Tangoma Graduation Ceremony, Lomahasha, Swaziland
odd: label: Local Number
content: HSFA 1983.7.2
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: 3 Film reels (2 hours 20 minutes, color sound silent; 2100 feet, S8mm)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1980
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 depicting the three-day initiation and graduation rites of tangoma, Swazi diviners and herbalists who are acknowledged for their ability to communicate with the ancestors and to diagnose and treat illness. Footage includes scenes of an all-night session of singing, drumming, and dancing in the chief sangoma's homestead; preparations of food, medicine, and an altar; the consumption by initiates of food prepared with medicine followed by ritual emesis; ritual interrogations of candidates to test their divinatory powers; riverbank ceremony at which initiates become possessed by ancestors; and final processional dance of tangoma, graduates, and kinsmen.

Legacy Keywords: Mr. and Mrs. Mahlalela diviner "sangoma" Swaziland; Ceremony drumming dancing singing ; Ritual altar ancestors colors symbolic objects medicines ; Ritual animal sacrifice purification blood confession vomiting ; Drumming drums double membrane kettle drums ; Ritual preparations space medicines ; Ritual vomiting induced feather "washing the stomach" ; Adornment initiates hairstyle plaiting rubbed with red clay ; Adornment ceremony initiates necklaces leg rattles beads vests ; Speech stylized initiates diviners interrogation "goo-peng-mula" ; Rites of passage separation testing reincorporation ; Drumming polyrhythms drumming techniques entertainment ; Ceremonial dress headdress feathers red royalty clanship ; Spirit possession drumming water spirits shaking ; Ritual animal sacrifice blood bath ; Feasting food preparation cooking goats chickens ; Taboo ritual animal sacrifice disposal of bones ; Rites of passage transition spirit possession initiates crawling return to homestead ; Rites of passage initiates seclusion hut ; Dancing ceremony choreography counterclockwise processional ; Dancing ceremony staffs headdresses animal pelts ; Ceremony conclusion moral instruction chief diviner ; Rites and ceremonies ; Music ; Instruments musical instruments ; Language and culture