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Julie Thompson-Dobkin's avatar

Cool and bizarre...perhaps cheaper than the rituals of Americans...the significance derived from?

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Rebecca Kalin's avatar

Yes, but so much gaiety! Running back and forth, back and forth. They were like kids chasing each other on a playground. Great pride and happiness when the bile collar went onto the father-in-laws wrist. Extended family is a big deal there.

It was such a privilege to see this while innocence still prevailed.--pre-internet and AIDS. Though there are today still cow bride price payments, it is now often (more often?) cash.

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Rob Edwards's avatar

“A horse, a horse, a kingdom for a cow's bile duct!"

"Try again Richard, let's hope third time lucky" came the disarmingly softening voice of the Gentle Promptress.

"Brill Rebecca, simply brill.”

At one end of a see-saw I found Lobola 1. At the other end of same see-saw I now find Lobola 2. Lobola 1 & 2 are but part of your building sequence of 100w of tales extruded from today's Eswatini as was formerly the area labelled onto reference maps as Swaziland.

And for me straddling the see-sawing middle lying, undiscovered close by my liege-lord Richard, what now?

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Rebecca Kalin's avatar

RE, you always raise interesting questions. About Hitler, I wish knew more; I only followed his plight in the Swazi Times (a priceless publication_I wish I had stockpiled it)) Yes, it was his real name. And yes, women volunteered to try and “help” him. Successful outcome unknown. The point of including him with the movie theatre (besides wanting to capture its uniqueness) is that from the laughter therein one might think Swazi’s were heartless but they sincere in their attempts to solve his hunger problem. I suppose, similarly, people might think the bile duct was crass but it is/was a long-held custom. It was a privilege to witness such a ceremony pre-internet/the modern age and all that entails. (Heads up, we’re moving on from Eswatini. Not sure to where, though…)

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A Leigh's avatar

calamari like- i can see it! feel it! lovely one!

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Rebecca Kalin's avatar

And, doc, a surprisingly large enough collar to fit over a man's fist.

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Carol's avatar

Delightful and entertaining. American wedding planners should definitely take note.

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Rebecca Kalin's avatar

Right on! While grooms still give cows today, many (if not most) bride price gifts are likely C A S H. Where's the charm in that?

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Esther Merves's avatar

Cultural anthropology lesson - a personalized one!

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Rebecca Kalin's avatar

Yes, we were so privileged to be invited to such a joyful--not to mention, fascinating--ceremony. (And, TG, Nila married FB and not marry a Swazi.)

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