will break out in sores.

Cool huh?