Rubén Villanueva Caba
UMHLANGA, QUEEN BY A DANCE
There is a place in the world where you can be Queen by a dance. If you are the chosen, you will be the number 14 and you will have a luxurious life in a poor country called Swaziland.
Swaziland is surrounded by South Africa to the north and west, and by Mozambique to the east. At the begining of the Anglo Boer war (1899), Britain placed Swaziland under its direct jurisdiction as a Protectorate. Swaziland became independent in 1968.
General information:
· Land use.- Arable land 11%; permanent pastures 62%; forests 7%
· Population .- 929.718
· Area.- 17.363 sq Km (it is similar to Cuenca in Spain)
· Infant mortality rate.- 167/1000 population
· Life expectancy at birth.- 40 years
· Ethnic groups.- Swazis 97%; European 3%
· Languages.- English and Siswazi
· Government type.- Absolute monarchy (since 1986 the King Mswati III is the Head of State)
· Natural resources.- Coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone and talc.
· Religions.- Protestant 65%; Muslin 10%; Roman Catholic 5%;indigenous beliefs 30%
· Swaziland has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world (40% of people living with the disease).
· The subsistence of 2/3 of the population depend on the international aid.
The Zulu and Swazi name for the Common Reed is Umhlanga. It is a traditional ritual where forty to fifty thousand of Swaziland’s maidens dance with their traditional attire. The dance provides the occasion for them to honour and pay homage to the Queen Mother. It takes around August when the reed has matured. The initial reason for this tradition was to encourage young women to abstain from sexual activities and preserve their virginity until they were mature enough to get married. The King is allowed to pick one of the maidens to be his bride. Nowadays Mswati III (the King) has 13 wives and in 2005 wasted 14 million dollars (the health budget for six months) to build a palace for each one.
Umhlanga was a tradition but nowadays is the hope to reach a new life for maidens whose don’t have future. Is it King’s whim or the resignation of the people?
UMHLANGA, QUEEN BY A DANCE
There is a place in the world where you can be Queen by a dance. If you are the chosen, you will be the number 14 and you will have a luxurious life in a poor country called Swaziland.
Swaziland is surrounded by South Africa to the north and west, and by Mozambique to the east. At the begining of the Anglo Boer war (1899), Britain placed Swaziland under its direct jurisdiction as a Protectorate. Swaziland became independent in 1968.
General information:
· Land use.- Arable land 11%; permanent pastures 62%; forests 7%
· Population .- 929.718
· Area.- 17.363 sq Km (it is similar to Cuenca in Spain)
· Infant mortality rate.- 167/1000 population
· Life expectancy at birth.- 40 years
· Ethnic groups.- Swazis 97%; European 3%
· Languages.- English and Siswazi
· Government type.- Absolute monarchy (since 1986 the King Mswati III is the Head of State)
· Natural resources.- Coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone and talc.
· Religions.- Protestant 65%; Muslin 10%; Roman Catholic 5%;indigenous beliefs 30%
· Swaziland has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world (40% of people living with the disease).
· The subsistence of 2/3 of the population depend on the international aid.
The Zulu and Swazi name for the Common Reed is Umhlanga. It is a traditional ritual where forty to fifty thousand of Swaziland’s maidens dance with their traditional attire. The dance provides the occasion for them to honour and pay homage to the Queen Mother. It takes around August when the reed has matured. The initial reason for this tradition was to encourage young women to abstain from sexual activities and preserve their virginity until they were mature enough to get married. The King is allowed to pick one of the maidens to be his bride. Nowadays Mswati III (the King) has 13 wives and in 2005 wasted 14 million dollars (the health budget for six months) to build a palace for each one.
Umhlanga was a tradition but nowadays is the hope to reach a new life for maidens whose don’t have future. Is it King’s whim or the resignation of the people?
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