Azaghvana E-Book 2003 - Flipbook - Page 383
Plate 59e: VDE – used by ngwa kwalanglanga
Stool made from Acacia albida (gagha). A piece of trunk from a
tree carved into a shape with three legs. Two males sat on a vde
while they ritually refused to drink beer from a calabash during the
fstaha ceremony at the house of ngwa kwalanglanga. Such stools
were also used in everyday life, for example to offer a seat to a
visiting stranger.
Plate 59f: SUTEKE – used by ngwa kwalanglanga
Clay pot for fstaha (initiation ritual as part of dzum zugune). The
pot was also known as tughdhe dzum zugune. There are
knobbles around the narrow neck and line patterns around the
bowl. After the ngwa kwalanglanga completed their uphill
dance they went to the houses to do the ftsaha initiation
ceremony, with this pot being held by an unmarried girl wearing
a mathpasta (headband made of palm leaves – see Plate 52b). I
am not sure how big it was but it was said that suteke was a
smaller pot, although I doubt it was particularly small. It has
already been mentioned that suteke could be stored in the loft
(gude tighe) of the room of a husband's (zal thaghaya) first wife,
together with jahurimbe.
Plate 59g: NDAFA – also used during dzum zugune
Saucepot made of clay. Burnished and decorated around the rim. It
was used for sauce for meals and festivals. Was also used during
dzum zugune to celebrate fstaha but it had multiple ritual functions
(see chapter on the house as place of worship).
A ndafa pot was kept in the
'stomach' of thala to serve
beer and sauce to a deceased
father or grandfather.
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