Figure 2
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The above pictures are of my sister in-law, when she was
being welcomed into the family. According to tradition, it is the duty of the
sister-in-laws (this case me), who are to name the new bride and to dress the
new bride in her new umakoti clothing.
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As part of being umakoti, the bride is treated as
a new born, in the sense that since she is becoming a new member of the family;
she is given a new name and brand new clothes. This represents the death of one
stage and birth of another, as she will no longer be a girl but a wife. Once
she has been dressed by the sister, she is then lead to meeting with all the
family members and then given instructions by the family on how to conduct
yourself within the family and outside the family home, this is called ukuyala.
Once this process has been conducted, according to
tradition, she is to no longer to be referred to by her birth name, but by
either her clan name or her new name. The new wife is also instructed that she
is to no longer refer to her husband by name especially in front of others; she
is to call him bhuti[1] or
Tata ka So-and-so[2].
There is so much more involved in the making of
umakoti, however for purposes of this report, when I refer to umakoti unless
stated, I am referring to someone who has been married for 15 years or less, as
a wife who is married longer is regarded as umfazi.
