Names and naming: The sun, moon and other celestial bodies as markers of time and determinants of timing of cultural activities

THE sun tells time, so does the moon in its absence at night. The latter is assisted by stars to tell time, particularly in relation to how advanced the night is. Lunar cycles are used to indicate how advanced the night is or what remains of it before the sun takes over the reckoning of time. Length of time is given with reference to the number of days. Ten days have passed since so and so passed on. Ilanga is a basic unit of time and is determined by solar movement. Solar movement may result in imprecise measurement of time but it is functionally relevant.

At the micro level, the day, ilanga, is equally applicable when certain human activities are being timed when to start and when to end. Lunchtime and suppertime have their timing tied to the movement of the sun. The boys out in the bush herding cattle look at the position of the sun in order to tell when to begin driving their herds home to pen them for the night. Cockerels make their calls which are in response to the age of the night and the distance of the sun from emerging on the eastern horizon.

Ilanga is the name for this critically important unit of time that influences human activities. Alternatively, some people will refer to usuku, plural insuku or izinsuku as a measure of time. It should be appreciated that usuku, unlike ilanga, plural amalanga, measures the night, ubusuku, the time when there is no sun. He has been away 10 nights: ulezinsuku ezilitshumi engekho. It is important to measure time that remains and time that has lapsed. We know how long seed takes to germinate and allows us prediction of time of germination from the day of planting.

At the macro level, time is measured in lunar months. Through this form of reckoning of time, human activities of a cultural nature are scheduled. The seasons are marked out and used to give guidance to when human activities are to be commenced. However, what is important is to appreciate that solar movement lies behind the occurrence of seasons. Sometimes the movement or appearance of certain stars marks the time when annual rituals and ceremonies are held. The agricultural season follows the movement of the sun, the time when rains commence and seed may be placed in the soil.

For example, one important season starts in May, uNkwenkwezi, which is the month that represents the Great Mother (Ma/ Maia) and 1 May is a holiday that honours the primal Queen Mother and announces the start of the initiation season. The 25th of May marked the birth of the Word (Shema/ Khem/Nyambe/Chembe) of God. In the southern hemisphere it is time when the cold season sets in and initiation schools are opened (Motshekga, nd).

This was a critically important season for Africans as it was time when communities recreated themselves in order to facilitate their continuity both in natural and cultural terms. It was time for the initiation ceremonies when boys and girls who had reached puberty were ready to take part in the natural processes that lie behind the continuation of the human species. It was time for the rites of passage when social and moral values of communities were inculcated in the minds of the incoming generation in terms of community traditions, history, sexuality, responsibilities for raising the young and the various social roles for men and women.

The entire life of a community was passed on to the new generation by qualified men and women during the initiation schools. It was time for rebirth and regeneration. The biologically mature were being transformed into cultural beings instead of being merely natural beings. The disappearance of these rites of passage has marked the degeneration and the ultimate death of the essence of being African. Experimentation and selfdiscovery are what guide the young who are on the verge of adulthood. The young are no longer being assisted to integrate into the communities into which they have been born.

The initiation schools close at the end of August before the New Year starts in September. With the initiation rites having been performed and the initiates well equipped with social, cultural, economic and moral values through education, they are equipped to face the challenges of the year.

A look at the names given to various times will reveal the critical role played by, for example, the sun. Emathathakusa is the early time of day before the sun rises. Ukusa refers to the position of the sun, when it is about to appear above the eastern horizon in the morning. Similarly, empondozankomo refers to the time of day early in the morning when the sun is yet to brightly light up the eastern horizon. Cattle lying on the ground are visible by their horns whose relatively bright colour allows them to reflect more light, rendering them more visible. All this points to the fact that time is given in a natural sense.

Mid-day is given as seligwaze umhlaba, in other words, when the sun spears the earth. This is the name for time of day and is determined by solar movement. In symbolic terms, it is time when the sun, regarded as male, is engaged in some amorous embrace with the earth, which is regarded as female. Burials among some African peoples are never undertaken in deference to the two celestial bodies that are engaged in a natural process that guarantees the continuity of life on earth. If it is calculated that burial may not be completed before mid-day, it is delayed till after mid-day when the two celestial bodies have decoupled.

Spearing of the earth is, in symbolic terms, understood is sexual terms. When there is a tempestuous wind, thunder and lightning, some African peoples, the Ndebele being one of them, will ask some last born to get hold of a spear (male sex organ) and thrust it into the ground (woman). In the process, woman who is responsible for the tempest is pacified. Sometimes the shortest finger, ucilikicane, is used to point at the menacing storm. The storm, so it is believed, will subside. Ucilikicane by virtue of its cylindrical shape, represents the male sex organ, the pacifier of the enraged woman (earth).

Selibantu bahle is the time of day when the sun is getting down towards the western horizon. At this time, it is no longer harsh and too bright. It gives a good image of the people who then look beautiful, sebebahle. This is a measure of the movement of the sun and what it results in by way of inducing beauty on people’s faces. Selimathunzi, is another time of day when the sun no longer shines brightly. As a result, shadows, izithunzi, are created on objects. In all cases the con-cordial agreement “– li” refers to the sun.

Sekuhlwile, selimathunzi, sekuhwalele, selitshonile are terms that refer to the times of day — the evening when certain activities must stop. Solar movement dictates when certain activities commence and when others stop. When darkness sets in following the disappearance of the sun from the horizon, we sometimes do not take note of the fact that we are controlled by solar movement. Technology allows us to defy these limitations. We work in factories throughout the night. Discoveries by Edison and others have created artificial light that improves sight at night.