Tangoma Graduation Ceremony, Gege, Swaziland
odd: label: General
content: HSFA 1983.7.1
name: label: Collection Filmmaker
content: Sully, Paul, 1949-
label: Collection Sound designer
content: Gardsbane, Diane
setName: label: See more items in
content: Paul Sully films of Tangoma graduation ceremonies
physdesc: label: Extent
content: Film reels (52 minutes, color silent; 1440 feet)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1981
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Film reels
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Full film record documenting the rites of initiation and graduation of tangoma, Swazi herbalists and spirit mediums who are respected for their ability to communicate with ancestral spirits. Tangoma (singular sangoma) provide information about illness and misfortune and, through their training, heal with the use of herbs and other traditional medicines. Footage includes session of all-night drumming, singing, and dancing in the chief sangoma's homestead; processional dancing in the open compound; interior shots of the sangoma's dwelling showing ritual paraphernalia; test during which initiates must find a lost goat; and ritual interrogations of the trainees by tangoma.

Legacy Keywords: Ceremony drumming dancing singing ; Ritual colors symbolic objects medicines ; Ritual animal sacrifice adornment goats bladders ; Drumming drums double membrane kettle drums ; Ritual preparations space medicines ; Alcoholic beverages beer drinking ritual specialist ceremony ; Adornment initiates hairstyle plaiting rubbed with red clay ; Adornment ceremony initiates necklaces leg rattles beads vests ; Speech stylized initiates diviners interrogation ; Rites of passage separation testing reincorporation ; Drumming polyrhythms drumming techniques entertainment ; Rites of passage initiates seclusion hut ; Dancing ceremony choreography counterclockwise processional ; Dancing ceremony ritual specialist whistles whigs ; Ritual dancing paraphenalia staffs fly wisks vests ; Animal sacrifice spear blood basin ; Rites and ceremonies ; Music ; Instruments musical instruments ; Language and culture