Ukuthwasa
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Ukuthwasa is a Southern African culture-bound syndrome associated with the calling and the initiation process to become a sangoma, a type of traditional healer. In the cultural context of traditional
iThwasa after drinking the blood of a goat at a sangoma initiation (Ukuthwasa) ceremony
An initiate (ithwasa) being led towards the goat that will be sacrificed at her initiation into becoming a sangoma
Tsonga traditional healers celebrate at initiation dedicated to the Ndau spirit
Nguni peoples
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The Nguni peoples are an ethnolinguistic group of Bantu ethnic groups native to Southern Africa where they form the single largest ethnolinguistic community.
Ukuthwasa
…among the Xhosa people and Zulu people. The training and thus healing practices and understanding varies across different African communities, including Nguni people, and Xesibe people. In the culture of traditional healers of Southern Africa, the significance of ukuthwasa extends beyond the individual initiate…
A Swazi traditional house displayed at the Eswatini National Museum, 2026
A traditional Nguni homestead from a Xhosa village in South Africa, c. 1900
A Nguni drum displayed at the Eswatini National Museum in Lobamba
Necklace made from dog's teeth, used in religious ceremonies of the Nguni peoples. Museum of Gems and Jewellery, Cape Town